The Resurrection

Why do we celebrate Easter?

This is a complex question. Most of know the actual answer but we have unofficial reasons for celebrating Easter.

Kids like it.

It makes Mommy happy.

It’s the Christian thing to do.

What else?

The lone reason that makes Easter important is that “God not only sent His son into the world but also vindicated Him after His death on a cross. Jesus was buried, placed in the tomb of Joseph, and rose from the dead three days later.

This lone belief is fundamental to the New Testament witness and the corner-stone of Christian faith and theology.

The gospels report the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb to several different people. (Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, Salome, Joanna and other women.

This historical fact that Jesus was seen by many after his Resurrection was given to many different people.

Simon Peter alone. ()

The disciples on the way to Emmaus. ()

To the ten disciples (Thomas was absent) and “others” with them, at Jerusalem on the evening of the Resurrection day. ()

To the disciples again (Thomas was present) at Jerusalem. ( and others)

To the disciples when fishing at the Sea of Galilee. ()

To the eleven, and above 500 bretheren at once, at an appointed place in Galilee. ()

To James, under what circumstances we are not informed. ()

To the apostles immediately before the ascension. They accompanied him from Jerusalem to Mount Olivet, and there they saw Him ascend “till a cloud recieved him out of their sight” (; ; )

During each of these occasions, Jesus afforded His disciples the amplest opportunity of testing His Resurrection. He talked with them face to face. They touched him, and he ate with them.

In addition to the above, Christ manifested Himself to Paul at Damascus.

In other words, there were A LOT of witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus.

Why then, did people struggle then and why do people struggle now with believing in Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

Jesus isn’t a problem for a non believer until you start to ask them if they need His salvation. Why is this?

People are afraid. The world is terrified. We are living in sin. instead of taking the medicine that we need to be cured, we want to run away from our problems.

The Bible is clear. Trusting in Jesus Christ is the medicine that this world needs.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this medicine would not be available to cure us.

How is the resurrection of Jesus Christ powerful for every Christian right now at this moment?

1. Scriptural evidence. ()

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 NASB95

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which 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 according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

Some of the Corinthians had denied that the dead will rise. Paul begins his argument by going to the scriptures. He realized that some Corinthians were far from appreciating what the gospel meant.

He wanted the people to know that Christ’s resurrection rests on the evidence of many eye-witnesses, including Paul himself. Those who deny the resurrection would have to deny Christ Himself.

By this gospel “in which also you are saved” lit means “in which you are being saved”. He’s was not simply pointing to a message that saved people. He wanted the church to understand that salvation is a past, present, and future process.

Paul gave them the basic message of the gospel. He did not create this message on his own. He simply passed on what he had received.

“died for our sins” - atone FOR them; for taking away our sins. “gave Himself for our sins”

“buried” - The early church was in no doubt about the reality of the death of Jesus.

“raised on the third day” - His burial is more closely connected with His resurrection than His death. The grave to Jesus was not a destined area for death, but a holding place for life.

“According to the scriptures” - Paul had a higher view of the scriptural account than he did the eye witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.

He appeared to many different people.

Women

Disciples

Newer disciples

To a non converted Jew. “untimely born” “I am the least of the apostles,” scarcely “meet to be called an apostle”; He didn’t get the regular course. He was suddenly born into the family of God. Not like a natural birth, but by a sudden power, as those prematurely born.

Excuses are common in this day and age. I use them every day when I don’t do things I know that I should do. In the case of Christianity, the Bible removes the excuse that you aren’t able to be called by God unto salvation. He appeared to the best and the worst.

Has Jesus appeared to you? Why are you here today?

I want to testify today that the scriptures declare Jesus to be a risen savior who appeared to many on this earth as eye witness accounts. Don’t believe this for the sake of not wanting to rock the boat with your family. Believe it for yourself or don’t believe. Choose where you stand today.

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2. The vanity if there was no resurrection. ()

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 NASB95

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact 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 worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

To preach Christ is to preach the resurrection. There were some that believed in no resurrection. Most Greeks believed that only the soul was immortal. The reanimation of a dead corpse difficult for people.

Paul’s point was this: Since Christ was genuinely human and died a human death, if men cannot be raised than Christ could not have been raised. Paul uses simple logic.

What would follow is the necessary consequence. Our preaching would be in “vain”

Vanity - empty

Preaching would have no substance. The gospel would be a lie. If the gospel is a sham, than so is the faith that produces.

There is a further consequence. If there was no Resurrection, all the apostles are shown to be liars.

It cannot be said that our preachers are honest people. In sincerity, they have given advice that they have thought to be good, though it is now shown to not be the good that they had imagined. We have wasted our time.

What is the function of a preacher? To bear witness to God’s saving acts. If there is no saving act, there is nothing of worth to preach.

The further consequence is that is that our faith is “worthless”. It’s a fruitless exercise if there is no Resurrection of the dead.

It’s fruitless because you are “still in your sins”. If people are still in their sins, what does ‘Christ died for our sins’ (v. 3) mean? In that case, Jesus’ death has accomplished nothing. ‘Christ dead without resurrection would be a condemned, not a justified, Christ. How could He justify others?’ (Godet). Faith would then be futile. The words can be given a second meaning. If Christ was not raised, believers would still be living in their sins like any pagan.

Every believer we know would still be under the everlasting condemnation of our sins.

Paul is telling the Corinthians that without the resurrection of Jesus, our faith would be empty.

This is real life isn’t? Doesn’t this idea tug at the hearts of everyone? Andy.

There is a common thread of people today trying to make the vanity of no resurrection a reality. They don’t believe and assume that everything you say and do as a Christian is worthless. They want to put Jesus in the grave. They need Him to be in a grave so that they can know where He is. They want to control Him.

The thought of what life would be without the resurrection is why the reality of the resurrection is so powerful.

3. The death of death itself. ()

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 NASB95

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

“Now I say this” heightens the significance of what follows and emphasizes that it is very important.

Paul explains the life of here and now by using the term “flesh and blood”. Flesh and blood is a reminder of our mortality and our frail state of being.

It is not this body that will enter the life of the world to come. This flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom. The change of the body is necessary.

Not everyone will “sleep”. The resurrection changed death for everyone. Paul calls it sleep. The pagan world was terrified of death and modern day society is today.

There will be a change of the body. It will happen in a “twinkling of an eye”. This emphasizes a sudden change. The twinkling of an eye is the time it takes to cast a glace or for an eyelid to flutter.

The trumpet will sound and the dead will rise.

In one moment, the corruption of the body and death itself will be extinct for all Christians.

He compares to the body we have now as “clothes”. Clothes are meant to eventually be taken off and replaced. The body we have is not the real person. We will have an immortal body.

“Death is swallowed” - . Christ will swallow it up so altogether victoriously that is shall never more regain its power.

This gets Paul pretty excited and it should get you excited too. Paul sings of the triumph to come. He quotes .

Death who used to a an unstoppable opponent for us all is a sting that Christ has drawn away. It is harmless to those who are in Him.

Death no longer has a victory.

. The death and sting that sin and the law has over people has been fully satisfied through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

But “Thanks be to God”. This victory is in no way due to ourselves. “O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” -

“gives” - this includes present security

Paul ends this chapter by encouraging Christian stability.

“steadfast” - not turning aside from the faith of the resurrection of ourselves

“unmovable” - not turned aside by others

“word of the Lord” - the promotion of Christ’s kingdom.

“not in vain” - as the deniers of the Resurrection would make it.

World religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, etc along with cults such as Jehova Witnesses won’t celebrate Easter. Why? Because they can’t.... The god/god’s that they believe in and serve are dead.

Can you imagine an Easter without the resurrection? You have a risen savior! Start acting like you do. There is a power at your disposal that we often don’t have access to.

When will death be dead to the church? When will our eyes open to the mission in front of us?

He is risen.