1 Corinthians 15 - The Literal, Bodily Resurrection of Jesus is the Truth Upon Which Christianity Stands or Falls!

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The Resurrection of Christ

Someone has said, "The resurrection of Jesus is the linchpin of Christianity upon which it either stands or falls!" This is essentially what the apostle Paul is saying when he states in verses 13-14,

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."

Why is the resurrection so important?

1. Jesus said he would would be raised from the dead, 3 days after he was crucified. If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead, he would be a liar. If he lied about this, how would we trust anything else he said. 

2. If Jesus was raised from the dead, it confirms He truly was the Son of God, and everything he taught is true as well. 

3. If Christ has not been raised from the dead, we are still in our sin. Their is no victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, death is the end of the story. 

4. Everything we have preached has been in vain. We have preached something that is false and led people astray and given them false hope. 

5. If Jesus was not resurrected, we have no hope beyond this life, and we might as well get all we can when we can. When a baby or young person dies, there is no comfort in knowing that they have a new life in the presence of an all loving, all powerful, Savior. There is nothing to do at funerals other than talk about what a great life someone lived.  

6. If Christianity is not true, then what religion gives us any of the promises Christianity does? Other religions are simply ways to try to become a better person and hope that in the end something or someone who is running the world might reward you. But how good do you have to be to earn this reward? Do the bad things you do outweigh the good things. And by whose standard do you judge what is truly good. If you conclude there is good and evil, where does that knowledge come from. If there isn't a God who has the right to say what is right or wrong, or what is the truth or isn't?  

7. The only other way to go is to become an atheist. If you don't believe in a Creator, then where did we come from?  If we are the result of the Big Bang, then who caused the Big Bang. If there is no God, where did love, laughter, and tears come from. If there is no God, there is no soul, no Spirit. 

But as Paul says, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man." 

So friends unless you throw out logic, the only two choices are that either the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, or it isn't. The one thing it cannot be is mildly true. 

If it is true, everything we believe as Christians is true. If we believe in Jesus, who died for our sins, when we die we too will be resurrected from the dead! We will be given new bodies and enjoy God's presence forever. 

If it isn't true, I don't agree with Paul that we are of most men to be pitied. I do 100% believe it is true by the gift of faith given to me, but if it were not true I still think I would have lived a pretty good life. I would have lived as a Christ follower trying to be the type of person who would do the things he would do if he were me. 

As we look at Jesus' life, if all we did was try to live like he did, we would have lived an abundant life giving ourselves for the sake of our family and friends. We all know that this is the only way to truly live by giving ourselves for the sake of others. This is the message of the cross, dying to live. 

Friends I believe the evidence is overwhelming that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. I think it actually takes more faith to believe that he did not! 

What do you think?