He Is Risen Indeed
By
John C. Orlando, Jr.
Covenant
Presbyterian Church, Abilene TX
18
Apr 04
Announce
Scripture: 1 Cor 15:12 – 20
Background of Text Last week Pastor Lotzer preached a sermon from 1 Cor 15; entitled Christ’s Resurrection/Our Resurrection. Basically what I want to do this morning is pick up where Pastor Lotzer left off, and address another portion of 1 Cor15. To give you a brief background, Paul wrote this letter, the first of two, to the church that he established in the Greek city of Corinth. Corinth was the most important city in Greece during Paul’s day--a bustling hub of worldwide commerce, idolatrous religion, and depraved culture. Paul writes to provide practical solutions and forthright answers to Corinthian dilemmas, the most serious being the denial by some in the church of the very heart and foundation of Christianity, the bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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Intro
This time of the year is always filled with various media presentations of the life of Christ. The problem is that most of them seem to always question whether Jesus even existed, and if He did exist, He certainly didn’t rise from the dead. We might be tempted to think that these objections are something recent or peculiar to our modern world. After all, in this age of scientific enlightenment, how is one supposed to believe in such far fetched mythologies like Red Sea’s parting, people walking on water, or that someone was actually resurrected from the dead?! Besides, we all know that miracles are impossible! Yet, when we come to our passage this morning, we will discover that the objections to such miraculous things as the resurrection aren’t something new or peculiar to our time, but are in fact old, and have been around since that first Easter morning some 2000 years ago!
It might also seem amazing to realize that objections to the resurrection haven’t just come from outside of the Church, but also from within the Church. That was the case in Corinth, where we discover that people within the church were actually denying the historical fact of the bodily resurrection of Christ.
Paul’s response to this church is just as applicable to us today as it was then: The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave is the most attested and important fact of history, and it serves as the bedrock not only of Christianity itself, but also of our day-to-day lives.
In
making his case, Paul proceeds in a manner reminiscent of a defense lawyer, and
uses an “if-then” form of argumentation to demonstrate
the absurdities of denying the bodily resurrection of Christ.
He begins by making a statement of just sheer consternation at their
conclusions.
Look at Verse 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?” – This is a truly startling statement!
Here we have one of the most gifted churches that we find in the New
Testament, yet there were people within her walls who were undermining the very
foundation of the Christian faith. Paul
reminds them of the message: Christ
has been raised from the dead. Paul
now describes:
I.
The Negative Implications of Denying The Resurrection:
Paul lays out the many consequences of denying the resurrection:
A. Christ not risen - Verse 13 – “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.” Paul’s first “if-then” argument cuts right to the chase as he states the implications it would have for Christ Himself: To say that there is no resurrection would be in effect to say that Christ Himself could not possibly have been raised! Can you imagine a Christ who suffered and died, and stayed dead? This is precisely what Paul is refuting. A Christ that died and stayed dead is not a risen Christ, and a Christ that is not “risen” is a Christ that cannot possibly be of any value to us, nor to anyone else. Since that is the case, Paul then says:
B. Preaching empty – Verse 14 – “And if Christ is not
risen, then our preaching is
empty…” We are all called to proclaim the message of Christ. And just what is that message? Paul gives us a brief outline in what is thought to be the earliest Christian creed in the very opening verses of this chapter. Look at 1 Cor 1:3-4:
1. Christ died for our sins…this highlights what He did on our behalf.
2. He was buried…this highlights the fact that He actually experienced death.
3. He rose again…this highlights the fact that Jesus conquered death, and by doing so he authenticated (demonstrated the truth and validity) of His message and His mission.
But if Christ did not rise from the grave, then, the Apostle says, our preaching is empty! The only thing that could rightly be said of the message in verses 3-4 is that Christ was buried. Our message then would not contain anything of value, worth or purpose. If that is the case, then…
C. Faith Empty Verse 14 – “…your faith is also empty.” Faith is only as good as the object it is placed in. If Christ isn’t raised, and the “risen” Christ is the object of our faith, then what does that say about our faith? It is still placed in something, but that “thing” that our faith is placed in has no power, it has not value, and it is utterly insufficient for any of our needs!
Can you imagine trying to take Monopoly money down to the local store to buy something? The clerk would probably think you were crazy. You see, we can’t use Monopoly money to buy anything, because Monopoly money has no value, it is “empty” of any worth. It cannot supply us with anything we need because we can’t purchase anything with it. The same is true of the Gospel if Christ if He is not risen! We are proclaiming that Christ by His death and resurrection actually purchased us, but if He is not risen, then Christ, like monopoly money, would be of no value and “empty” of any worth, and as such He could not have purchased anything!
Our problem is compounded even further though! Not only are we proclaiming a message that is inherently false, and not only is our faith empty, but we are also guilty of blasphemous sin against God because we would be lying about God:
D. Verse 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.”
Paul now restates the argument:
E. Verse 16 “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.”
Paul restates the dilemma for emphasis, and goes on to describe more dire consequences:
F. Verse 17 - “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” Our faith wouldn’t just be empty, Paul also says it is futile! Paul links this word futile with the phrase “you are still in your sins!” Thus Paul presses upon his readers the hopelessness of the problem. The greatest need of the human race isn’t to have better government, or better education, or better housing, or job satisfaction. The most pressing need of the human race is to be reconciled to a Holy and Just God who has called all men to give an account for their sins. Christ came to bear the full brunt of the wrath of God for His people, and offers forgiveness through His shed blood on the cross. If we have trusted in Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins, but He is not risen, we are experiencing the absolute heights of futility. The entire purpose of Jesus’ life would have been eradicated if He did not rise from the dead.
Paul then speaks of the consequence to those who had gone before them...
G. Perished – Verse 18 “Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” What an ominous proposition when we really ponder the implications. Here we would have people living their lives in light of what they thought was the sure expectation of eternal life. The only problem is that it is all a sham, and a great delusion! Those who die only perish! Death remains the great destroyer that will continue through all eternity to utterly destroy, and the same fate that befell those who have died, awaits all who are alive as well.
Paul now drives home the final implications if in fact Christ is not risen…
H. Verse 19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”- Paul highlights the absurdity of it all. To trust in a Christ who did not rise from the dead would make us the most pitiable of people. We are hoping in a Christ who offers no hope, because hope relates to the future, and the future for those hoping in a Christ who is not risen is only destruction. Not only that, but we would be living a life that can bring us persecution, and we are living a life of self-control over the flesh when in fact it is the flesh that would offer the only “gratification” we could ever experience (quote verse 32).
Matthew Henry notes, “How sad is his case indeed, if he must be dead to worldly pleasures and yet never hope for any better!”
Imagine right now, right where you are if Christ were not risen. (pregnant pause)
If you’re like me, the thought is too horrible, too terrifying to contemplate for long. And thank God that Paul can now write in verse 20:
I. Verse 20 “But now Christ is risen from the dead…” Paul forcefully and emphatically drives home the point that Christ is risen from the dead! But how can Paul be so certain? And is it possible for us to be absolutely certain that Christ is risen today?! Absolutely! The resurrection is supported by irrefutable historical evidence!
II.
The Evidence For the Resurrection
A. Paul referred earlier to the eyewitness testimony – Verses 5 - 8
B. Listen to the words of Luke: Acts 1:5… Infallible proofs!
C. Changed lives of the Apostles: What turned a band of cowards into bold preachers of the resurrection of Christ even in the face of death and torture? They weren’t “reasonably sure” that Christ was risen, they knew He was!
D. From Saul to Paul! What would possibly change this murderer of Christians into the most prolific ambassador of Christ that has ever lived?!
E. All Naturalistic Theories Fail (Swoon Theory, Wrong Tomb Theory, Stolen Body Theory, etc.):
At the very least, 2 points can be made:
1. All of the naturalistic theories are ultimately irrational, and require a tremendous "leap" of faith. Regarding the swoon theory, are we really to believe that Jesus merely passed out, and was in essence buried alive, and in His emaciated condition He found the strength to unwrap Himself from His burial wrappings, move a stone weighing more than 2 tons, and somehow got by the Roman guard stationed at His tomb?! With reference to the wrong tomb, why didn't the Jewish and Roman authorities simply go to the right tomb (since they certainly knew where the right tomb was!), and take Jesus' body and parade it down main street Jerusalem for all to see once and for all that this Jesus person really was dead, and was not risen as His band of lunatic followers were proclaiming?! As for the stolen body theory, are we really to believe that the band of cowardly followers of Christ, who all fled and were in hiding during Jesus' crucifixion, somehow mustered up the courage to confront the Roman guard, defeated them in hand-to-hand combat, and before removing the body of Christ they decide to neatly fold the burial wrappings of Christ. Then, knowing that Jesus was not in fact risen, they nevertheless proclaim that He is risen, knowing that such a proclamation would almost certainly result in their own persecution and potential crucifixion as well! As one defender of the faith has remarked, no one dies for what they know is a lie. Much more could be said, but I trust you see how ridiculous these theories are.
2. Proponents of naturalistic theories have actually refuted each other in their quest to promote their own irrational theory. They have devoured each other, and it is the bodily resurrection of Christ that remains as the only cogent explanation for why the tomb of Jesus was and is empty.
E. Can Be Proved Using Only What the Critics Allow: Even the most liberal critics allow for such things as the early testimony of the Gospel, the eyewitness accounts, and the empty tomb making it virtually impossible to deny the historicity of the Resurrection!
F. Dr Simon Greenleaf, famous Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, concluded that according to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Christ than for any other event in history.
III. Practical Implications of the Fact of the Resurrection
A. Verse 20: “…Firstfruits…”: That is, Christ, who has been raised, is the guarantee of the resurrection to life for all those who have trusted in Christ alone. They will experience the forgiveness of their sins, and will be raised to the newness of life. For those who have not trusted in Christ, they will be raised to eternal damnation, doomed to endure the wrath of a holy God.
B. If Christ is Risen that means everything He said is true.
C. It means that all of the promises of the Gospel are true.
D. It means that it is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, who has the power to save.
E. It means that we serve a mighty Savior. If God can overcome death, hell and the grave, and if He can overcome our hard, obstinate hearts, surely He can do those things that seem utterly impossible to us in our lives right now. Surely He has the power to cast any of our mountains into the sea! We need to believe God for the impossible, because our Sovereign God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ever ask or think.
F. It means that we serve a Living Savior, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, actively involved in interceding on the behalf of His people, and He stands ready to display the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power, the same power that was worked in Christ when God raised Him from the dead.
IV. Conclusion
Christ is Risen indeed! A real Person named Jesus of Nazareth lived in a real world, and died a real death, was buried in a real tomb, and was really raised bodily from the dead! The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave is the most attested, and important fact of history, and is the foundation of our message, our faith, and of our daily lives. The resurrection is the key to our future, because we know that death is not the end, it has been defeated, swallowed up in victory!
Are you feeling weary, downtrodden, or burdened, and feel like you’re falling under the weight of trials, and distress? Take heart! For we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us, and the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us! Is Satan whispering in your ear that you don’t measure up and flooding your mind with guilt and condemnation? Take heart! For there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, for He was raised for our justification!
Look to the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, who was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His, and ours, as He made a perfect, fully satisfactory, all-sufficient, all-powerful atonement for all of our sins, past, present, and future, and then validated all of that by His resurrection from the grave! He Is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest!
Amen and Amen!