1 Corinthians 15:1-26

Recurrent Thought

The Resurrection of the Christ is a miracle of monumental impact. It crowns His Reason for Coming, to die for humankind and establish a new way of Life. We are His beneficiaries

Resurrection (Easter) Sunday is the most important day of the Christian Calendar for it is a  Day Jesus the Christ rose from the Dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central message of Christian Faith. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we too can expect to resurrect in the future.  Apart from the resurrection of Jesus there is no Christianity. 

Despite being a great teacher and a powerful miracle worker, the Christian Faith is not based on mere teachings and miracles. The core of Christianity is the Death, Burial, Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

The Text we have today is an exciting and very detailed. The whole chapter 15 is a candid discussion of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and its value and significance to the Christian Faith. When you read it, comparing with scriptures found elsewhere in the bible, you come to a conclusion that the Resurrection is the very heart and soul of Christian Truth. It is the very cornerstone of everything we believe as Christ-devoted followers.

We will not handle the whole Chapter, but only Chapter 15: 1-26

Background of the Resurrection Event

• Outside the Scriptures, there other Historians such as Josephus and Tacitus who wrote on the historical existence of Jesus. Thus, you can ascertain the existence of the Jesus from other sources other than the Bible. 
• The Synoptic Gospels and that of John have adequate historical information of the persecution, trial and eventual execution of Jesus of Nazareth. 
• He predicted that He was prepared to lay down his life and for three days after being in the belly of the earth he would rise again.
• Furthermore, the Gospels attests with proper documentations that he resurrected;
• Paul who came to Faith years after the ascension of the Christ writes on the Resurrection and shows how it is critical and foundation to the Christian Faith

There are many ways to handle this section of the Chapter. We view it from two vantage points: First, the Testimonies proving the Resurrection. Second, the Impact of the Resurrection

Section I: Four Testimonies Proving the Resurrection of Jesus 

1. The Testimony of transformed lives (15:1-2)
   1 Corinthians 15:1 I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
   • Paul attests that the Corinthians had received this gospel of the Resurrection and their lives had changed tremendously
   • The Gospel was so powerful that it created in them a Life of Conviction; they knew what they stood for
   • A transformed life is great evidence of the reliability of what we have believed in, the Resurrected Christ.
   • The transformed lives of the believers, the changed perception of People such as Cleopas, one of the people walking to Emmaus whose heart burnt when he realized that he had been with Jesus 
   • The Life of the Apostles in Acts 1-2 reveals a distinct Change: Because they encountered the Risen Lord and they are empowered by His Spirit
2. The Testimony of the Word of God
   1 Corinthians 15:3-4 3 Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
   • When You look at the written word, it documents various proofs of the Resurrection. 
   • The Scriptures wrote of the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Christ
   • This three-fold events sums what is called the “Work of Christ”.
   • The word of God proves the resurrection. The Gospels (Word) accounts in detail about the Resurrection and how the Sanhedrin tried to suppress its account. 
   • In the Synoptics and Acts (1:3) Jesus gave a testimony of his resurrection; and these were documented and we know call them the Word of God
   • Scriptures predicted His Death and Resurrection 
3. The Testimony of the Empty Tomb (John 20:8)
   Although not in this passage, the account in John 20:8 shows one proof of the Resurrection of Jesus. It was the empty grave!
   • The Women, Mary Magdalen in particular who went to Prepare the body with oils was surprised that the body of Jesus was not in the grave
   • She went to the apostles and informed Peter about what she found. He and John ran to the tomb and they confirmed that the tomb was empty. 
   • They only found strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The head cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.
   • The cloth revealed that somewhat Jesus came out of the clothes, but the tomb contained no dead body
   • Although the empty tomb aspect may not be an entire proof of resurrection, but it shows that his body was not there in the face that the tomb was heavily guarded by soldiers. 
4. The Testimony of the Eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:5-8)
   • The Risen Jesus appeared to Cephas, (Peter) and then to the Twelve; He about to 500 People, then to His brothers and Sisters; He appeared to James and the rest of the Apostles. 
   • (The two men to Emmaus experienced Jesus. They were eye witnesses)
   • For Forty Days, the Resurrected Jesus interacted with them in various ways. 
   • Paul also testified that Jesus appeared to him;
   • It is very clear that there some eye witnesses to these appearances of the Risen Jesus when Paul wrote the text;
   • Paul in this writing pieces evidence upon evidence to demonstrate that Jesus rose from the dead
   • And in spite of that, some deny and mock the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Scriptures build many evidences about the bodily Resurrection of the messiah

Section II:  Five Impacts of the Resurrection

Paul uses a literary device of Rhetoric questions to build a case on the authenticity and significance of the Resurrection in our lives today: 

1. The Resurrection of Christ Reveals life after Death (Ch. 15:12-13)
   12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised (NIV) 

   • Using the literary device of rhetoric question, Paul handles the reality of Life after Death. 
   • He bluntly states that our hope of life after death hinges on one who can prove that he once died, rose again and he is alive thereafter.
   • This is the if statement: And if Christ has not been resurrected even our loved ones who died a while ago will not rise, and therefore, life is futile (1 Cor. 15: 13-18)
   • The logical sequence that he builds follows: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 
   • However, he has already shown with clear evidence that Christ rose again
   • Christ rose again. This is gives us hope that there is life after death
   • He also stares emphatically that Christ rose again from the Dead and he is the First fruits from those who are dead (1 Cor. 15:20)
2. The Resurrection of Jesus gives Power to our Preaching and Witness (Ch. 15: 14-15)
   14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised (NIV)
   • Paul declares one significant foundation for his calling and ministry. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:14 if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless.
   • If the Christ is not risen, then there is no content for our ministry
   • If there was no resurrection there’s no Good News. There’s no message of salvation. There’s no message of grace. There’s no message of hope. 
   • If there is no resurrection, then there is there fore, no Savior. All of His claims are lies. Then our Preaching is useless because then there is no message.
   • But the Opposite is true, since Christ raised from the dead there is transformation power and hope in our preaching. Use the word of God and speak to people, there is power when you speak the word of God.
   • An absence of the Resurrection makes believers false witnesses. It states that  if Christ is not resin, then we More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead (1 Cor.15:15).
   • But the truth is evident, we are witnesses of the Power of Jesus that is why he commanded us to take the gospel to the ends of the world. He made us witness of the cross.
   • After rising from the dead Jesus declared that we should “Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).
   • It is after the Resurrection that he told his apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit in order for them to become effective witness Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
3. The Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation and validates our Christian faith.
   14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins (NIV)
   1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.
   • The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Faith. If he never arose, then what we believe is a mirage and a phantom.
   • The Christian Faith is not founded on a teaching but on the aunthenticiy of Jesus rising from the Dead
   • The Resurrection actually extends the life to the believer (Galatians 2:20)
   • Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
   • We can pray by faith, live by faith, proclaim by faith because of the resurrection. Somebody make some proclamation today. I am blessed. I am healed. I am forgiven. I am rich.
4. The Resurrection of Jesus Breaks the Power of Sin (Ch. 15:17, 21)
   17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. . . . 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man (NIV)
   1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, …you are still in your sins.
   1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death (Sin) came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man (ESV)
   • Paul continues with the rhetorical question and he deals with the impact of the Resurrected Jesus in the Life of every Christ-devoted follower;
   • Here is a reality. If Christ is not risen, then it means he did not accomplish atonement. Therefore, he never bought our forgiveness, he did not succeed to do the exchange and therefore, we do not have his righteousness.  
   • But the truth is that Jesus rose again, and proven in the first section
   • Since Jesus rose from the dead, He forgave our Sins and given us peace in our lives
   • But of the greatest significance is that Since Christ rose from the Dead, you now can leave through his righteousness
   • Whoever, receives Jesus, they mysteriously and miraculous receive the Christ Life in their spirit man.
   • This reception is indeed an essence of God that has the capacity to overpower the sinful flesh that is in mans life since the fall of Adam and Eve.
   • The Resurrection of Jesus for the first time dealt with the Sin issue effectively. Not only to cover Sin as the blood of lambs did, but to effectively atone for it. 
   • With it came the forgiveness of sin, the washing away of its guilt, and making human beings live as the adopted righteous sons and daughters of God. Furthermore, He gives human beings the power to live victoriously while in this earth empowered by the ever-present Holy Spirit.
5. The Resurrection of Jesus changes the State of Christ-Devoted Followers (Ch. 15:19)
   1 Corinthians 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied (ESV) 
   • The last important aspect he deals using this device of rhetorical question is our estate in the earth. 
   • In essence, if Christ never rose from the dead then we who believe in him we should be pitied for pursuing a lie and constantly living one. 
   • Without a living Christ we are then a deceived people.
   • But the reality is that Jesus rose again, and Paul had taken time to give the evidences.
   • Since He resurrected, we have hope. We have a kingdom. We are going to live forever. 
   • We are not pitied people but we are the favored people on planet earth for we believe in him.
   • We are not miserable people, but we are favored people for He is coming when he hands the Kingdom to his Father (1 Cor 15:22-26)

Conclusion 

• #Me too I am a Witness
• He is my Lord and my God

The Resurrection of Christ

1Co 15:1  My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. 
1Co 15:2  You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. 
1Co 15:3  I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say. 
1Co 15:4  He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say. 
1Co 15:5  Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. 
1Co 15:6  After this, he appeared to more than five hundred other followers. Most of them are still alive, but some have died. 
1Co 15:7  He also appeared to James, and then to all of the apostles. 
1Co 15:8  Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. 
1Co 15:9  I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle. 
1Co 15:10  But God was kind! He made me what I am, and his wonderful kindness wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's kindness at work and not me. 
1Co 15:11  But it doesn't matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same. 

The Resurrection of the Dead

1Co 15:12  If we preach that Christ was raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? 
1Co 15:13  If they won't be raised to life, Christ himself wasn't raised to life. 
1Co 15:14  And if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. 
1Co 15:15  If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying that he raised Christ to life, when he really did not. 
1Co 15:16  So if the dead won't be raised to life, Christ wasn't raised to life. 
1Co 15:17  (if) Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. 
1Co 15:18  And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. 
1Co 15:19  If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else. 
1Co 15:20  But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. 
1Co 15:21  Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. 
1Co 15:22  Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. 
1Co 15:23  But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 
1Co 15:24  Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father. 
1Co 15:25  Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, 
1Co 15:26  and the last enemy he destroys will be death. 

Jesus and Thomas

Joh 20:24  Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 
Joh 20:25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 
Joh 20:26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 
Joh 20:27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 
Joh 20:28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 
Joh 20:29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  

New International Version (NIV)

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 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 to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.