IF JESUS DID NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, St. Paul is addressing those who doubted, or even taught, that there was no resurrection from the dead. He states as the foundation of his argument a fundamental of the Christian faith – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If we believe and teach that Jesus rose from the dead, how can we think that the resurrection of the dead is not possible. If there is no resurrection of the dead at the end of time, then we must believe that Jesus did not rise again.

What if Jesus did not rise again on the third day? What then? What does that mean to us and our faith?

First, all that we have taught and preached is vain. If Jesus did not rise again, the Gospel has no heart to it. It is emptied of good news and becomes nothing more than a funeral dirge. It becomes a teaching of death for we only tell the story of a good man who once lived, but died…the end. If Jesus is not risen, our preaching is emptied of its power. It is only the history of a man who can save no one. The Gospel ceases to be the power of God unto salvation. If He did not win the victory over death, hell and the grave, then we are still victims and evermore will be. Unless Jesus lives to enforce the claims and provisions of the Gospel, it has no value at all. It takes the victory of an empty tomb and the power of a risen Lord to make the Gospel effective.

Secondly, our faith is vain and empty. All that we think we received by faith; sonship, forgiveness, eternal life, justification, an eternal future; we did not receive if Jesus did not rise again. Our faith is a delusion. Faith is impotent for it can only be as powerful as its object and He is powerless if He did not rise again.

Third, we are still in our sins! If Jesus did not rise again, His name has no saving power and we have no Savior! It takes the resurrection to show the justifying power of His death.

Fourth, if Jesus did not rise again, the Bible is a book of lies. The Apostles of truth are really apostles of falsehood. The authority of Scripture breaks down and we have no revealed truth to tell of God and salvation.

Fifthly, Paul tells us that if Jesus did not rise those who have died with faith in Him are really eternally perished. All hope of resurrection and eternal life are gone. If He did not rise again, then neither will we. Our Christian life is robbed of its hope and joy.

But…HE IS RISEN!

Our preaching is with life and power. He is the enforcer of the claims of the Gospel and has risen and sent the Holy Sprit to make sure those claims are applied to us by faith!

Our faith is a powerful one because it rests in One who is alive and powerful! We can pray with absolute faith in Him, He is alive! He is alive praying for and with us and His prayers will not be ignored!

Our sins are forgiven and gone! His sacrifice is all sufficient to erase our sins. He died for us and the whole world and His resurrection proves that His offering of Himself was enough.

His Word is vindicated for He is alive to confirm and perform it. Nothing can change or gainsay the Word. It is true!

Those that died in Christ we will meet again. We will all live in the risen one for eternity. Death is not final.

And, our Christian life is one of joy because we have hope. Because He lives, we shall live also.

Praise God, He is risen! And being risen, He is the progenitor of a new race, the children of God. We have a new life, walk in a new and living way, because He died and rose again and is able to fulfill the claims of His new covenant with us. (Heb. 10:10-20)

IT IS TRUE! HE IS RISEN!

                        God sent His Son, they named Him Jesus,

                        He came to love, heal and forgive,

                        He lived and died to buy our pardon,

                        AN EMPTY GRAVE IS THERE TO PROVE

                        MY SAVIOR LIVES!