Resurrection is Real for the Believer -1 Corinthians 15:1-19

Good morning church! Happy Resurrection Sunday to all of us! I wanted to welcome everyone, even our new friends who have joined us this morning. We’re so glad that you’re here and we pray that this time together would be meaningful for you and would help you appreciate Jesus and what He has done in a new and fresh way.

Before we begin, let’s ask God to help us make sense of this passage & also be able to respond to Him in humility and trust.

If you were to walk up to someone on the street and ask them to rank their greatest fears of life, what do you think would come up on top almost every time?

It would be the fear of death! The fear of passing away. And there are of course other real fears: fear of losing a job, fear of not having enough money, fear of broken relationships and conflict, fear of war, fear of what tomorrow would bring – uncertainty, fear of getting a terminal disease.

All these are very real fears, but the fear of death would still be the topmost fear in every person’s life. Why? Because it’s an inevitable reality. The richest and the wealthiest among us also faces the reality of death as much as the poorest among us. The strongest and healthiest among us also faces the reality of death as much as the weakest and unhealthiest.

It is a common, shared, mutual reality for every human being who has ever lived on the earth. No wonder it ranks on top of everyone’s fears.

And that’s why there’s a multi billion dollar industry today called the life extension industry or longevity industry that’s trying different things to prolong a person’s life, to keep him or her from aging or dying. The world is trying to find a solution for something that they don’t fully understand and for which they simply don’t have the expertise. It’s simply beyond human control.

And that’s why passages like the one that we’re studying this morning are so valuable for us because it tells us that it’s not just our modern era that has questions about death and what happens after death. Believers in the early church also wrestled with the same questions.

The church in Corinth in fact wrote to their spiritual leader Paul asking him about what happens after death? Some wondered if their existence completely ceased after death (no spirit, no body)? Some others wondered if only the spirit went into the afterlife without any physical body (only spirit, no body)? They wondered if the resurrection was real or is it just a work of fiction?

And Paul being their loving, caring spiritual father and leader spends a whole long chapter explaining, proving and reasoning with the church so that they understand that the resurrection is real and that’s the greatest, sure shot hope that we have against the reality of death.

3 Reasons why we can say that resurrection is real for a believer:

1. Because of the basis of the resurrection (V1-4)

[1] Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Paul takes them back to the very first message that he preached to them. What was this message? It was the Gospel message. The word Gospel means good news! It’s the good news that Jesus has brought God’s rule into the world through His life, death and resurrection. We’ll dive deep into that in just a few moments.

And then he goes on to say that when the Corinthian church heard this gospel message, they received it. They soaked it in. They welcomed it. They decided to bank their whole lives upon this gospel message.

And then he says something so amazing – “in which you stand and by which you are being saved” – lest the believers think that this gospel message was only necessary on the first day they believed and afterwards they graduated out of the gospel. Lest they think that they no longer needed the gospel and that they could do without it.

And Paul tells them – no you are standing on this gospel message today. You are being changed by this gospel message today. Don’t ever think that you can outgrow the need of the Gospel in your life. Don’t ever think that you are a Gospel graduate. Without the Gospel, your faith simply has nothing to stand on. It’s like a chair without legs.

“If you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain”. Paul isn’t abdicating the believer’s responsibility of holding on to the gospel message that was preached to them. He’s not saying that their faith will automatically take care of itself. He’s telling the church to make an effort in holding on to the gospel message that was preached to them. He’s telling them “you need to constantly, repeatedly, daily go back to the Gospel message that was preached to you. Don’t forget that message.”

And then in V3-4, he breaks down the Gospel for them once more.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

“First importance” – Paul is stating what was his top most priority when he preached to them. Before he preached anything else, he wanted to make sure they got this. They understood this and they believed in this. It was his No. 1 priority.

that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

Christ died for whose sins? Not His sin – He was sinless, innocent and perfect. He died for our sins! The reason why Jesus died on the cross was because of our many many many sins. You and I don’t just sin in our words and our actions alone, we sin in our thoughts and attitudes as well. And all of these sins are being committed against a Holy God.

And so we have a chargesheet that lists the number of sins that we’ve committed against Holy God, and guess what? That chargesheet doesn’t end because a minute doesn’t go by without us sinning against God.

And our God is a Righteous Judge, He can’t just let moral criminals like us go scot free. If He gives us a clean chit without punishment, then He wouldn’t be Righteous. Romans 6:23 – the wages of sin is death.

The salary for our life of sins is death! We all deserve death – which is being eternally separated from God in hell. But God being so rich in mercy and love didn’t want us to be eternally separated from Him and so He sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to this earth to live the life that you and I needed to live but couldn’t live. And then die the death that you and I deserved to die.

Romans 5:8 ESV

[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Whenever we look at a symbol of the cross, we ought to remember that we should have been there. That should have been us, not Him. And yet He did that for us to pay the price for that massive mountain size chargesheet with our names. He did that to clear your and my name in the eyes of God with His sacrifice.

Christ died for us in accordance with the Scriptures – this wasn’t some haphazard, last minute, reactive Plan B. This was God’s plan A all along since eternity past – before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1) and it was prophesied time and time again in the OT. Like Isaiah 53 which talks about the suffering servant and it was written 700 years before Jesus came down to the earth.

V4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

After Jesus paid the entirety of the price that needed to be paid to clear the enormous, massive, mountain sized chargesheet against us, he was buried in a tomb. This was real death. Jesus didn’t just faint or pass out. He died and was buried.

Then on the third Day, Jesus rose from the dead! He physically rose from the dead! How amazing is that?

Some years back we invited our neighbours home for a Christmas get together and we decided to share not just about His birth but His death and resurrection. And as I mentioned that Jesus came back to life on the third Day, one of our neighbours was stunned at hearing that. He was astonished to know that Jesus came back from the dead.

And I kept wondering, why am I not amazed at the way my neighbour was? It’s that amazing  – that there was one person who defeated death in its face!

This amazing Resurrection was also according to the Scriptures. This resurrection also was also not a reactive Plan B. It was prophesied and written down in the Scriptures. One example was the passage that we read in the morning for call to worship:

Psalm 16:10 ESV

[10] For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

David was not talking about himself here, but was prophesying how the Messiah would rise from the dead.

This is the basis of the resurrection – the Gospel message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

The second reason why Paul is saying that resurrection is the real deal for believers

2. Because of the Proof of Christ’s resurrection (V5-11)

Paul is like a defense attorney who is calling in eye witnesses to come and present their witness accounts to Jesus’ real resurrection.

[5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Jesus appeared to Peter and the 12. These were Jesus’ close circle of inner disciples.

[6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

We’re not talking about a handful of people who saw the risen Christ. We are talking about at least 500 people who saw the risen Christ. And then he says an interesting thing – most of whom are still alive. Which means that if anyone had any doubt on the resurrection of Jesus, they could have easily cross checked with the living eye witnesses themselves.

[7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9] For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11] Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The last proof is his own testimony where he refers to himself as “untimely born” and “unworthy to be called an apostle” – why? because Paul persecuted the church. He hated the name of Jesus and he hated Jesus’ church. He was one of the approvers at Stephen’s stoning. Acts 9 tells us that Paul breathed threats and murder against the disciples of Jesus.

And so if there was one person in the world who was the hardest to convince, that was Paul. And if Paul got converted and now is being used as a minister of the Lord Jesus, then Jesus’ resurrection must be true.

So there’s the basis of resurrection – gospel message. There’s the proof of the resurrection – in terms of the eye witnesses who were still alive at that time when the letter was written. And finally, we know that the resurrection is real

3. Because of the Impact of Christ’s resurrection on us (V12-19)

 [12] Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

What Paul is saying here is huge. He’s saying that if Christ’s resurrection is a fact, then every believer’s resurrection is also a fact.

It cannot be one or the other. Both have to be true. Either there is no real resurrection for both Jesus and the believer in Christ. Or there is a real resurrection which happened to Jesus and will 100% certainly be experienced by every true believer in Christ.

[14] And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

Jesus’ resurrection is central to our faith. It’s not a side topic. If Jesus isn’t raised from the dead, then Paul’s preaching and the believer’s faith is empty, zero and useless.

 [15] 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.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then Paul is guilty of misrepresenting God – being a false witness about God because he claimed that God raised Jesus from the dead when he preached to them which was not the case if there is no Resurrection.

 [16] For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

Christ’s resurrection = a believer’s resurrection. We sometimes don’t fully get what it means to be united to Jesus Christ. He doesn’t take the union with us lightly.

A few examples in the Bible. When Jesus confronts Paul on the road to Damascus, He doesn’t tell him “Why are you persecuting my people?” He asks him “Why are you persecuting me?” Because persecuting Jesus’ people means persecuting Jesus’.

Ephesians 2:5-6 ESV

[5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Those who are in Christ will also have a seat with Christ in the heavenly places.

Romans 8:17- we are fellow heirs with Christ.

So close and so seriously Jesus takes His  union with the church, that He allows the church to enjoy the many privileges that He has.

It’s like a marriage where by virtue of the marriage, what belongs to the husband now also belongs to the wife and vice versa.

So in the same way, if Christ is raised, then certainly His bride – the church – His people will also be raised.

[17] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

The assurance of our faith and the assurance of our forgiveness lies in Jesus’ resurrection. Good Friday was when the full payment was made. Resurrection Sunday is when we got the receipt – paid in full & you’re clear. That’s how significant it is for God and for us.

[18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

If Christ hasn’t been raised, then believers who have died believing in Him have perished forever. What was the point in trusting in Him and devoting their lives to Him if there was no resurrection?

And if our hope in Christ is only limited to this earthly life, then we are to be pitied of all the people! People need to have pity on us if there is no hope for eternity.

There is a real impact of Christ’s resurrection on our lives! That’s why we refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. Not because we just want to be different. Not even because of pagan origins of the name Easter.

But because resurrection is real for every believer in Christ? How do I know?

• Because there is a solid basis for the resurrection
• Because there is proof of the resurrection and
• Because there is an impact of Christ’s resurrection on us.

For who is not a believer

For those who are believers