The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ (1 Corinthians
15:14-22)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very heart
of Christianity. In 1 Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul reasoned,
“(A)If Christ has not been
raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain….we
are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified
against God that He (B)raised [a]Christ.”
In that same chapter Paul
says, “If Christ has not
been raised, your faith is worthless; (C)you are still in your sins. Then
those also who (D)have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are
(E)of all men most to be pitied.”
But then
Paul triumphantly declares, “But now Christ
(F)has been
raised from the dead, the
(G)first
fruits of those who (H)are asleep.
For
since (I)by a man
came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the
dead.
For
(J)as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ all will be made alive.”
We
cannot separate these truths. Jesus is the first fruits of those
raised from the dead. When Paul says this in verse 20, he uses a
verb tense in the Greek that means Jesus not only was raised but
is still alive. He lives forevermore
Scripture Cross
references:
- 1 Corinthians 15:14 : 1 Thess 4:14
- 1 Corinthians 15:15 : Acts 2:24
- 1 Corinthians 15:17 : Rom 4:25
- 1 Corinthians 15:18 : 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thess 4:16;
Rev 14:13
- 1 Corinthians 15:19 : 1 Cor 4:9; 2 Tim 3:12
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 : Acts 2:24; 1 Pet 1:3
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 : Acts 26:23; 1 Cor 15:23; Rev
1:5
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 : 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thess 4:16;
Rev 14:13
- 1 Corinthians 15:21 : Rom 5:12
- 1 Corinthians 15:22 : Rom 5:14-18
Points of
Fact:
Ø
Since
we believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the grave after His
crucifixion, then we also believe in the promise of our bodily
resurrection into eternity. Those who
do not believe in the resurrection do not have any hope after
death.
Ø
Thomas
Gray said, “The paths of glory lead but to the
grave.”
Ø
Sigmund
Freud said, “And finally there is the painful riddle of death, for
which no remedy at all has yet been found, nor probably will
be.”
Ø
Many today
believe that the ultimate end for man is simply death. Many today
do not have any hope in life after death. Yet, contrary to what
Thomas Gray or Sigmund Freud thought, there is a remedy for
death—it is the resurrection.
Ø
How do we
respond to the resurrection of Christ? The apostle Paul told the
Philippian jailer Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you
will be saved."
"Scripture taken from
the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963,
1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman
Foundation.
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)
