The Resurrected Christ - 1 Cor. 15:12-23

Power of your Holy Spirit to be upon him and upon us all,

so that we would hear the word of God,

our hearts would be opened,

and we would respond and rejoice in the truth.

Bless Michael now as he comes to preach.

In Jesus' name and for his glory.

Amen.

Well, it's nice to be back with you again

and to be able to share this Easter Sunday with you.

The Lord has indeed risen from the dead,

and that's what we're going to be thinking of this morning.

I think the first thing I must say,

I don't know whether you've listened to the news,

because if you do, you'll know that there's not much good news in the world today.

There's wars, and there's rumors of wars.

I learned in the week what the mother of all bombs was,

as a bomb was dropped,

and we were told that many, many people were killed as a result of that bomb.

We hear of friction in Korea,

and what might or might not happen there.

All around us, there seems to be so much

that would cause us to be in the dumps,

nothing to rejoice about.

But it's Easter,

and the Christian, in spite of all that's going on in the world today,

I can rejoice.

I thought as I prepared this message

of what took place at the end of the Second World War.

Again, there had been so many deaths,

so much destruction.

And Japan, at that time,

when war in Europe ended,

the war was still going on in the Far East,

and the Americans reasoned,

well, if we try to invade Japan

to bring an end to the war,

well, so many people will die.

So they decided to drop a bomb.

They didn't quite know the effects of it.

It had never happened before.

An atomic bomb.

And it underlined then,

as bombs and wars,

underlined now,

that man is swift to shed blood.

But that particular bomb

that landed on Hiroshima

killed thousands of people.

But there's something else that it did.

Its effects

continued to influence Japan

for ages afterwards,

as people suffered from radiation poisoning,

and children

who as yet were unborn,

when they were born,

were born with all kinds of deformities.

That's what happens

when men

destroy men.

When men are indeed swift

to shed blood.

A fallout took place

that affected

many people

for many generations.

Horrible, isn't it?

But I want to speak

this morning

about another

explosive event

that didn't bring death,

but brought life.

An event

whose fallout

continues

to this

very day.

For you and I,

as a result of the

resurrection

are gathered here

this morning,

we can rejoice

in the fallout

from the resurrection

of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

We see

on one hand

in the world

man's inhumanity

to his fellow men.

But on the other hand,

we see

the wonder

of the death

and the resurrection

that continues,

its message

continues,

to reverberate

around the world.

So that today

we may be

few in number,

but we're meeting

with thousands

of others

who are rejoicing

that Christ

lives.

And we're

joining mystically

with those

who have gone

before us

who are already

experiencing

the presence

of Christ.

What a wonder

is the

message

of Easter

and the message

of the death

and resurrection

of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

And as we

look at

these verses

this morning

that were read

to us just now,

I want us

to see

two main

points.

The first

point

that I draw

your attention

to

is that

resurrection

is a

vital

truth.

It's not

an add-on.

It's vital

to the

Christian

message.

If Christ

isn't risen,

says the

Apostle Paul,

then so much

falls into

the background

that there

is no

Christian

message

if the

resurrection

didn't

take place.

And he

tells us

that in

the verses

12 to

19.

He tells

us in

verse 12

that some

people were

going about

teaching

that there

was no

resurrection

of the

dead,

that it

just didn't

happen.

Rather like

people say

today,

something like

this,

no one

has come

back to

tell us.

So death

is the

end because

no one

has stood

on the

scene of

time who

has died.

That, of

course, is

a lie.

But people

are still

saying it

because they

haven't

really

grasped

the wonder

of the

resurrection

of the

Lord Jesus.

He came

back to

show that

there was

life after

death.

If there

is no

resurrection,

says the

Apostle Paul,

then the

fact is

that Christ

lies in

the grave.

There has

been no

resurrection.

resurrection.

There were

those who

were teaching

in that

day as

people teach

today that

Jesus died,

he was put

in a grave,

and that

was the

end.

Even one

theologian

taught something

like this.

He said it

isn't the

bodily

resurrection

that matters.

He says it

is if

Christ's

spirit lives

on in

the church.

But the

bodily

resurrection

does matter.

It did

happen.

There are

many religions

in the world

in which we

live, and

their founders.

Well, they

have been laid

in the ground,

and we can

visit their

graves.

But we

cannot go to

the grave

of Christ

because he

has risen.

How then

can you say

there is

no resurrection?

If there

is no

resurrection,

Christ is

in the

grave.

But we

come together

this morning

because the

tomb is

empty.

The grave

clothes have

been left

behind.

Christ has

indeed been

raised from

the dead.

I love the

story of

Lazarus.

And you

remember how

Jesus says

as he

approaches the

grave of

Lazarus,

who has been

dead for

four days.

He says,

I am the

resurrection

and the

life.

It lies

within myself

to give

power over

death itself.

I am the

resurrection

and the

life.

And then

Christ comes

to the grave

of Jesus,

of Lazarus.

and there

he is

outside of

the grave

and he

says,

Lazarus,

come forth.

And

Lazarus

comes out

of the

grave,

still

wrapped in

the grave

clothes.

Why was he

wrapped in

the grave

clothes?

Well, he

would need

them again,

wouldn't he?

because he

would die

ultimately.

But when

Christ rose

from the

grave,

he left

the grave

clothes

behind,

they would

be needed

no more.

How then

can people

say there

is no

resurrection

of the

dead?

Christ does

not lie

in the

grave.

He is

risen.

And we

rejoice today

in the

fact that

he is

risen.

It's a

vital

truth.

If Christ

is not

risen,

then the

very message

of Easter

is a

lie.

But Paul

has already

told us,

as I no

doubt you

received,

you heard

last week,

that Christ

has risen.

When Paul

arrives in

Corinth,

he tells

them the

message of

Easter.

He says

it is of

first importance,

verses 3

and 4.

But if

Christ

isn't

raised from

the dead,

says the

apostle,

then we

are liars.

And we've

lied about

God

himself,

who we

have said

raise

Christ

from the

dead.

If Christ

didn't raise

him from

the dead,

he's still

in the

grave.

And we've

made out

God to

be someone

who is

false,

because he

has indeed

raised him

from the

dead.

He is not

false.

And when

Paul speaks

the truth

of the

resurrection,

it undergirds

the message

of salvation.

The message

of salvation

says that

the death

and the

burial of

Jesus wasn't

the end.

He rose

again by

the power

of God.

Look at

the verses

that we have

there before

us in our

reading.

If Christ

has not

been raised,

our preaching

is useless

and so

is your

faith.

More than

that,

we are

then found

to be

false

witnesses

about God.

For we

have testified

about God

that he

raised him

from the

dead.

But he

did not

raise him

if in fact

the dead

are not

raised.

Resurrection

is vital.

And when

Paul utters

those words,

he says

this,

we are

then found

to be

false

witnesses.

Who are

the we

that he's

talking about?

Well,

there are a

number of

possibilities.

Perhaps

he's talking

about those

who first

brought the

gospel to

the Corinthians.

We read

about it

in Acts

18.

Priscilla

and Aquila,

a husband

and wife

team,

they were

involved in

bringing the

message.

Was their

message

false?

No.

Paul and

Silas had

an involvement

in bringing

the message

of death

and resurrection

of the Lord

Jesus to

the people

of Cairn.

Were they

false?

No.

Timothy

was involved.

Also,

Apollos

had an

input

into the

situation

and all

of them

preached

the

resurrection

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and it

was the

message

of the

early

church

and the

early

church

turned the

world

upside down

as they

proclaimed

the death

and

resurrection

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

No.

The

resurrection

isn't

a lie.

We're

not

false

witnesses.

We

have

brought

you

the

truth

of the

resurrection

of this

vital

truth.

Or

perhaps

Paul

was

thinking

of all

the

apostles.

What did

they proclaim?

Well,

they

proclaimed

the death

and

resurrection

of Christ.

Were

they

false

witnesses?

Remember

on the

day

of

Pentecost?

Peter

preached,

the other

apostles

witnessed.

And we

are told

that those

who listened

to them

devoted

themselves

to the

apostles

teaching.

What was

that teaching?

Well,

it was

indeed

the whole

counsel

of God

and the

whole

counsel

of God

contained

the truth

of the

resurrection.

Remember

Peter

as he

preaches

at

Pentecost

filled

with the

Holy Spirit.

Hear

him.

You,

he says

to the

assembled

crowd

with the

help

of wicked

men,

put him

to death,

nailing

him to

the

cross.

But

God

raised

him

from

the

dead.

And

he

goes

on

to

say,

God

has

raised

this

Jesus

to

life.

We

are

all

witnesses.

The

resurrection

message

is a

lie

if

Christ

is

not

risen.

But

it is

no

lie.

Paul,

Apollos,

Timothy,

Silas,

Priscilla

and

Aquila,

the

apostles,

they

proclaimed

the

resurrection.

They

believed

it.

They

were

witnesses

to

the

fact

that

Christ

had

indeed

been

raised

from

the

dead.

But

it is

not

just

the

witnesses,

is it,

of those

who brought

the

message

to

Corinth.

It is

not

just

the

message

of

the

apostles.

The

whole

of

scripture

testifies

to the

fact

that

Christ

has

indeed

been

raised

from

the

dead.

On

the

day of

Pentecost,

what does

Peter

do?

He

proves

from

the

scriptures

that

Jesus

has

risen

from

the

dead.

What

scriptures?

Well,

the

Old

Testament

scriptures.

He

quotes

from

the

Psalms.

And

he

says,

well,

David,

his

grave is

with us

today.

But

he

speaks

about

the

Lord,

the

Lord

who

lives.

When

Jesus

is

speaking,

about

resurrection

after

death.

He

speaks

about

the

God

of

Abraham,

of

Isaac,

and of

Jacob.

For

God

is

the

God

of

the

living,

not

of

the

dead.

He

is

speaking

of

resurrection.

The

message

of

Easter

is

no

lie.

It's

a

vital

truth.

And

it's

a

truth

that

you

and

I

can

embrace

with

gladness

in

our

hearts.

What

happened

at

Jerusalem

on

the

day

of

Pentecost?

We

are

told

that

3,000

believed.

What

happened

in

Corinth?

Others

believed.

Well,

says the

Apostle

Paul,

if there

is no

resurrection,

then we

lied.

And

you

who have

believed

by faith,

your faith

is

misplaced.

And

our

faith

would

be

misplaced

if there

were no

resurrection

of the

dead.

But we

meet

together

as a

church in

Corinth

met

together

and as

every

Christian

church

down

through

the

ages

meet

together.

They

see that

the

resurrection

isn't an

optional

extra.

It's a

vital

truth.

And

Paul in

his day

and generation

wanted the

Corinthian

church to

see the

wonder of

resurrection.

That it

is no

lie.

That God

has indeed

raised

Christ

from the

dead.

Resurrection

is a

vital

truth.

Christ

doesn't

lie in

the grave.

The

message of

the

resurrection

is no

lie.

it's

the

testimony

of

this

book

of

the

prophets

and

the

apostles

and

Christian

saints

down

through

the

years.

The

message

of the

resurrection

is vital

because

if there

wasn't a

resurrection

there's

no

gospel

to

proclaim.

Look

what the

apostle

says

in

verse

17.

if

Christ

has

not

been

raised

your

faith

is

futile.

You

are

still

in

your

sins.

Paul

is

telling

the

Corinthians

very

clearly

that if

Christ

hasn't

risen

from

the

dead

there

is

no

good

news

to

proclaim.

Christ

Jesus

came

into

the

world

to

save

sinners.

How

did

he

do

it?

Well

certainly

through

his

death.

For

without

the

shedding

of

blood

there

could

be

no

forgiveness

of

sins.

But

there

also

had

to

be

a

resurrection.

Let's

work

this

out.

If

Christ

be

not

raised

your

faith

is

futile.

you

are

still

in

your

sins.

See

Jesus

he's

there

on

the

cross.

What

is

he

doing?

He's

offering

himself

as

a

sacrifice

to

God.

It

was

the

fulfillment

of

all

those

types

that

we

read

about

in

the

Old

Testament.

I

like

the

one

about

Noah

when

he

comes

out

of

the

ark

and

we're

told

he

makes

a

sacrifice.

A

burnt

offering

and

we are

told

the

Lord

God

in

heaven

smelled

a

pleasing

aroma.

In

other

words

it

was

God

accepting

the

sacrifice

that

Noah

offered.

Other

times

we

read

in

scripture

that

when

people

offered

a

sacrifice

it

was

a

stench

in

the

nostrils

of

God.

It

was

an

unaccepted

sacrifice.

Now

if

Christ

had

remained

in

the

ground

the

sacrifice

of the

Lord

Jesus

would

not

be

accepted.

But

it

was

accepted

and

the

resurrection

is

evidence

of the

acceptance

of the

sacrifice

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

on

your

behalf

and

on

my

behalf.

Here

is

Jesus

hanging

on

the

cross

and

all

the

wrath

of

almighty

God

is

being

poured

out

upon

him.

Your

sins

and

my

sins

being

laid

upon

him.

He

offers

himself

as a

propitiation.

A long

word,

I know.

But what

it means

is he

was

turning

away

the

wrath

of God

that was

deserved

by you

and me.

And

as that

wrath

is

turned

away,

so

God

in

heaven

accepts

the

sacrifice.

It's

a

pleasing

aroma

to

God.

Isn't

this

what

Isaiah

spoke

of

when

he

wrote

Isaiah

53

and

verses

10

and

11?

Yet

it

was

the

Lord's

will

to

crush

him,

to

cause

him

to

suffer.

And

though

the

Lord

makes

his

life

a

guilt

offering,

he

will

see

his

offspring

and

prolong

his

days.

Resurrection

and

the

will

of

the

Lord

will

prosper

in

his

hands.

And

if

you

look

in

the

margin

you

will

have

these

words,

he

will

see,

that

is

God

will

see

the

suffering

of

his

soul,

that

is

the

soul

of

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and

will

be

satisfied.

this

theme

is

taken

up

by

the

apostle

Paul

in

chapter

4

and

verse

25

of

Romans

where

it

says

about

Jesus

our

Lord,

he

was

delivered

over

to

death

for

our

sins

and

was

raised

to

life

for

our

justification.

So it's

not just

the death

of Christ,

vital

though that

was,

it is

also

the

resurrection

of

Christ

for

God

has

accepted

the

sacrifice

of

his

son.

So

the

moment

you

and

I

believe

and

trust

in

the

risen

Christ

who

died

for

our

sins,

the

perfect

righteousness

of

Christ

is

put

to

our

account

and

all

the

blessings

that

come

to

us

through

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Christ

died,

Christ

rose,

God

accepted

the

sacrifice.

But if

Christ

isn't

risen,

well the

sacrifice

doesn't

be

accepted.

We are

still

in

our

sins.

It

is a

dead

Christ.

But

no,

the

message

of

Easter

says

he

is

risen.

There

is

a

gospel.

Paul

is

no

false

witness.

Christ

is

risen.

Hallelujah!

What a

Savior!

If

Christ

is not

risen,

then there's

no hope

after death

for any

one of

us.

When we

die,

we're put

six feet

under,

and that's

the end.

That's what

Paul tells

us in

verse 18.

Then

those,

if there

is no

resurrection,

who have

fallen

asleep in

Christ

are

lost.

lost.

There

were those

in

Paul's

day

who had

died.

And when

Paul writes

his letter,

the church

is continuing

to grow.

Some

were being

mocked because

they believed

in the

resurrection

of the

Lord Jesus.

And

others,

we know,

in the early

church,

had become

anxious about

loved ones

who had

died.

And

Paul writes

to the

Thessalonian

church in

chapter 4

and verse

13 and

says,

Brothers,

we don't

want you to

be ignorant

about those

who fall

asleep,

or to

grieve like

the rest

of men

who have

no hope.

There were

people that

were dying.

They had

no hope

beyond the

grave.

But the

Christian

has hope.

Why?

Because

Christ has

risen from

the dead.

And millions

over the

years have

died trusting

in Christ.

But no

resurrection.

People are

lost.

They have

perished.

They are

forever in

their sins.

There is

no one at

the right

hand of

God to

plead their

cause.

There is

no mediator

between God

and men.

There is

no advocate.

But my

friends,

he has

risen.

There is

an advocate.

There is

a mediator

between God

and men.

Thank God

for the

biblical message

that Christ

lives.

Thank God

for the

reliable

witnesses

who have

testified

down through

the ages.

But remove

the resurrection.

There is

no

Christianity.

Christianity

demands

the resurrection.

It is

a vital

truth.

But one

final reason

why Christianity

is vital.

And that

is

what we

have in

verse 19.

What a

pitiable

condition

we are

all in

if Christ

has not

risen

from the

dead.

Verse 19

says,

if only

for this

life we

have hope

in Christ,

we are

to be

pitied

more

than

all

men.

So it's

not only

the future

that is

affected,

if there

is no

resurrection,

but also

the present.

If there

isn't a

resurrection,

every

Christian's

hope is

dashed to

the ground.

His

present,

his future,

you see,

is found

in the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

who

lives.

Christ

is

everything.

to the

Christian.

As Paul

puts it,

for me

to live

is

Christ

and to

die

is

gain.

Now

what's

the point,

says the

Apostle

Paul,

to suffer

in this

life for

being a

Christian

as many

were in

the days

of the

Apostle

and many

are today.

what's

the point

of

carrying

on

if there

is no

resurrection?

We're

to be

pitied.

Oh,

but the

Apostle

Paul says

our

light

affliction

is

working

for us

an

eternal

weight

of glory.

there is

life beyond

the grave.

We're not

to be

pitied.

We can

rejoice

today.

Don't pity

me,

says the

Apostle

Paul.

Christ

has

risen.

The grave

is empty.

The

resurrection

is true.

It's a

historical

fact.

we have

a gospel

to proclaim.

We have

hope beyond

the grave.

We're not

to be

pitied.

We live

because

Christ

lives