Jesus is Alive and It is Important

Introduction

Illustration: There is a man that owns thousands of acres of land that has been owned by his ancestors for several generations. Since they do not trust bankers, through the years he and father and grandfather and great grandfather and previous generations have all buried buckets of cash all throughout the property. Money is hidden in old coffee cans, paint cans, metal boxes and anything else that will hold money and could last being underground. There is over a million dollars buried on the land. There is a map that has all the places marked where a stash is buried. One day the man has a severe stomach pain and has to be rushed to the doctor. The doctor quickly diagnoses him with a potentially fatal form of cancer. The cancer is slow-growing and able to be treated. However, the treatment is expensive. A complete cycle costs about $18,000.00 and he will need three cycles. The man goes home only to find that he has $2,000 in cash in his safe. He neglects to look at his map and uncover enough money to pay for his treatments. After two years, he dies. If we as Christians do not understand that the resurrection of Christ is for life, we are like this man.

PRAY

1 Corinthians 15 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. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 29 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? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 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.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 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. 35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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 shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

The gospel and the reality of the resurrection (1-11)

We have heard the good news of the resurrected redeemer (1-2

The gospel is to be proclaimed and received. Those who have received the gospel have been saved, are being saved and will be saved, if they hold fast. If they continue to trust in Christ as the Messiah and Lord, they will be safe. If someone does not continue or keep going, they prove that they have believed in vain.

It was preached to you

You received it

By it you are being saved, if you hold fast

Unless you believed in vain

We have great evidence that Christ indeed was raised from the dead (3-11)

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus were not conjured up in the mind of the early Christians, or even Jesus when he was incarnated. This grand scheme of redemption was devised in the annals of eternity past by the Triune God and has been clearly testified by the Scriptures. All these events were according to the Scriptures.

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures

Isaiah 53:4-6; Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 12-18

He was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

2 Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 110:4; Psalm 16:8-11

Illustration: There has been an automobile accident at the intersection of Line Avenue and Kings Highway. The police officer arrives at the scene and it looks like someone might have run a red light. There were several witnesses there that saw what happened, so he begins to question them. He is able to ascertain from three people that the driver in the Ford F-150 ran the red light and t-boned the Toyota Camry. Do you realize that the driver of the F-150 will receive a ticket and more than likely be found guilty in traffic court. Society will stand behind this decision, though most doubt the resurrection though it has more witnesses than this wreck.

Peter, the twelve, more than 500, James, all the apostles, Paul

In addition, all the Romans or the Jews had to do was produce a body and it would be over.

If there is no resurrection, there is ruin (12-19)

In this portion of the text, Paul traces out the end of the belief that there is no resurrection.

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised (12-13; 16)

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, we preach in vain. (14)

The preaching of the gospel includes the proclamation of the resurrection. If the resurrection is not a reality, then the preaching of the gospel is a sham and a lie.

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, we believe in vain (14)

We are to trust in a resurrected savior. If the resurrection does not exist then our faith is toward something that is false. The object of our faith is dead.

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, we misrepresent God because we claim he has raised Christ (15)

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, we are still in our sins. (17)

Our redemption is based upon the fact that God accepted the sacrifice of Christ for our sins and that Christ overcame death. If Christ, in fact, did not overcome death for himself, then it is impossible that he could overcome death for anyone else.

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, the dead saints perished in their sins. (18)

If we are still in our sins, then those that died in the faith died in their sin. Therefore, they perished and are under the judgment of God.

If there is no resurrection, Christ has not been raised. Therefore, we live useless live and should be pitied. (19)

To sum it all up and conclude. If Christ is not raised, we live as if a lie is true. We are like lunatics and should be pitied to believe something that is not true.

Though nobody in this room would theologically question or doubt the resurrection, we can question the resurrection by not living from its truth. If we live in willful sin, we are questioning the resurrection. If we fail to be obedient to God’s Word, we question the resurrection. If we live as if this world is our home, we question the resurrection. If we do not live joyfully in the midst of this sinful world, we question the resurrection. If we are plagued with doubts and depression, we question the resurrection. Therefore we must be very careful, as professing Christians, to live in a manner that reflects the reality of the resurrection.

The resurrection secures full redemption (20-28)

The previous exercise in the theoretical was just that theoretical. Christ has, as we have already established, been raised from the dead. (20)

But in fact, Christ has been raised!!! The resurrection is real. Christ Jesus is really alive and seated at the right had of the Father just as we have been told. It has been witnessed by the church. It has been witnessed by us as part of the church.

The resurrection redeems what was lost in the Fall (21-22)

Adam the first son of God was unable to keep what was promised him because of the temptation of the evil one. He lost for all of us the promise and privilege of life and communion with God. In order to redeem what Adam lost, the eternal Son became incarnate. He was a man, lived as man without sin, suffered as a man, died as a man and was resurrected as a man.

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of our future resurrection at the end of time (23-28)

Here Paul gives a general chronology about our resurrection at the end of time. He also illustrates the security of our resurrection. He implies that our resurrection from the dead is as secure as Christ’s our resurrection that has already taken place.

FIRSTFRUITS Firstborn child or animal or first parts of any crop that, in Hebrew thought, were considered as holy and therefore belonged to the Lord. The firstfruits, as a foretaste of more to come, were offered to God in thanksgiving for his goodness in providing them.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Our resurrection from the dead will initiate the end. After we are resurrected Christ will finally destroy all in opposition to him and handover the kingdom to his Father

The resurrection changes regular life (29-34)

Though Paul does not condone it, some of their practices are proof of the resurrection (29)

The practice of being baptized on behalf for the dead implies the reality of the resurrection. Why would you have your body baptized on the behalf of another dead body, if the body just ceases to exist and the soul is eternal?

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?

Paul’s life is proof that he has seen the resurrected Redeemer (30-32)

Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What 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.”

The example of the Apostle gives us clear guidance how the resurrection is for life. He lived as if Christ was real and that salvation was real. If he knew it was a hoax, why would he endure such hostility and hardship? He say himself, it would make more sense to eat and drink and live a normal life rather than live for something that is not real.

We should live from the reality of the resurrection and not from the ignorance of others (33-34)

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 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.

If Christ is raised, then live like it. Those that do not believe in the resurrection will influence you negatively. Do not be influenced by those that do not know God. Do get your worldview from them. Do not be naïve. Do not believe what they say about life, God, marriage, children, sex, work, joy, peace, politics, church, conflict, sin, truth or anything else. They are warped in their mind. Do not continue living in sin. Do not live a life rejecting the resurrection.

Practical Application

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 ESV

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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 shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.