Thinking The Unthinkable (pt.3)

Throughout the month of April we’re continuing to think about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Nothing is more vital to the Christian faith.  If Jesus did not come up from the grave that first Easter morning (literally and bodily), then everything else we believe in and hope for comes crumbling down.

In 1 Corinthians 15 the Apostle Paul lists six implications if there is no resurrection.  Last week we considered the first of those, listed in verse 14: “and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain…”  If there is no resurrection, then preaching is pointless.  Why?  Because Romans 4:25 teaches that Jesus was delivered over for our sins, and He was raised for our justification (to make us right with God).  If there is no resurrection, then there is no justification.  If there is no justification, then there is no good news to proclaim because it remains impossible for men and women to be reconciled with God.

Paul mentions the second implication in the same verse.  1 Corinthians 15:4 goes on to say: “and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.”  In other words, if there is no resurrection, then preaching is pointless and so is your faith (so is your response to the good news)!  Think of that.  If Jesus is still dead and the resurrection never really happened, then your faith is just as empty and void as the gospel message being preached.  To that we could add, not just your faith personally, but also the faith of every person who has ever lived and turned to Jesus Christ for salvation.  Add to that the faith of all those who lived before the time of Christ, who by faith were looking forward to a perfect sacrifice that would take away the sin pictured in all the sacrifices of the Old Testament.

Paul gets really blunt in verse 17: “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless…”  That’s pretty forceful language, but he’s trying to get a point across.  Without the resurrection, we have nothing.  Of course, the beauty of Paul’s argument is that the resurrection is a reality, and because of that we have everything.  Because of the resurrection we have a message worth sharing and our faith in Christ does makes a difference.  Because of the resurrection we can be reconciled with God and experience His amazing love and presence in our life.  With this in mind we have a reason to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection, not just on Easter, but everyday!

Thinking The Unthinkable (pt.2)

Throughout this month we’re thinking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and how foundational it is to everything we believe in, and have hope for, in the Christian faith.  Last week I mentioned a passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 15, where the Apostle Paul was dealing with some folks that had a hard time believing in the physical, bodily, and literal resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The approach he takes in confronting this issue is a little strange.  He basically turns the tables and says, “Ok, what if you’re right?  What if everything is a big lie and Jesus really didn’t rise to live again?”  With that in mind, from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Paul highlights six implications if there is no resurrection.  If there is no resurrection: preaching is pointless (v.14a), faith is foolish (v.14b), the disciples are liars (v.15), sin reigns above all (v.17), death has dominion (v.18), and the future is empty (v.19).  Let’s think about the first of those.

If Jesus didn’t come up out of the grave on that first resurrection morning, then the Bible says preaching is pointless.  Now, I know what you’re thinking!  You’re thinking something along the lines of, “Well, I’ve been to some churches where the preaching is pointless anyway!”  That sort-of reminds me of an old joke that I can’t pass up the opportunity to share:  One pastor had just moved to Kansas from Texas, and on his very first Sunday the leaders of the church pulled him to the side and said, “Now understand that here in Kansas, we don’t want any of that pointless preaching.”  The young pastor replied, “What exactly is pointless preaching?”  The leaders said, “It’s a lot like those long-horn sermons you hear down in Texas.  It’s where you have a point over here somewhere–and then you have another point over there somewhere–and in the middle there’s a bunch of bull!”

Maybe you can identify with that little joke.  Maybe you’ve been to some churches and listened to some messages, and you’re thinking, “What’s the point?  What difference does this make anyway?”  The reality is, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then all the preaching in all the churches across the entire world is pointless.  The Bible puts it like this in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “…if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain…”

That word “vain” means “empty” or “void”.  It’s a word used to describe something that lacks substance.  The Bible says if there is no resurrection, then all this stuff pastors and preachers and evangelists keep talking about is empty, void, and lacking any real substance.  Why?  Because the resurrection was the ultimate affirmation that God the Father was pleased with the atoning sacrifice of God the Son.  Romans 4:25 says, “He (Jesus) was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” 

Please note the purpose clause, “because” in that verse.  Jesus was delivered because of (for) our transgressions (sins), and He was raised because of (for )our justification.  The word justification is simply a big theological word that refers to you and I being made right with God.  In short, the Bible teaches in Romans 4:25 that Jesus was raised because of our justification (to make us right with God)!  You see, this is exactly why the resurrection is so foundational to the Christian faith.  If Jesus was not raised…that means there was/is no justification.  In other words, if Jesus did not come up out of that grave, then there is no hope of ever being made right with God.  In short, that means no salvation, no forgiveness, no eternal life, and a slew of other things.

Back to 1 Corinthians 15:14, “…if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain…”  Our preaching is pointless, isn’t it?  Our preaching is empty and void and without substance IF Jesus did not rise again!  Why?  If there is no resurrection there is no justification.  If there is no justification (no hope of sinful man being made right with God), then we should probably shut down all the churches and silence all the preachers, because without the resurrection there is no good news.

If the resurrection did not happen, what’s the point of preaching?  But, as 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “Christ has now been raised…” and that makes all the difference.  So preach the good news.  Share the hope found in Jesus.  Tell about the new life, and abundant life, only He can offer.  Point others to the love and grace of God.  He is alive, and because He is alive, you and I have a message worth sharing!