A Message Of First Importance

I speak in agreement with the Apostle Paul this morning that what I’m declaring to you is of first importance.

I am not making up this information, it’s not original to me, but I’m handing it to you, having recieved it through the written word.

This, in fact, is one of the earliest Christian creeds that we have.

Notice the words, “For I delivered to you…what I also recieved.” That’s a creed. A statement of confession. A truth passed down.

Most scholars date this creed to between 32 and 35. The point being that Paul likely received this shortly after Christ appeared to him in person on the road to damascus, and began to preach this and pass it on.

Can I just remind you, church, that your faith is rooted in concrete and substantial fact. This was not made up hundreds of years after the life of Jesus, and corroborated to invent the worlds largest and most influential religion. These are confessions and beliefs held by real people who lived with Christ, walked with Christ, witness his death, and saw him within days of the events themselves, and went to their own deaths for the sake of such truth.

There’s NOTHING more important than this.

1. That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

2. That Christ was buried

3. That he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

4. And that he made a physical bodily appearance to hundreds of people, at various times, after his resurrection.

I’m going to tackle the first three in brief, then we’ll spend some time thinking about the risen Lord!

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

It is a fact that Christ died but Christ did not just die. Paul tells us that he died FOR our sins.

The word means, in the place of, or for the sake of, or for our advantage.

His death accomplished a saving work.

He died FOR our sins and effectively did something about the fallen condition of our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Forgiven! Made righteous! Redeemed from the curse!

Because Christ died for our sins!

And it was according to the Scriptures...

This isn’t a minor detail. This is grounding Paul’s message in prophetic history, and grounding our faith there too. Jesus was not an afterthought, but a plan.

600 years before Christ, this was written...

Psalm 22:16-18

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17  I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18  they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

v1 one of that same chapter...

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

700 years before Christ: Isaiah 53:5 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.

Thousands of years before Christ...

Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Folks, this is of first importance that we know this today, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

He was buried

Insignificant detail? Not in the least.

You don’t bury living people. You bury dead people. The Gospel writers make it clear that Christ was confirmed dead on the cross.

John 19:31-34 “The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.”

It wasn’t customary to bury victims of crucifixion in a tomb, but rather to leave them on their cross’s to decay and be eaten by scavengers.

But Jesus was given an honorable burial. All four gospels tell us that Jesus was removed from the cross, prepared for burial, and then placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.

Had the gospel writers wanted to make up a story about a burial and stage a resurrection, they would not have included the name of a Pharisee who was alive at that time, and who’s story could be verified, knowing the disdain the Jews had for the Apostles, and Christ. But This man was apparently changed by the testimony of Christ’s life and death, and therefore urged Pontius Pilate for an honorable burial, which would place Jesus in a tomb, fulfilling Isaiah 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, AND the body of Christ WAS actually buried, and laid in a tomb, WHY? Because it would be later on the third day, out of that tomb, that Christ would rise, and God would vindicate His Son!

3. He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

It’s worth noting that Paul doesn’t place this part of his gospel proclamation in a different historical category than the first two. All three are put forth as real events.

We’ve established from Scripture that the actual body of Jesus was taken from the cross on that Friday, prepared for burial, and placed in a tomb.

It didn’t seem to make much difference that Christ had prepared his disciples for this, because most of them still did not believe at this time. They did not consider Psalm 16:10, the messianic psalm which says… “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” They prepared his body fully expecting those burial perfumes to stop the stench of his death.

They did not remember his very own words in John 2:19 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

Here is the story as it transpired according to the Apostle John, in John 20.

John 20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

A few things that should be mentioned for the sake for the skeptic.

If the early Christians wanted to make up a story about Jesus’ bodily resurrection, and plant fake eyewitnesses, a first century man would never make a woman the key witness. Not for lack of respect on his part, but because the culture did not consider women a valid source of testimony and the story would be thrown out. But John and the other gospel writers did name Mary as the first eyewitness… because it was true.

How awesome is this, that a woman who was once verifyably possessed by seven demons, has been radically changed by the life of Jesus, and is now the first to witness his resurrection and preach the news to others? Glory to God for his tender mercy for sinners like us.

Then there was the invented story by the Jewish leaders attempting to cover up the resurrection. Remember, Matthew 28:12-15 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Which by the way is a story with so many holes through it, it’s ridiculous. The Roman guards at the entrance, the heavy stone over the tomb, the Roman seal upon the stone, the folded clothes in the tomb…all of these point us not to a stolen body, but a miraculously risen Christ who did just as he said he would do.

Paul goes on with the creed that after the resurrection Jesus 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.

Not only was he seen by Mary, and the Apostles, but by more than 500 people at one time, possibly on the Galilee mountainside where he gathered his disciples. Most of the 500 were still alive when writing this letter, and able to be interviewed if desired. He also appeared to the skeptical brother of Jesus, James, (John 7:5 For even his brothers did not believe in Him.”) this James goes on to be a prominent figure in the Jerusalem church. And finally he appears to Paul himself, who meets Jesus as a persecutor of the church, and by the grace of God is called to be an Apostle and a messenger of the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, guests, skeptics, The risen Christ changes lives! Many of these will go on to live and die, not for a cause, but for a set of facts and truths. Consider how easy it would be to dismiss a lie for the sake of your life, but can you dismiss a man who was dead and appeared alive?

So what should this mean for us today?

I want to call each and every one of you to tie yourself to the testimony of the Apostles, and the eyewitnesses of Christ, and to this ancient creed handed down. He died for your sins, was buried, was RAISED TO NEW LIFE, and was witnessed alive before ascending in victory over all things to reign as King!

Root yourself in that historical fact, because if that is true, and it is true, then you and I have real hope, not only here, but for all eternity!

Paul goes on to say in v14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

and v16 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.

v19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

v20 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.

Band come up

Don’t be deceived by the world into thinking that this is all there is. Even Christians forget that one of the great consequences of the resurrection is not only that Jesus conquered sin, satan and death, but that there is coming a day when the bodies of those who have trusted in Christ will be really, actually, physically raised from corruptible earthly material and, put on the incorruptible at the resurrection.

This is not for the wicked, the God-hating, sin-loving and rebellious, but ONLY for those who come to trust in the work of the cross, the blood of Jesus, and the victory of Jesus who died for sinners and rose from the dead. It is THESE ALONE will sing this song…

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.

Do you have such victory? Place your faith in the work of Christ, repent of all your sin, and come and follow, and tell everyone you know that Christ has risen!