If Christ Be Not Risen
1 Corinthians 15:12 - 32 (NKJV) 12Now 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? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15Yes, 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. 16For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 29Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
I. All Faith is futile without the Resurrection.
A. A Jesus without Easter has no hope
1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
ILL: I received a religious magazine last week that headlined an article trying to convince me, the reader, that’s celebrating Easter was evil. The publication was from a group that claims Christianity. The article declares that Easter is a “pagan holiday”
· True – the word “Easter” comes from Astarte the Babylonian goddess, queen of heaven
· True – the 40 day term of “lent” absence was for Osiris the mediatoral god
· True – there was the celebration of the resurrection of Tammuz (2000 years before Christ)
· True – Easter eggs and the Easter bunny are symbols fertility rites
· True – Easter was declared to be celebrated by the Christian Church by the council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
While all these things are true it is also true that the Christian Hope is built upon a hope that pre-dates the actual resurrection of Jesus!
B. All faith must be built upon hope
Acts 17:22 - 32 (NKJV) 22Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” 32And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
C. Paul, a Pharisee, had a hope in the resurrection before he met Jesus
Acts 24:10 - 16 (NKJV) 10Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. 14But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
Acts 26:4 - 8 (NKJV) 4“My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
D. Believing in Jesus as a great moral teacher will not give you hope.
ILL: I believe in the great teaching of Jesus – I also believe that Consus, and Buddha were great moral teachers – but it was not the teaching of Jesus that put Him on a cross.
Matthew 26:59 - 66 (NKJV) 59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” 62And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”
ILL: Why did they call Jesus a blasphemer? - Because they understood that He was claming to be God!
E. Believing in Jesus as a moral reformer will not give you hope
· Before WW II it was Walter Rauschenbusch and the “Social Gospel” that proclaimed Christianity was belief in Jesus to change the social situation and bring in the Kingdom of God.
The Social Gospel is post-millennialist believing that Jesus cannot come again human can rid themselves of social evils by human effort. The Presbyterians said, “The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel from the salvation of society, the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God, the promotion of social righteousness and to exhibit the kingdom of God to the world.”
· Twenty years ago and still continuing it is “Liberation Theology” which takes the socialism of early Karl Marx and adheres it to the teaching of Jesus. It is very prevalent in Central and South America in the rise of communist and socialist governments. One of the positions of Liberation Theology is that Jesus, a poor, sub-class man was crucified by the rich, Jewish and Romans but his resurrection was taught to illustrate the final victory of the deprived classes over the privileged classes.
Liberation Theology is still the basis of some preaching in the name of Christianity. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism and as a way of justifying violent revolution to overthrow the economics of capitalism. The Gospels were re-rendered not as doctrine impacting on the human soul but rather as windows into class struggle. The Bible is a criticism of the rich as a mandate to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor.
II. An Atheist or Secularist cannot believe in the resurrection
A. Without a belief in God it is impossible to believe in the resurrection.
Romans 4:16 - 25 (NKJV) 16Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
B. If you believe in God you have to believe in the possibility of the resurrection
III. Belief in the resurrection will give us:
A. Peace with God
Romans 5:1 - 5 (NKJV) 1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
ILL: I could not worship any god who had me created only to live through all the trails of life to end up food for worms and subject to decay.
B. Endurance through any trial
Romans 8:18 - 25 (NKJV) 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
IV. The resurrection of Jesus is a physical reality
1 John 1:1 - 4 (NKJV) 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
ILL: If Christ is not risen
· The New Testament is a lie
· All the Apostles died for a lie
· Paul was a liar
· All Christian history is a lie
· All Christian Ministers of every denomination are liars
· This man, Paul Willis, has spent 48 years living a lie
· And – you are without hope!
Conclusion:
Romans 15:13 (NKJV) 13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Have a joyous Easter!
