OF FIRST IMPORTANCE Christ Died, Christ Was Raised

1 Corinthians 15:1–7 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

I. HE DIED

1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

A. Christ came to die for our sins.

B. “All of our sin is first and foremost against God (Ps. 51:4), and any of our violations of the last six commandments are violations of the first commandment, “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3; Col. 3:5). Only when we understand that our sin is primarily against God will we rightly understand what our sin truly deserves—and why Christ had to die.” Nicholas Batzig in TableTalk April 2, 2021

C. John 1:29 (ESV) — 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

D. Galatians 1:4 (ESV) — 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

E. 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) — 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

F. Isaiah 53:3–6 (ESV) — 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

G. The mission of Christ was to die for our sins. This is our greatest need.

H. Christ died to secure our resurrection.

I. Romans 6:5 (ESV) — 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

J. Romans 8:11 (ESV) — 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

K. 2 Timothy 2:11 (ESV) — 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

L. John 11:25 (ESV) — 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

II. HE WAS RAISED

A. 1 Corinthians 15:4b …that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

B. He was raised. (Here are some reasons.)

C. Acts 2:24 (ESV) — 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

D. 2 Timothy 1:10 (ESV) — 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

E. Acts 17:31 (ESV) — 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

F. Romans 1:4 (ESV) — 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

G. Romans 4:23–25 (ESV) — 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

H. Romans 6:8–11 (ESV) — 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

I. His resurrection gives us hope – the hope of eternal life. A hope that allows us to see beyond our immediate life circumstances to something greater. Something perfect. A time when sorrow and suffering flee away.

J. 1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

K. Tim Keller wrote in his article, Growing My Faith in the Face of Death, a truth concerning the orientation of our heart in this world that I believe the hope we have been born again to addresses.

L. “Since my diagnosis, Kathy and I have come to see that the more we tried to make a heaven out of this world – the more we grounded our comfort and security in it – the less we were able to enjoy it…To our surprise and encouragement, Kathy and I have discovered that the less we attempt to make this world into a heaven, the more we are able to enjoy it.” Tim Keller

M. Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4).

N. Enjoy God’s good gifts in this world, but don’t expect the gifts in this world to sustain your heart.

O. Only Jesus, who died and was raised, can be your joy – now and forever.

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.