By Pastor Stephen Hess –
For 2,000 years, Christians have affirmed a belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The Apostles’ Creed—one of the earliest creeds of the Christian church—states, “On the third day he rose again from the dead.” But in recent years some have asked whether it really matters if Jesus rose from the dead. Does the truth or falsehood of the resurrection make any difference for those who want to follow the teachings of Jesus?
The Bible answers this question for us very clearly. In 1 Corinthians, Paul told the church that the resurrection of Jesus was not an optional belief that one could discard from the faith without any consequences. Rather, he argued the resurrection is such a foundational pillar to Christianity that to remove it would cause the entire faith to come crashing down. Specifically, Paul mentions four things that are at stake when it comes to the resurrection.
First, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead then our faith is futile. Paul says, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). For Paul, faith is not some feel good exercise meant to help you live a better life. Faith is a trust in a real person and real historical events. If the resurrection didn’t happen, then our faith is a hollow sham. There are some today who claim you can still have faith in Jesus even if you don’t believe in the resurrection. But if the resurrection never happened then Jesus was a phony—not someone worth believing in. Faith is only as good as its object, and if the things in which we place our faith are groundless then our faith is futile. As Paul says, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19).
Second, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead then Scripture is false. Paul says that if the resurrection isn’t true, “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” (1 Cor. 15:15). According to Paul, if Christ wasn’t raised then the testimony of the apostles in Scripture isn’t trustworthy. I always find it strange when people reject a teaching like the resurrection but are willing to accept other teachings in the Bible. If we can’t trust the apostles when it comes to their most central claim, then what makes us think we can trust them in other areas? If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then Scripture is false.
Third, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead then sin is fixed. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). In other words, if Christ didn’t defeat death and rise again, then sin has not been removed and we are still in it! According to Scripture, sin is the fundamental problem from which human beings need to be saved. Sin is what causes us to be separated from God and alienated from one another. Unless our sin can somehow be removed, we will be separated from God for eternity in hell. The Bible says the only way for our sin to be removed is through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But if Jesus wasn’t raised then our sin is fixed and unremovable.
Fourth, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead then death is final. Paul says that if the resurrection isn’t true “then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Cor. 15:18). Here Paul makes clear that if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, there is no afterlife, there is no heaven, and death is final. Studies have shown over and over again that the vast majority of Americans (Christian or otherwise) believe in life after death. But what gives us justification for such a belief? According to the Bible, if Christ wasn’t raised then this is just wishful thinking and death is final.
The stakes of the resurrection are massive: If Christ wasn’t raised then faith is futile, Scripture is false, sin is fixed, and death is final. The good news is that Christ really did rise from the dead. Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). If you want to learn more about the importance of the resurrection, I encourage you to join us on Wednesday nights at 6:30 starting on March 8th for a new study called “Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything.” What better way to prepare for Easter than to study this doctrine that has been at the heart of our faith since the beginning of the church?