If Jesus did not rise...

Read 1 Cor 15:12-19

Introduction:

When you do not find what you are looking for, you normally get upset or, at least, disappointed. Examples: money you left somewhere… lost jewelry… important documents...

On a sad Sunday, early in the morning, the women could not find what we were looking for, the body of Jesus. They were not looking for bunnies or Easter eggs! Not finding Him, they were puzzled at the beginning. Where is He? Where did you put Him? - they asked the orchard keeper.

But, not finding what they were looking for, made that sad day, the most joyous and glorious day they would ever had! Same thing happened to John and Peter, who, after being informed by the women, ran to the tomb and found it empty.

Such emptiness surprised them, but not made them mad; on the contrary, they were full of joy. The tomb was empty. He had rose from the dead, just as He had promised.

Background:

One group who opposed Jesus was that of the Sadducees. They did not believe in resurrection…

A few years later, the influence of the Sadducees had affected some in the Church. Some who professed to be believers had swallowed that lie… and were saying that there is no resurrection of the dead.

There are the modern Sadducees: those who teach that life ends at the tomb. Atheists and some so-called scientists that deny that Christ rose from the dead.

If they were right, the implications would be tragic.

If Christ did not rise from the dead…

Jesus would not be the Savior.

“if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;” 13

He would be just a good mortal.

- Without resurrection he would be just a good teacher…

- But Jesus is not in the same category as the prophets much less in the category of those who have founded religions. He is not a sinner but God incarnated.

He would be a liar.

He had promised many times, to friends and enemies, that he would rise on the 3rd day.

His enemies attempted to prevent that from happening…

Matthew 27:62–64 NASB95

Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

Why such precaution if it his resurrection was only a lie?

Would you trust your life on a liar? No! But Jesus rose from the dead!

The Gospel would not be Gospel.

“and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain,”

There would not be good news.

The right word is not gospel but evangellion. It means “good news”. What is the good news? See vs. 3-4

“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,” 3-4

The good news is that through Jesus resurrection, you can be resurrected too and go to Heaven. That believing in the risen Christ you will have eternal life.

But if Christ resurrection did not happened, what good news could we preach? Our preaching would be vain, empty, and powerless!

But Jesus rose from the dead! And we have a true evangellion to preach (the gospel is gospel).

It would be an incomplete story.

If He did not rise, the evangellion would be like one of those sad stories or movies where the hero ends dead…

Jesus life is a real life story with a happy and glorious end.

His earthly life story ended up being alive.

Let’s never forget: the passion of the Christ is not the end of the story; His resurrection is the end!

Our faith would be foolishness.

“if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” 14

We would be believing in a dead man.

His death demonstrated He was a true man.

But, can a dead man save himself from the tomb? Can a dead man save you from the tomb?

His resurrection demonstrated He is God, just as He claimed.

We would be believing in a blasphemer.

- He claimed to be God, to be the Great I AM, to be before Abraham, to be the life of men, etc. Was he correct? If He did not rise, He was wrong. But His resurrection proved that he was not blaspheming. He was correct! We have believed in the right person.

We would have a worthless faith.

“if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;” 17

Greek “mataía”: “of no value” “useless”.

Our faith would not be worthy enough to have it, much less to defend it or depend on it.

Christians would be bunch of liars.

“Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raised, if in fact the dead are not raised.” 15

Our leader lied.

The apostles preached and wrote a lie.

The NT would not be worthy of trust…

But, if the apostles were preaching a lie, why no one rebutted them? Look at the sermons and accusations they made in the book of Acts…

We have been telling a lie to many.

Throughout the years, millions of people have been exposed to the teaching of the resurrection. It is our fault to a certain extent…

Poor of those whose lives were miraculously changed when they believe in the risen Christ.

Some may consider it a lie, but Jesus rose from the dead!

Believers who died would be lost forever.

If Christ has not been raised, “Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” 18

Hope is not longer hope.

There is no mediator.

Everyone will end up in Hell.

But Jesus rose from the dead!