It’s that time of year again—when pastors and gospel workers across the globe begin preparing their sermons, devotionals, and presentations for Easter. And every year, I find myself caught in a familiar inner tension: when I preach the resurrection, am I supposed to be a herald or an attorney?
On one hand, I’m deeply grateful for the rich apologetic resources we now have regarding the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection. Michael Licona’s The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach has been invaluable. Gary Habermas’ and Licona’s The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus offers a more concise but powerful case. William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith gives a philosophical and historical foundation, while Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and Josh McDowell’s More Than a Carpenter have made this material accessible to countless seekers and skeptics. I’ve benefitted personally from these works. They’ve strengthened my understanding and resolved nagging doubts at critical junctures.
So when Easter rolls around, the temptation is always there: to recapitulate this research from the pulpit, to craft a case, to act as the chief apologist in the courtroom of public opinion. But the older I get, the more I sense a theological priority that outweighs the impulse to argue. It’s the calling not to act as a defense attorney, but to take my stand as a herald.
This isn’t to dismiss apologetics in gospel preaching. There’s certainly a place for responding to honest questions. Good preaching anticipates objections. Even the apostles appealed to evidence—their own eyewitness testimony foremost among it (Acts 2:32; 1 John 1:1–3). The gospel is grounded in history, and its truth claims can be tested. But in the pulpit, my role is not primarily to prosecute or defend. My role is to announce.
Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23). Not, “We prove Christ crucified.” Not, “We defend Christ crucified.” He also wrote, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). That wasn’t intellectual laziness. That was theological prioritization. He deliberately chose proclamation over persuasion so that the people’s faith would rest not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).
When I believed the gospel as a child, no one sat me down with a list of evidences. I was confronted with the truth: Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. And I believed. As I got older, I began asking how and why, and I’m thankful the Lord gave me the resources to find well-reasoned answers. That wasn’t disingenuous—it was faith seeking understanding. But the foundation was already laid.
This is why Paul writes in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The Spirit uses the preached Word to open hearts. The Spirit is the One who testifies. The preacher heralds. The Spirit convicts.
So yes, let’s study the resurrection. Let’s master the material. Let’s be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks (1 Pet. 3:15). But let’s also be free—free to preach the gospel without the burden of trying to manufacture conversions through airtight arguments. You are not the Holy Spirit. You’re a messenger. Announce what God has done: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3–5). Then call people to repent and believe. That’s not simplistic—that’s obedience.
In the courtroom of eternity, there is already a perfect Counselor—the Spirit of truth (John 15:26). He will convince. He will convict. You just preach.
Let the gospel stand. And let the Spirit do what only He can do.
Josh Taylor is a pastor and author with degrees in Pastoral Ministry, Christian Apologetics, and a DMin in Biblical Preaching.
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