1 Cor 15:12 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?
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead wasn’t something thought up by the followers of Jesus.
That fact was taught by Jesus Himself.
John 2:18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2:20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
John 2:21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
John 2:22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
Jesus taught us that when He was raised from the dead, that it would be a sign of His authority and of the truth of who He was.
1 Cor 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
The Corinthians were denying the bodily resurrection of the believer, either claiming it was impossible (Sadducee) or undesirable (Greek)
Perhaps some of them thought that it just wasn’t that important.
Remember that resurrection is not merely life after death; it is the continuation of life after death in glorified bodies, glorified from our present bodies
But, if Jesus is risen, bodily, how can such a resurrection be either impossible or undesirable
If the Corinthians were right about the resurrection, then Jesus was still dead!
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what does that mean to the Christian?
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what difference does it make to anyone?
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then six things are true.
1 Cor 15:14 And if Christ is not risen,
- then our preaching is empty…
Preaching- to make a proclamation.
The disciples went all over their world telling people about Jesus.
Jesus told them to go and preach the gospel.
Gospel- good news.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The central proof that the message of Jesus was true, was that He would be raised from the dead.
Jesus said that He would be raised from the dead.
The O.T. spoke about it.
The N.T. is built upon it.
If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead like he said He would be…
The then message given by the apostles, and millions of Christians since, …
…is simply not true and useless, vain, futile, and without power.
Jesus is dead, and unable to help or save anyone.
- and your faith is also empty.
- Faith to make it day to day.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, faith in Him can’t help me make from day to day, b/c He is dead, and can’t help me.
- Rest for your soul…
Mat 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Mat 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
- Guidance for your life…
John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
- Peace for life…
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- Faith and assurance about what lies beyond this life.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, I can’t be sure about what lies past this life for me.
Lots of ideas about what happens after death.
Re-incarnation.
Rewards or punishments based upon life lived. ( Works)
Purgatory. ( If you didn’t do so well in your earthly life )
Annihilation. ( Don’t worry about anything )
Why do you believe what you believe?
What proof do you have?
John 14:19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
- 1 Cor 15:15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise.
The disciples are liars, deceivers, and fools
Most of them went to their death claiming that they had seen Jesus raised from the dead. They risked everything to speak of the resurrection.
- 1 Cor 15:16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
1 Cor 15:17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
How many people struggle deeply with guilt and shame?
They have ruined the lives of other people.
They have ruined their own lives.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead…
They will never sense forgiveness from God.
They will never experience love from God.
They will never be able to break away from the power that sin has over their lives .
They are doomed to keep making the same mistakes and committing the same sins, over and over.
Had he remained under the power of death, how could he have delivered us from its power?
- 1 Cor 15:18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
No hope of ever again seeing loved ones in heaven.
We can only pity those poor, misdirected people that had a useless faith in an untrue message delivered by a deranged man and his foolish followers.
- 1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
We have fooled ourselves.
We have convinced ourselves to believe in a myth.
We are unrealistic people who try to console themselves with religion that is steeped in factless suggestions and superstition.
If we don’t have something beyond this life to look forward to, why hassle with the problems being a Christian?
Being a Christian in the 1 st century put you at great risk.
In many parts of the world today, you can easily lose you life for being a Christian.
If it wasn’t true, then the 1st century Christians were the world’s greatest fools.
We must also include multitudes of Christian all over the world, who suffer harm and death every day.
Matthew Henry- They suffer much harder than other men in this life, and yet have no further nor better hopes.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead…
Then we have no hope for this life. We have no hope for the next life.
Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
THE ANSWER…
1 Cor 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead,
Matthew Henry- It were a gross absurdity in a Christian to admit the supposition of no resurrection or future state. It would leave no hope beyond this world, and would frequently make his condition the worst in the world. Indeed, the Christian is by his religion crucified to this world, and taught to live upon the hope of another. Carnal pleasures are insipid to him in a great degree; and spiritual and heavenly pleasures are those which he affects and pants after. How sad is his case indeed, if he must be dead to worldly pleasures and yet never hope for any better!