Christ Has Been Raised!

Intro

The Moment of the Resurrection

Roughly two thousand years ago a group of men and women were wondering what they would do.

The defeated disciples of Jesus had hid themselves away. Afraid for their lives, and afraid of what would come next.

Just days before the man whom they had followed for over three years had been put to death.

Their Lord whom they had eaten with, learned from, and had seen perform many signs and wonders, was killed in the most excruciating way it was possible to die, being nailed to a Roman cross. “Excruciating” literally means, from the cross.

Just a short distance from where they were hiding, was the body of their rabbi; his cold and lifeless form laid to rest in a garden tomb, the door sealed closed with a large stone.

The silence and darkness of that place perfectly epitomizing the despair felt by his disciples.

But in a moment everything changed.

The silence of the tomb was broken by the sound of a gasp of air from the lungs of the once-dead saviour.

And the darkness in the tomb was broken by light pouring through it’s once-sealed entrance.

And out of that tomb walked a glorified man, the first to be raised back to life never to die again.

This is what we celebrate at easter.

The history making, life changing reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Tension

“But,” you may ask, what does the resurrection mean for us?

There are all sorts of different interpretations as to what the resurrection was, and what it means for us today.

Many say that it was a myth, set up and propagated by Jesus’ followers in order to gain power or religious notoriety, which means that we can ignore it.

Some hold that it was only a sort of spiritual resurrection, resulting in some sort of vague spiritual significance to those who want to believe.

Or was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead the real deal, and does it have a genuine impact on our lives today, and the life to come?

Which takes us to our passage this morning.

1 Corinthians 15:12-22

1 Corinthians 15:12–22 ESV

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. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 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.

Exposition

The controversy (v.12)

The church in Corinth that the Apostle Paul is writing to was embroiled in a controversy.

Those of you who are familiar with 1 Corinthians will already know that this is just one of many controversies that the church of Corinth was dealing with.

But this one was different than the rest.

While the other controversies in Corinth were important; proper conduct in worship, spiritual gifts, dealing with a church member’s very serious sin…

This controversy was about the Gospel itself, and the our great hope as believers.

Paul begins to bring attention to this controversy at the beginning of our passage in verse 12.

1 Corinthians 15:12 ESV

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Clearly there were people who rejected the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.

And when I say the resurrection of the dead I mean in the general sense.

There is a distinction made between Christ’s resurrection at Easter, and the resurrection of all people in the world.

We see this distinction in verse 12 when Paul writes…

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead” - That is Christ’s resurrection on the third day, that we celebrate at easter. Christ’s resurrection.

But then he says, “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead.” - This is the general resurrection of every human being at christ’s return.

Rejection of the Resurrection Today

Now Paul does not go into detail about their reasoning for saying this, but this rejection of the resurrection of the dead is not something that were unfamiliar with in our own context.

In our own day, there are many groups of people, even many who call themselves Christians, who deny the fundamental Christian doctrine of the general resurrection.

Many of these same people go further than that, even denying the resurrection of Jesus himself.

They may point to Jesus as a good moral teacher, or may call Jesus a prophet, or an example to follow.

But they reject his miraculous resurrection from the dead, and what it means for how we live today and in the hereafter.

The Gospel as of First Importance.

In our passage in 1 Corinthians 15:12, Paul assumes the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead.”

We see earlier on in this chapter, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 that Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is not only a historical fact, established by the evidence of multiple witnesses;

but that this historical event is the centrepiece of the Gospel, the good news.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

The Facts of the Matter

These are the facts of the matter, that we see laid out clearly in this passage.

Christ Died

Jesus died on a roman cross. And there is plenty of evidence to back this up.

This is what the eyewitnesses tell us in the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

It is a foundational claim made throughout the New Testament.

Extra-biblical non-christian historians from the first century like Tacitus and Josephus also record that Jesus was crucified and killed by the Romans.

He did not faint, or swoon, or fake his death, if anyone knew how to kill someone it was a roman soldier, and kill him they did.

Beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross, and then speared in the side. Jesus had been killed.

The historical fact of Jesus existence, and his death on a Roman cross is hardly disputed by historians nowadays, if anything there is a quite a strong consensus that it happened.

Gerd Ludemann who was a historian and a skeptic once wrote, “The fact of the death of Jesus as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.”

Christ Died

Christ was Buried

He died and He was buried.

Jesus was laid in a newly dug tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, who was a member of the very counsel that sentenced Jesus to death.

The gospels tell us that Jesus’ tomb was sealed with a stone and guarded.

We read in Matthew 27:62-66 that after Jesus was laid in the tomb,

Matthew 27:62–66 (ESV)

the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

The tomb was sealed by a stone, and had Roman soldiers guarding the entrance to it.

Need I remind you what Roman soldiers were good at?

Christ was buried, and he was buried well.

Christ Was Raised

But, after all that, Christ was raised!

As the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 ,

1 Corinthians 15:4–8 (ESV)

Christ was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Here Paul appeals to the multitude of eye witnesses to Christ’s resurrection.

All of the eye witnesses mentioned by name in this passage died for their unwavering conviction that Christ had risen from the dead.

Cephas (that is Peter) died for this testimony.

The twelve, save for Judas who betrayed Christ, and the Apostle John who lived to an old age, all died violently for their witness.

James the half-brother of Jesus also died for his testimony.

And Paul himself died for his testimony to the truth of the resurrection, and for good news that the resurrection means for the world.

What would convince you?

Now I want to ask you, if all this really happened in the first century: that Jesus of Nazareth died, was buried, and then rose from the dead, what amount of evidence would convince you?

Would a photograph convince you? We’ve all seen photos that are doctored, we know we cant always trust them, a photo wouldn’t convince you.

Would a video convince you? We’ve all seen video that was edited and changed, we know that not everything we see on video is real. A video wouldn’t convince you.

What would convince you?

I’m willing to bet that there is not an answer to that question.

We have the accounts of the Gospels, we have the witness of history, we have the testimony of many who went to their deaths because of their confidence in what they saw.

What more could we ask for?

Ultimately confidence in any historical event is brought about by faith.

Think about the word Confidence - we get it from two latin words “Con” and “fide”

Meaning “With Faith”

The evidence is clear, the testimony is sure, but it must be received by faith.

Christ died, he was buried, and he was raised!

If it is true then it is the greatest historical event in history.

There is plenty of evidence, but it must be received by faith!

Those who Denied and Deny

And it in this greatest historical event that Paul grounds his argument against those who denied the resurrection.

But why would they deny it? We’re not really told why or what their arguments were.

It may have been that these believers in Corinth had continued to believe the traditional Greek understanding of the eternity of the soul.

That after a person’s soul was separated from the body in death, the soul then went on to live forever somewhere else.

The Belief of Many Today

This is a lot like what many people believe today in our own society, even those who believe in Jesus.

Many, both Christian and non-christian, believe that we spend eternity in heaven when we die.

But we are in a sort of a disembodied state.

We see this in cartoons or movies or tv. It looks terrible.

The Bible on the General Resurrection

But what the Bible actually teaches is the resurrection of our bodies.

Isaiah 26:19 prophesies that,

Isaiah 26:19 (ESV)

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.

You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!

For your dew is a dew of light,

and the earth will give birth to the dead.

The Apostle Paul even tells us what our resurrected bodies will be like later on in 1 Corinthians 15. Here he says our resurrection bodies will be to our bodies now, as a grown plant is to a seed.

A seed is buried when it is dried up, just like we are buried when we die.

But then the plant emerges out of the ground, being much greater and more glorious but still having the same essence as the seed from which it came.

So will our bodies be at the resurrection, still real, still physical, still us; but more perfect and glorious and greater in every way.

That is if we are resurrected to new life in Christ.

Jesus says in John 5:28-29, that both righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected.

But their resurrections will be different.

John 5:28–29 (ESV)

An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Because of their unrepentant sin they are condemned to everlasting judgment. Jesus himself calls it hell.

That is why Jesus offers salvation through faith, because this resurrection is waiting for all of us.

We will be either resurrected to judgment for our sin

Or we will be resurrected to eternal life in perfect glorified bodies, enjoying God forever.

If we receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

This is the general resurrection of the dead.

This doctrine is consistent throughout the Bible.

It has also been consistent throughout church history.

Have you ever wondered why so many old churches had cemeteries in their yard?

It was because the graveyard was a witness to the church’s belief that their congregants who worshipped within that church would some day rise from those very graves.

The Inconsistency (v. 13)

If we look back at our passage this morning you’ll notice that verse 13 can seem a bit confusing. Like Paul is answering a question nobody has asked.

1 Corinthians was likely a letter written by the Apostle Paul in response to a letter sent from the church to him.

Here in verse 13 Paul seems to be refuting a logical argument made by those who denied the resurrection.

The people Paul was dealing with Corinth did seem to believe that Jesus had been raised, but denied that the dead are raised.

Paul is simply showing them their inconsistency.

He says in verse 13.

1 Corinthians 15:13 ESV

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

The Centrality of the Resurrection of Christ (v. 14-19)

But he goes on from there, and this next part is very relevant for those who would claim to be Christians today but deny the resurrection of Christ.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14-16,

1 Corinthians 15:14–18 ESV

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

If Christ has not been raised, the whole Christian faith falls apart.

The Gospel of salvation by grace through faith: a lie.

The deaths of those who died for their faith: a pointless and tragic waste of life.

Those who repented and believed: still in their sins.

And those who died while believing in Christ: hopelessly gone forever.

Most Pitied (v. 19)

Paul goes on to say in verse 19 that,

1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Those who claim to be Christians in our own culture but who deny the miraculous resurrection of Jesus, put their hope in this life only.

They believe that Jesus’ moral example was the main point of his ministry.

They often believe that the purpose of the Christian life is to merely follow Jesus’ moral example.

A basic reading of what Jesus actually says in the Gospels blows all of this out of the water.

But aside from that think about what Paul is saying here, and to whom he is saying it.

He is saying “that if we have hope in this life only, then we are to be most pitied.”

And he is saying it to people for whom persecution and even death for their faith was a very real possibility. Paul says in verse 30 of 1 Corinthians 15, if the dead are not raised, “Why are we in danger every hour?”

What is the point of facing death for the sake of Christ when there is no hope for life after it?

Is it any wonder why liberal or progressive Christianity has never taken hold in countries where Christians face serious persecution or death for their faith?

I mean if the dead are not raised, why live for Christ at all?

If there is nothing after this why not pursue pleasure, vice, and licentious living.

As Paul writes in verse 32, 1 Corinthians 15:32 “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’”

The Reality (v. 20-22)

But That is not at all the case!

Our passage this morning ends with verses 20-22 where Paul says,

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 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.

Christ has been raised from the dead!

And Paul here calls Jesus the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (That means who have died.)

Christ is like the first grape on the vine, or the first apple in the orchard.

And this first-fruit signals that there will be many more to follow!

That is why Colossians 1:18 calls Jesus, “the firstborn from the dead”

He has risen, and countless more will themselves rise to eternal life!

The passage goes on to say the same thing twice, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

1 Corinthians 15:21–22 ESV

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.

Just like death was brought into the world through the sin of Adam, the father of all humanity,

Resurrection and life eternal was brought into reality through Jesus Christ, the first- born of the new humanity.

Application

Christ rose from the dead!

This is a historical fact, but it is not just some piece of trivia. This historical fact changes absolutely everything.

Those of you who know me know that I love history, and I like to geek out about historical facts.

If Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon on January 10, 49 B.C. I like knowing that, and I like trying to shoehorn that information in a conversation when I can.

But it makes no real difference to how I live or what I hope for.

But, If Jesus actually rose from the dead, that demands a response in how I live,

and it absolutely changes what I hope for.

How I live, and What I hope For

If Jesus actually rose from the dead, that means that he is who he said he was, the Son of God.

If Jesus actually rose from the dead, that means that what he says about me is true: That I am a sinner and because of my wickedness and sin, I am already condemned to everlasting judgment for my sin.

But if Jesus actually rose from the dead, then I can receive forgiveness and salvation by faith in him.

I can repent of my sin and believe in Jesus Christ, and I will be saved.

And this salvation gives me a brand new life, living in obedience to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And if Jesus actually rose from the dead, my hope is no longer in this life only.

Even though I will die someday, I have confidence, unwavering faith, that at Christ’s return I will step out of my grave and turn and see my grave stone, just like my saviour did!

Do you have that confidence?

Conclusion

Roughly two thousand years ago a glorified man walked out of the silence and darkness of his tomb, the first to be raised back to life, never to die again.

He presented himself to his followers who had been hiding in fear. But then suddenly went fearlessly proclaiming the truth of the man’s resurrection.

Many of these witnesses went to their death because of the hope they had for their own resurrection from the dead, because Christ rose from the dead.

Do you have that confidence?

Do you have that hope?

We are going to finish our service this morning with one more song.

But if you find that you have been given faith to believe in Jesus Christ as your lord and saviour, I want to invite you to come and speak with me or one of the other pastors here at the end of the service.

Christ is risen!