The Very Essence of Christianity
Dear Friend,
Psalm 16:10 says, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Psalm 16:10 ESV Death is a reality that every person must face. It plagues all of mankind, no matter how rich or poor, smart or dumb you are. You cannot cheat death or pay for eternal life. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos must confront the reality of death, just as much as the poorest person in India. Because death seems so final, and it universally impacts everyone, we struggle to believe what Psalm 16:10 says. We believe that it is only poetry, and the author can’t literally mean what he said.And yet, this verse points to the one who truly did defeat death.
In our post-Truth, modern, skeptical minds the resurrection of Jesus Christ sounds crazy. The funny thing is the resurrection sounded just as crazy to Jesus’ contemporaries as it does to us today. Everyone knows that dead people stay dead people. We play around with the idea of resurrection, but it’s normally in a sick and twisted way. The Walking Dead is still a popular show, reflecting our twisted imaginations around zombies and monsters. Our culture seems to laugh at the idea that the dead could walk again, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to our faith.
The early churches that were born and grew under the mighty power of the Holy Spirit struggled to survive in a pagan world. They were severely persecuted and hated by both Jews and Gentiles for the gospel. Families were torn apart, businesses were ruined, and thousands of men, women, and children died for Jesus Christ. Not only were the external persecutions extreme, but internal divisions and arguments divided the churches. Several of the letters Paul wrote in our New Testament were attempts to clarify, correct, rebuke, and restore these wayward churches.Arguably one of the most deadly lies that were spread throughout the Church in Corinth dealt with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paul says, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 The church was on the brink of losing the key to their faith. Some false prophets had infiltrated the ranks and argued that there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul seeks to remind the Church of their roots, the essentials of their faith. Let’s look at the three truths Paul considers to be “of first importance.”
First, Paul boldly declares that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about the coming Messiah. He was the one the Jews were waiting for, but instead of accepting him, they had him crucified. Isaiah 53:5-6 says, “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.All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Sin earns the wages of death, and for every sin we commit, we truly deserve to die. It pleased God to send His perfectly righteous son to bear the sins of His people. This truth is key to understanding the gospel: Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins of God’s people.
The second truth Paul claims is essential to the gospel is that Jesus was buried. Don’t brush past this fact too quickly. Jesus really died, because he was buried in a cave for three days. There are some who claim to have come back to life through modern medical intervention. These people are technically dead, by definition, but there is still enough time to revive the brain. This was not the case with Jesus Christ. He was buried in a tomb. His family and friends grieved over what appeared to be the definite end of their master. Christians must firmly believe that Jesus really died and was buried.
The third truth that is essential to the gospel is that Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. Unlike all other men and women in history, Jesus was raised from the dead. Paul has in mind the psalm I quoted at the beginning of this sermon.Again, Psalm 16:10 says, “You will not abandon my
soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Psalm 16:10 ESV God caused Jesus to rise from the grave, and in doing so Jesus proves that he won victory over sin and death. Paul doesn’t stop at the core truths of the gospel. He wants to thoroughly convince the Church in Corinth that Jesus really did rise from the grave. He shares a list of eyewitnesses to this very fact.
1 Corinthians 15:5-9 says, “and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” Paul shares proof with the doubting Christians that Jesus really did rise from the grave. He appeared alive to over 500 people as a living person. Most of those people were still living and sharing the good news about Jesus.
Have you ever played the game “Telephone” with more than 10 people? The first person starts with a creative sentence or phrase and whispers it into the ear of the person next to them. That person then whispers it into the ear of the person next to them and so on. The fun part of the game is that the sentence or phrase will be wildly different from the original message. This game proves that it is practically impossible for many people to keep their story straight. The only way that over 500 people could attest to the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead is if he really did appear to them.
What will you do with these proofs? There are four general categories of response to the fact that Jesus was raised from the grave. You can be ambivalent, and ignore this crucial historical fact. Millions of people truly don’t care about who Jesus is, what he did on the cross, or the fact that He was victorious over sin and death.Are you ignoring this amazing fact of history. Another response is to deny this fact. The Jews have been denying that Jesus was raised since it took place. To reject the overwhelming evidence that he was raised is to live with your head in the sand. Do you deny the evidence? Another way to respond is with hostility. Are you bitter, angry, or dismissive of those who claim Jesus is raised? Millions of people want to see Christians killed, because they claim faith in a risen Lord. Finally, you can respond with acceptance and faith. You can accept the evidence and trust that
Jesus really did rise from the grave. We must understand why this really matters in the first place.
Paul has shared the core truths of the gospel, and some excellent proof that Jesus really won victory over sin and death. I want to pause for a moment and recognize the elephant in the room. That elephant is the sin that you and I still battle with every day. You see, without a conquering Savior, we really have no hope that our sin has been dealt with. Sin demands justice. It demands an account for slighting the holiness and righteousness of God. Sin deserves death and eternal condemnation and the utter wrath of God. If Jesus did not rise from the grave and conquer sin and death, Christians are still utterly without hope.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 says, ““Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Do you hear the fervor in Paul’s voice? He is terribly afraid for the church that he established in Corinth. He wants them to see the utter futility of their faith apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He wants them to see the vanity of continuing to preach the gospel, if there is no power of resurrection in what they preach. Everything that Christians believe hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paul points out three crucial problems with rejecting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. First, Paul says that preaching the gospel is useless apart from the resurrection of Jesus. If death defeated Jesus’ministry on earth, there is no hope and no purpose for preaching the gospel. The word gospel literally means good news. There is no good news in Christianity if Jesus is not raised from the grave.
Second, Christians misrepresent God. If Jesus did not rise from the grave then we are bearing a false report about the God of the universe. We are worse than liars, because we are slinging mud on the character of God. Finally, if Jesus did not rise from the grave, we are still condemned for our sins. We are still utterly condemned for our sins and incapable of being in a right relationship with God. There is no hope for the Christian apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Some dear friends of mine lost a child 18 days after she was born. The pain was overwhelming. Yet, through their grief, they found solace in the hope of resurrection; they believed that their child was with Jesus. This powerful faith kept them from despair and gave them strength to keep moving forward. The promise of resurrection transforms sorrow into hope, reminding us that this life is not the end. Jesus' triumph over death reshapes our understanding of loss and life, offering us the ultimate peace amid suffering. This peace would be impossible if Jesus did not really rise from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t just offer peace amid suffering. The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead promises Christians the power to fight sin now. If Jesus is raised, he is victorious over the sins of His people. The resurrection offers hope to fight sin even now. Are you trapped in a life-dominating sin? Do you feel like you constantly fall to the same temptations, with no hope for change? When you believe that Jesus is risen, hope for change floods your heart. You can say no to sin and yes to God, because Jesus is risen from the grave. The power God used to raise Jesus from the grave is the same power He promises to use to change you for His glory!
We live in a day and age when most things are called into question. Technology gives us incredible access to vast amounts of information at the touch of our fingers. This access makes it difficult to sift through the information and choose to believe what is true. When thinking about Christianity, there is much debate over how to faithfully walk with Jesus. However, there should not be any debate on whether Jesus was raised from the dead.Anyone who denies that Jesus is risen is truly not a Christian.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ confirms in the most profound way possible that He is who He says He is: the very Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ also confirms that His death was sufficient to pay for the sins of God’s people. Without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is truly meaningless. In fact, it is less than meaningless. We have to agree with Paul when he says that “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” But Jesus is our risen Lord and Savior. He has conquered sin and death, and we get to celebrate this glorious truth for all eternity!
Yours in Christ,
ChrisA. Rice