Christ is Risen (2)

Life After Pentecost (XV)

 

1 Corinthians 15

 

I’ve just said in the Armenian sermon: Christ rose from the dead and whoever believes in him will also be raised from the dead.

 

Jesus promised that his life would go through much unexpected changes. We read in Matthew 16:21, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Jesus kept his promise.

 

Earl C. Willer tells a story about two friends who grew up together, Jim and Phillip. Jim was just a little older than Phillip. They joined the army and went to Germany in WWII. One day in a heavy fighting, Jim and Phillip were fighting next to each other. A retreat order came and the group started to retreat. Jim noticed that Phillip was not there. Jim begged the commanding officer to let him go back to find his friend. The officer said it would be a suicide mission.  Jim disobeyed and risked his life. After a while, he came back and he was carrying on his back his friend Phillip, but dead. The commander said, “Your friend is dead and there is nothing you can do about it.”

Jim replied, “I got there just in time. Before he died, his last words were, ‘I knew you would come.’”

 

Jesus promised that after his death he would be raised. Paul uses reverse reasoning to explain his vivid point.

 

What if Jesus was not raised? (14-19)

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More 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. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

 

IF Jesus was not raised, the result would be catastrophic. In these verses, Paul gives six outcomes of that IF situation.

 

1- Meaningless preaching

If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless (14a).

If Christ is not risen, why should we preach? What can we preach? Our Gospel does not have any meaning.

What kind of preaching we can have when we have a funeral service? What can we preach? No hope, nothing. There is victory in resurrection, and because Jesus was raised, we will participate in that.

 

2- Faith that is useless

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless” (14)

If Christ is not raised, preaching is meaningless and also our faith. Faith in what? In a “moral teacher” Jesus?

There are many good moral teachers. Do I worship them? Do I have faith in them? A “dead savior” cannot inspire faith.

Hebrews 11 talks about faith. All those heroes of faith are foolish: Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rehab, David, the prophets. The disciples who were martyred, why? How about Vartan Mamigonian and his friends? They died in vain.

 

3- We are false witnesses.

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. (15)

Paul is saying in one word, if Jesus was not raised, we are liars. Not only him, every witness who testifies that he saw Jesus resurrected is also a liar. Peter, Mary, the 12, the 500, all are liars.

I mean, one can be liar. How about two or three? A community of believers? Are they all liars? If these preachers, prophets were liars, why should they believe in anything else? This is insane. Paul is using reverse reasoning.

 

 

4- We all are in SIN

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (16-17)

We need to understand that when Jesus was raised from the dead, that was victory over sin and death. If Jesus remained dead, this means we are dead in eternal sin. “The wage of death is sin.” (Romans 6:23) This means there is no believer and unbeliever. Since there is no victory over death and sin, what is the meaning of being a believer anyway?

Read John 14:19 “Because I live, you also will live.”

 

5- Eternally we are perished

“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.” (18)

Fallen sleep in Armenian is nenche. No more we can use nenche. Because we have not fallen asleep. This is for the ones who believe in the resurrected Jesus Christ. We are not fallen sleep. We are eternally doomed and perished. We are completely lost, LOST FOREVER.

 

6- We are the most pitiful deceived people on this earth

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (19)

What kind of people are we? I mean look at your fragile bodies. If you think your body is the best, just visit a hospital and look at for children who are suffering from cancer or any patient. Just watch. Is this what life is all about? Is there anything else?

 

Did you see how in one moment people lost all their houses in LA and San Diego area? In one moment, you can lose everything. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

 

Now Paul changes his tactic to describe that Jesus INDEED IS RISEN:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

 

Christ is risen indeed.

He is the firstfruit of the ones who have fallen asleep.

He is the live example of how whoever believes in Him will be changed also. There is a live example, Jesus himself.

There is a nice story about a missionary who went to Brazil and discovered an Indian tribe who believed that the evil spirits were in the river. They never went to the river. Never dived in the river. Once when the missionary was in this tribe telling them about Jesus, the news arrived that there was an epidemic of a contagious disease going around. The missionary had to take the village inhabitants through the river to the other side, which was safe. They were afraid. He tried to explain. No result. Then he entered and swam and got to the other side. One by one, they got in the river following their leader.

 

Jesus is the FIRSTFRUIT. He is the example. He is the victory who won the battle.

Death is defeated.

Where, O death, is your victory?
      Where, O death, is your sting

56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.