Why the resurrection matters part 1 | 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

How would you feel if you found out you that believed a lie your whole life?

Some things might not impact your life like finding out that professional wrestling is scripted or that taco bell is not real Mexican food.

However, other things would have such a big impact that it would change the way you live your life.

What if Jesus was not physically raised from the dead?

Serene Jones (President of Union Theological Seminary) twitted the following:

Happy Easter! You can believe in resurrection without believing in a bodily resurrection: Faith is more than adherence to rigid dogma. The truth about our lives—about our world—is God’s love and grace will always have the final word. Rejoice!

The Apostle Paul would have twitted back:

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.” (15:12-13)

The resurrection is so essential: Without the physical resurrection of Christ from the dead, everything about Christianity is worthless.

Paul spent the previous 11 verses establishing the resurrection as a historical fact. There is no middle ground.

What if Jesus was not physically raised from the dead?

Let’s say it’s true

If Christ has not been raised from the dead…

1. We have a useless gospel message

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain (lit. “empty”).” (v.14)

If Jesus’ body is still in the grave then our preaching has nothing in it, no substance.

That would mean that I’ve wasted decades of formal ministry preparation and years preparing messages and delivering those messages. That would mean that after today I would have to write my resignation letter and find a different job if Jesus’ is still in the tomb.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead…

2. Our faith is useless

“And if Christ has not been raised, then …your faith is in vain.” (v.14)

““And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” (v.17)

If the message of the gospel is useless then it’s a natural consequence that our faith is also useless and worthless because it would be based on sham. You would have to take your faith to the junkyard since it would profit nothing.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead...

3. The gospel would be founded on a lie

“We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.” (v.15)

Paul leaves no room for middle ground: “It’s either Christ rose, or we all lied.” Paul and the apostles would be in the same category as the false prophets of the Old Testament era (Deut. 18:20–22) and the false apostles of the New Testament era (1 John 5:10; 2 John 10).

This would be the biggest scam in the history of the world!

If Christ has not been raised from the dead...

4. We are still in our sins

“And if Christ has not been raised, …you are still in your sins.” (v.17)

Can you see the progression of consequences? The stakes keep getting higher. Paul is clearly declaring, “If Christ did not raise from the dead, then his death accomplished nothing for the forgiveness of our sins.”

Romans 5:8-9 declares, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

To be in our sins means that we are enemies of God who stand guilty and under is wrath. If Jesus is still in the grave, then the his sacrifice was not accepted and no one has received forgiveness of sin.

Hopeless situation! But wait, there is more.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead…

5. There is no hope for the afterlife

“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” (v.18)

Let me say this one more time, without the physical resurrection of Christ from the dead, everything about Christianity is worthless. Our faith is meaningless not only for this life, but also in death. Those who believed in Christ believed a lie, those who died because of persecution died for nothing.

One commentator put it this way,

“Without the resurrection, there would be no hope for final judgment and justice or hope for a final dwelling place with God. There would be nothing but death to look forward to.”(Bruce B. Barton and Grant R. Osborne, 1 & 2 Corinthians)

Paul arrives to the following logical conclusion:

Christians are the most pitiful people because they base their hope on a lie

“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (v.19)

Without the resurrection of Christ from the dead, Christians are simply a bunch of pathetic fools who have put their faith in the biggest make-believe story ever. We would be the most pitiful people in the world because we suffer the loss of all things for the sake of Christ for nothing. Our joy would be replaced by despair, meaningless and hopelessness.

Enough of “what ifs…” Let us look up to what is certain. Let us set our minds and affections on what is true. Who is ready to hear good news this morning? “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead (v.20)

The big takeaway!

Without the resurrection of Christ all we have is a hopeless end. With the resurrection of Christ, we have endless hope.

Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ as the First fruits 2x (vv.20 &23). The first fruits is the initial part of the harvest that indicates more is to come. Jesus is the guarantee and foretaste of what is to come for those who trust in him.

We have so much to look forward to our future. Here are a few things:

Because Jesus is risen, we will receive new physical bodies.

(vv. 21-23) “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”

New bodies are also called resurrection bodies.

We are not going to be disembodied souls floating on the clouds. When Jesus returns we will receive new bodies that will never experience disease, decay or death.

Because Jesus is risen, victory is guaranteed for the people of God.

(vv. 24-26) “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

On Easter Sunday, Christ began the destruction of Satan and all his dominion. The kingdom of God has broken into history. At his second coming, Jesus will completely destroy every enemy that opposes God and his people including death.

The scoreboard at times looks scary for God’s people. It seems like the opposite team is winning. I’ve fast-forwarded the game; I know who wins.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones-

“The Resurrection proved that he has conquered every enemy that was opposed to him, to God, and to us. He has not only satisfied the law and conquered death and the grave, he has vanquished the devil and all his forces, and hell and all the principalities and powers of evil. He has triumphed over them all, and he proves it in the Resurrection. The devil cannot hold him; death and hell cannot hold him. He has mastered them all; he has emerged on the other side. He is the Son of God, and he has completed the work which the Father had sent him to do.”

Because Jesus is risen, we can face life’s trials with hope. (vv.29-32) Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Now, you may be asking, what is baptism for the dead or on behalf of the dead? I read about a dozen commentaries to make sure that my interpretation was right. They all agree with me: “We don’t know what Paul is talking about.” Paul knows and the Corinthians know. We don’t.

I can tell you what it does not mean from the clear teaching of all of Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:29 does not teach that a dead person can be saved by another person being baptized on his/her behalf. The Bible is very clear: salvation is by faith alone in Jesus. What I must I do be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus!

Now back to what I said earlier: Because Jesus is risen, we can face life’s trials with hope.

Because of the endless resurrection hope Paul can face danger and opposition.

>>>One question we tend to ask when we are down or discouraged is, “what’s the point?”

Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Perspective on trials: Our trials are not meaningless

How will you live your life?

We can affirm the doctrine of the resurrection while living like Jesus is still in the grave. We can declare, “he is risen” yet act like our hope is placed on someone else (i.e. president)

Paul puts it this way in vv. 33-34, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.”

These verses raise a couple important concluding questions?

What type of people are you allowing to influence your life?

What type of worldly values are you embracing? (money, sex, relationships, etc)

Without the resurrection of Christ all we have is a hopeless end. With the resurrection of Christ, we have endless hope.