I Corinthians 15:1-20
Apostle Paul was writing to a Church full of Greek converts.
Greeks did not believe in resurrection or after life.
What Paul was trying here is to lay the foundation for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4 Gospel accounts record the resurrection event because of its importance to Christian faith.
Without resurrection the good news of the gospel would be bad news.
The structure and foundation of Christianity rests solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ
As Paul says everything revolves around our Lord’s resurrection, our faith, our hope, our life on earth and our life after.
Without resurrection sin is not cleansed, salvation is false and there is no eternal life.
Someone said “The resurrection is scientifically impossible, but historically true.”
The resurrection event is no doubt a history-making, earth-shaking, and life-transforming event unparalleled in human history.
If this event never happened, gospel is a big lie and we are the most pitiable people in the world.
I. THE PROOF OF RESURRECTION OF LORD JESUS CHRIST
A. The Gospel Proof (1-2)
The message of the Gospel is based on the Lord’s resurrection.
The greatest evidence of resurrection is the miraculous transformation of many lives.
The power of Gospel is the power of resurrection.
B. The Scriptural Proof (3-4)
The Old Testament clearly predicted Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Paul connected the death of Lord Jesus and human sin and the good news of the gospel to resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel accounts Lord Jesus Himself predicted His own resurrection.
C. The Eyewitnesses Proof (5-10)
5 Resurrection appearances – no mention of appearances to women
Lastly a very special witness but not an eye witness for the Resurrection event
Paul was not among the original apostles, all of whom had been disciples of Jesus during His earthly ministry.
He became a very special witness of the resurrection more than eye witnesses.
II. THE CONSEQUENCE OF RESURRECTION (11-20)
A. Meaningless earthly existence (11-16)
Only in Christianity the present is linked with the future – our life on earth has value, meaning and purpose.
All these are based upon the resurrection of the Lord.
Christianity declares that we have a life after – we too will be resurrected from the dead.
The credibility of the preacher and the preaching lost if no resurrection.
Lord Jesus resurrection forms the center of gospel preaching, foundation for our faith and hope for the departed loved ones and us to see each other in heaven.
The redemption from sin has no meaning without resurrection.
If no resurrection of Christ, our Christian faith is false and its testimony is also false.
Since Christ is raised from the dead, every believing Christian will be raised after death.
B. False faith, false hope and false salvation (17-20)
If Christ is not resurrected, all believers are to be pitied because we have believed for nothing, lived for nothing, and died for nothing.
All those dying for their faith in the world is senseless – we suffer for nothing – labored for nothing.
The hope of eternity without sin, sickness, suffering, and sorrow, is nothing but a fantasy if Christ is not raised from death.
The dead in Christ will be lost forever if there is no risen Christ.
If we put our faith in a dead Christ we should be the most pitied people on the earth.
“Faith is farce, forgiveness is a fallacy, faithfulness is a folly, and future is a forfeit”.
Verse 20 changes everything.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
What does the resurrection of Christ mean to us?
How are we affected by it?
Are we different in any way because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ?
The answers to these questions will impact our faith, changes our perspective of meaning and purpose to our life on earth.
Let it not be another fairy tale due to our casual approach to the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul was writing to a Church full of Greek converts.
Greeks did not believe in resurrection or after life.
What Paul was trying here is to lay the foundation for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4 Gospel accounts record the resurrection event because of its importance to Christian faith.
Without resurrection the good news of the gospel would be bad news.
The structure and foundation of Christianity rests solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ
As Paul says everything revolves around our Lord’s resurrection, our faith, our hope, our life on earth and our life after.
Without resurrection sin is not cleansed, salvation is false and there is no eternal life.
Someone said “The resurrection is scientifically impossible, but historically true.”
The resurrection event is no doubt a history-making, earth-shaking, and life-transforming event unparalleled in human history.
If this event never happened, gospel is a big lie and we are the most pitiable people in the world.
I. THE PROOF OF RESURRECTION OF LORD JESUS CHRIST
A. The Gospel Proof (1-2)
The message of the Gospel is based on the Lord’s resurrection.
The greatest evidence of resurrection is the miraculous transformation of many lives.
The power of Gospel is the power of resurrection.
B. The Scriptural Proof (3-4)
The Old Testament clearly predicted Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Paul connected the death of Lord Jesus and human sin and the good news of the gospel to resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel accounts Lord Jesus Himself predicted His own resurrection.
C. The Eyewitnesses Proof (5-10)
5 Resurrection appearances – no mention of appearances to women
Lastly a very special witness but not an eye witness for the Resurrection event
Paul was not among the original apostles, all of whom had been disciples of Jesus during His earthly ministry.
He became a very special witness of the resurrection more than eye witnesses.
II. THE CONSEQUENCE OF RESURRECTION (11-20)
A. Meaningless earthly existence (11-16)
Only in Christianity the present is linked with the future – our life on earth has value, meaning and purpose.
All these are based upon the resurrection of the Lord.
Christianity declares that we have a life after – we too will be resurrected from the dead.
The credibility of the preacher and the preaching lost if no resurrection.
Lord Jesus resurrection forms the center of gospel preaching, foundation for our faith and hope for the departed loved ones and us to see each other in heaven.
The redemption from sin has no meaning without resurrection.
If no resurrection of Christ, our Christian faith is false and its testimony is also false.
Since Christ is raised from the dead, every believing Christian will be raised after death.
B. False faith, false hope and false salvation (17-20)
If Christ is not resurrected, all believers are to be pitied because we have believed for nothing, lived for nothing, and died for nothing.
All those dying for their faith in the world is senseless – we suffer for nothing – labored for nothing.
The hope of eternity without sin, sickness, suffering, and sorrow, is nothing but a fantasy if Christ is not raised from death.
The dead in Christ will be lost forever if there is no risen Christ.
If we put our faith in a dead Christ we should be the most pitied people on the earth.
“Faith is farce, forgiveness is a fallacy, faithfulness is a folly, and future is a forfeit”.
Verse 20 changes everything.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
What does the resurrection of Christ mean to us?
How are we affected by it?
Are we different in any way because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ?
The answers to these questions will impact our faith, changes our perspective of meaning and purpose to our life on earth.
Let it not be another fairy tale due to our casual approach to the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
RSS Feed
