Without the Resurrection…

I Corinthians 15:12 - 19

Now 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? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Have you read much about the modern day conspiracy theorists? Recently I was reading about a guy who vehemently believes that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin never actually landed on the moon. From his perspective, the Apollo 11 trip to the moon never occurred and, instead, the story is a big hoax. I read about another person who believes no airplanes actually hit the Twin Towers in New York in 2001, and the 9-11 events were a big lie perpetrated for other reasons. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I can tell you that there are people who zealously believe that Elvis Presley never died, and instead, slipped away into anonymity to live a stress-free life. 

Conspiracy theories exist around all sorts of things in all areas of life such as business, politics, assassinations, aviation, sports and countless others. I will leave it to you to decide what you think is real and what you think is a hoax. However, let's turn our attention to the conspiracy theories around the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

There have always been a variety of theories about the resurrection. For example, some believe Jesus’ mother and Mary Magdalene stole his body. Wow, those must have been some strong ladies to move that stone and at the same time ward off the Roman guards. Another theory says that the Roman guards were asleep and the eleven disciples moved the body of Jesus. You will actually find this theory in Matthew 28:11 - 15. The Apostle Paul had to deal with conspiracy theories as well, and I suspect that he dealt logically with the theories and demonstrated their unreasonableness. 

But there comes a point when a person has to confront the resurrection, not on the basis of philosophical theory, but, instead, on the basis of spiritual impact. And that is what we read in I Corinthians 15:12 - 19. When you look at the evidence and consider the importance of the resurrection, we realize that our entire belief in Jesus rests on the truth of the resurrection. Let me say it this way, the resurrection is essential to our faith in Christ. 

Just consider what the Bible says. First of all, without the resurrection, thousands of years of pastors, missionaries and others preaching and teaching about Jesus are lost and futile. That includes the preaching of C.H. Spurgeon, John Calvin, Billy Sunday, Charles Finney, Billy Graham, and others. If Jesus never rose from the dead, then all of these men, and countless others, spent their lives in vain.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, what I believe and what many of you believe is useless. The Bible says it this way - without the resurrection of Jesus, our faith is in vain. Now, I can tell you this, my faith in Jesus Christ and His work is anything but vain in my life. In fact, it is fundamental for my life.

Without the resurrection, my testimony of faith in Christ and His work in and through me is nothing but a lie. Without the resurrection of Jesus, I am still in my sin. Now listen carefully, I still sin, but because of the resurrection, when God looks at me, He doesn’t see my sin. He sees me in Christ’s righteousness. 

Without the resurrection, we are helpless, hopeless, and heavenless. Without the resurrection, those of us that have trusted Jesus with our present and our future are to be most pitied. 

I can tell you this, the resurrected Jesus is more real to me today than even the first day I believed. I still believe He lives; and I know He lives in me. 

I pray you and your family have a wonderful, Jesus-filled Easter, celebrating the most important day in history. 

If you have questions about the resurrection of Jesus, or about Jesus Himself, feel free to reach out to me at david@davidsmithministry.com.