I read a story where a Sunday school teacher had just finished telling her junior group about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: “And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?” A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom, and that was of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly “I know, I know!” “Good” said the teacher, “Tell us, what were Jesus first words.” And extending her arms high into the air she said: “TA-DA!”
Funny isn’t it? In her little innocence she said something that came to her mind. But when you pause and think about it. It is indeed the ‘TA-DA’ point of our entire Christian faith. The Resurrection is the essential foundation on which the entire Christian faith stands upon!
Now, why do I call it the essential foundation? Apostle Paul, when he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, lists six disastrous consequences if Jesus did not rise from the dead. Turn with me to 1 Cor. 15:12-20 (NIV).
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.
Here are the six disastrous consequences if Christ was not raised.
1) Preaching Christ would be useless (v. 14)
2) Faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14)
3) All the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15)
4) There would be no redemption, and people are still in their sins (v. 17)
5) All former believers who trusted Christ would be perished (v.18)
6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19).
Those are some serious consequences, but Paul says not to worry as Jesus did rise from the dead! See the next blog post on how we know that.
