“If Christ Has Not Been Raised”
(aka "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Resurrection")
Resurrection Sunday
April 12, 2009
When I was young and dumb, I once picked up a hitchhiker who turned out be a criminal who had escaped from jail.
I was heading down Ohio State Route 30 to see my grandmother when I saw a guy in blue jeans and a black Megadeath tee-shirt thumbing for a ride on the side of the road.
And I was feeling full of the gospel and full of life right then. I was a student on break from Bible school at the time. And I stopped and offered him a ride.
Did I mention that I was young and dumb?
Well, we got right to talking. And it wasn’t long until I figured out that there was something different about this hitchhiker. He was nervous and excited and kept looking over his shoulder.
And he soon admitted to me that he was on the run from the law.
Now, I don’t know what I should have done at that point. Maybe dropped him right off right there or taken him to the nearest police station. You can decide on that.
What I did do was immediately start talking about Jesus.
Did I mention that I was a Bible school student on break?
I immediately started talking with my hitchhiker about Jesus.
And he had to listen because he was a captive audience.
I figured, if I was going to give him a ride, he was going to hear the good news about Jesus. Especially if this was the last conversation I was going to have!
And what do you think I emphasized? What did I go to in talking with this guy–he was probably one of those “bad guys” like we talked about last week–what do you think I ran to in talking about Jesus?
It was the resurrection.
Because the resurrection is a crucial key to the good news about Jesus.
Do you believe that?
How important is the resurrection?
We’ve sung about it this morning.
We’ve celebrated it.
We’ve given testimonies about it.
But just how important is it?
If you take out the resurrection, what is left of Christianity?
The Bible says that the good news, the gospel, the essence of Christianity hangs on the fact and truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection is essential. Crucial. All-important!
This is part of what the Apostle Paul is teaching about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
I’d love to preach the whole thing this morning, but there is too much here for one message. We’re going to have to focus on just a few verses, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
But we’ll start by reading the first 8 verses of the chapter. 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 1.
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. [Oooh. Sounds important!] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [Good Friday], that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures [Resurrection Sunday!], and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Now, what I want you to notice here is how important the resurrection is to the gospel.
When Paul summarizes the gospel, it includes these elements: Christ’s death for sins, predicted by the Scriptures, Christ’s burial, and Christ’s resurrection. “He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”...and He appeared to a bunch of witnesses!
The resurrection is crucial to the gospel! And it is of first importance.
But you see, not everyone at Corinth believed this.
Paul was hearing reports that some people didn’t believe that there was any resurrection at all! Professing Christians at Corinth!
It seems that some people within the church had begun teaching that there is no such thing as resurrection from the dead. They said that dead people don’t live again. Dead bodies don’t get back up and walk. Corpses don’t carry on conversations. Cadavers don’t breathe, or eat, or dance, or sing. There is no such thing as resurrection.
Do you believe in something as “far out” as...resurrection?
Paul did. And to counter this pernicious idea, Paul explains what is at stake in believing in the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
“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? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And 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 Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (NIV)
I asked my hitchhiker what he thought of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He didn’t think anything about it. It wasn’t on his radar screen.
He didn’t know. Maybe it was just a made up story.
I insisted that Jesus Christ came back from the dead, and it made all of the difference.
Look at v.12.
“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead [and we know it is because he just went over that in vv.1-8], how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
Paul begins this section by pointing out that any resurrection from the dead means that the dead can be and will be resurrected. And he also points out that they have already believed in a resurrection–namely Christ’s. V.13.
“If there is no resurrection of the dead [as some of you are claiming], then not even Christ has been raised.”
You’ve got to be consistent here.
It only takes one resurrection to prove the rule. And the one that’s been proven is the also the most important.
Because if they are right...and there are no resurrections ever, ever, ever, then Christ was not ever resurrected Himself.
And that would forever alter Christianity. It would make it...futile, useless. V.14.
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
There can be Buddhism without a living Buddha. Confucianism without a living Confucius. Christian Science without a living Mary Baker Eddy. Mormonism without a living Joseph Smith. Islam without a living Mohammed.
But there is no real Christianity without a living Jesus Christ.
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
Here is why:
#1. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN ALL THE APOSTLES ARE LIARS. V.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.”
If Christ has not been resurrected, then all the apostles are no better than liars. That’s what he means when he says in v.14 that their preaching is useless and in v.15 when he says they are found to be “false witnesses about God.”
Here’s what I said to my hitchhiker. [Did I mention that I was young and dumb?]
I said, “Did you know that all of the apostles died for the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Many of the apostles were martyrs, that is people who were killed (whether actively like Peter crucified upside down or passively like John exiled to a prison island, killed) for the story about Jesus being alive again.
Did you know that?” Then I said, “Imagine that you were an apostle that said that Jesus was alive again. And then imagine that I had a gun pointed at your head...”
That got his attention! I think he thought that he was in the car with a nutcase, not the other way around!
But I was hot on making this point.
“Imagine that you were an apostle that insisted that you had seen Jesus dead...then alive again. With your own eyes. An eyewitness.
And I put a gun to your head and say, ‘Take that back. If you keep on saying that Jesus Christ is Lord because he’s alive again, I’m going to shoot you. But I’ll let you go if you take it back. Tell me that you lied. You and your apostle-buddies made this one up. You can’t be sure. Maybe you were mistaken. You didn’t see it yourself, you just heard about it and you aren’t sure.’
What would you do?”
That’s what I asked him.
And that’s what I’m asking you. Would you die for a lie?
I wouldn’t.
But these men all went to their graves insisting that Jesus had died and came back again.
More than 500 check-able eye-witnesses according to verse 6! The evidence is overwhelming.
But, what if they’re lying? What if the apostles were lying?
Well, then, they aren’t worth listening to!
Why bother listening to what the apostles say if they are wrong about the most fundamental facts in their story? They can’t be trusted!
In other words, don’t read your Bible! Don’t bother! Throw it away!
If these guys can’t get their facts straight about whether or not the Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth who was crucified under the auspices of the Roman Prelate Pontius Pilate came back from the dead or not, don’t bother listening to anything else they have to say!
If your mechanic told you it was time to get new brakes, but he couldn’t figure out where the engine was in your model, you wouldn’t bother with the brake-job!
So, don’t bother reading your Bible. Don’t listen to what they say. They are no better than liars if Jesus is not alive. Either they are doddering fools or malicious deceivers–and, either way–don’t trust them. That’s what Paul is saying!
However, the opposite is also true. If Jesus IS alive, if Christ has been raised, then all the apostles are telling the truth!
And if that’s the case, you’d better listen to what they have to say. Because if they’re right about that, I think they may have a handle on the truth in other areas.
If Jesus is alive, the apostles become trustworthy. We’d better read what they have to say!
It all hinges, though, on whether or not Jesus came back from the dead.
#2. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE APOSTLES ARE DOOMED. V.16
“For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith if futile; you are still in your sins.”
Uh oh. The apostles have taught that Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification, our salvation (Romans 4:25).
But if they are wrong, then we who believed them are still sinners with no hope. We’re doomed.
Jesus’ resurrection is the completion of the promised benefits purchased in His death. And if there is no resurrection...no benefits.
Let me put it this way:
No resurrection life for Jesus, no eternal life for You and Me.
No forgiveness, no heaven, no new bodies, no eternal happiness, no joy in God’s presence, and no eternal pleasures at God’s right hand (Psalm 16:11).
Just sin and then judgment and then wrath.
If Christ Has Not Been Raised, Then Those Who Believe the Apostles’ Gospel Are Doomed.
That’s what Paul is trying to bring home in v.18.
“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”
Those people who died believing the apostle’s story are lost. They’re just gone. There’s nothing next for them.
I think about some of the saints from this church who have died in the last decade: Marie Wertz, Marie Benton, Tiny Older, Mabel Carlson. Dempsey Kyler, Raph Johnson, George Neidrick. And many others.
If Jesus is not alive today, then those folks are lost. They died believing in the apostles’ gospel of Jesus’ resurrection. And if it was a lie, then they are already doomed...and we will be, too.
However, if Jesus is alive, then those who believe the apostles can be saved. If Jesus is resurrected, then salvation can come to those who believe.
Sins can be forgiven. Debts can be cancelled. Promises can be fulfilled. Joy in God’s presence, pleasures forevermore from God’s right hand, and eternal life are a reality for those who put their faith in the good news of the Risen Jesus.
If Jesus is alive, then Marie, and Marie, and Tiny, and Mabel and Dempsey and Raph and George have a short wait until they, too, get a resurrection body. The rest of the chapter talks about those new bodies that we have “on order.”
But if Christ has not been raised, then don’t bother!
There are some people who think that living like a Christian is the best thing to do even if it’s not all true.
I’ve heard people say, “I would still live like a Christian even if Jesus has not risen from the dead.”
But that’s not what Paul says! He says the opposite! And he was a major leader in the early church!
Here’s what Paul says:
#3. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN ALL CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE PITIED (MORE THAN ALL OTHER PEOPLE). V.19.
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
If you are banking on Jesus and there is no Jesus left, just 2000 year old rotting bones in some unknown tomb in Jerusalem, then Paul says that you should be pitied.
You’ve wasted your life.
Other people bank on things that count in this world. You’ve put all your stock in a resurrected body and a new heavens and new earth still to come. Pie in the sky!
You’re too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. You’ve wasted your life on Jesus. You’ve built your life on a lie. You should be pitied.
I was talking about this with my buddy Kipp this week.
This is what he said:
“If Christ is not risen, the birth of Christ is irrelevant.
If Christ is not risen, the example of Christ is meaningless.
If Christ is not risen, the teachings of Christ are foolish.
If Christ is not risen, the cross of Christ is pointless...
If Christ is not risen, if there is no resurrection, then ANY other religion is better than Christianity. Why? Because every other religion is based on rules, and rules work without a risen Christ. But we preach grace, and grace cannot exist without an empty tomb.
If Christ is not risen, we should all convert to Islam or Buddhism or Pastafarianism. If Christ is not risen, we should throw away every Bible, close every church, give back every tithe, and apologize daily for leading people so astray.”
That’s exactly right.
If Christ is not risen, then all Christians should be pitied more than all other men.
People should feel sorry for us.
Do you know that many people do? There are many people who call Christianity “a crutch.” Just something to prop you up. Something to make you feel a little better as you travel this ugly road called life. And they feel sorry for us that we need to make up these stories about Jesus. They feel sorry for us that we spend so much time in church and in ministry and give so much of our resources away.
“Poor religious fools.”
And they’re right....if Jesus is still dead.
But if Jesus is alive again, then we should feel pity for them!
If Jesus is alive again, then Christians should be congratulated more than all other people!
If Jesus is alive again, we have every reason to rejoice every day!
If Jesus is alive again, our faith is NOT FUTILE! It is fantastic!
It’s wonderful. It’s worth getting excited about every day. It’s worth sharing. It’s worth suffering for. It’s worth dying for. It’s not futile, it’s fantastic!
If Jesus is alive today, our faith in Him is worth building our life upon.
That’s what I was trying to get across to my hitchhiker.
And that’s what I’m bringing before you today.
I’d guess that you’re wondering how my hitchhiker story ends.
I’d like to say that he trusted Jesus Christ right there in my car and that he turned from his sin and asked me to turn him in to the police.
But that’s not what happened. I simply took him to the next exit, encouraged him to turn himself in before he gets into more trouble and to consider whether or not Jesus Christ came back from the dead.
Because if He did, it affects everything!
But the question today is not what happened to my hitchhiker, but what you are going to do with Jesus Christ.
Do you believe that He is alive today?
It makes all the difference.
If He isn’t alive today, then the apostles have been lying to you. Don’t believe a word they say.
If He isn’t alive today, then you and I stand condemned, hopeless, in our sins, lost and doomed.
If He isn’t alive today, then you and I should be pitied for wasting our short lives on Jesus. We have a futile faith.
If you take out the resurrection, there is nothing left of Christianity.
But (first part of verse 20), “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!”
He is alive! So you I can trust what the apostles have said in the Bible.
You and I can put our faith in the Resurrected Jesus and be saved from our sins.
You and I can have a fantastic, to-be-congratulated faith, worth dying for, and worth living for, and worth building our life upon. And worth sharing!
Do you believe?
I invite you to believe today and to build your life on this essential, inescapable, and glorious truth of the resurrection.
(aka "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Resurrection")
Resurrection Sunday
April 12, 2009
When I was young and dumb, I once picked up a hitchhiker who turned out be a criminal who had escaped from jail.
I was heading down Ohio State Route 30 to see my grandmother when I saw a guy in blue jeans and a black Megadeath tee-shirt thumbing for a ride on the side of the road.
And I was feeling full of the gospel and full of life right then. I was a student on break from Bible school at the time. And I stopped and offered him a ride.
Did I mention that I was young and dumb?
Well, we got right to talking. And it wasn’t long until I figured out that there was something different about this hitchhiker. He was nervous and excited and kept looking over his shoulder.
And he soon admitted to me that he was on the run from the law.
Now, I don’t know what I should have done at that point. Maybe dropped him right off right there or taken him to the nearest police station. You can decide on that.
What I did do was immediately start talking about Jesus.
Did I mention that I was a Bible school student on break?
I immediately started talking with my hitchhiker about Jesus.
And he had to listen because he was a captive audience.
I figured, if I was going to give him a ride, he was going to hear the good news about Jesus. Especially if this was the last conversation I was going to have!
And what do you think I emphasized? What did I go to in talking with this guy–he was probably one of those “bad guys” like we talked about last week–what do you think I ran to in talking about Jesus?
It was the resurrection.
Because the resurrection is a crucial key to the good news about Jesus.
Do you believe that?
How important is the resurrection?
We’ve sung about it this morning.
We’ve celebrated it.
We’ve given testimonies about it.
But just how important is it?
If you take out the resurrection, what is left of Christianity?
The Bible says that the good news, the gospel, the essence of Christianity hangs on the fact and truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection is essential. Crucial. All-important!
This is part of what the Apostle Paul is teaching about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
I’d love to preach the whole thing this morning, but there is too much here for one message. We’re going to have to focus on just a few verses, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
But we’ll start by reading the first 8 verses of the chapter. 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 1.
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. [Oooh. Sounds important!] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [Good Friday], that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures [Resurrection Sunday!], and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Now, what I want you to notice here is how important the resurrection is to the gospel.
When Paul summarizes the gospel, it includes these elements: Christ’s death for sins, predicted by the Scriptures, Christ’s burial, and Christ’s resurrection. “He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”...and He appeared to a bunch of witnesses!
The resurrection is crucial to the gospel! And it is of first importance.
But you see, not everyone at Corinth believed this.
Paul was hearing reports that some people didn’t believe that there was any resurrection at all! Professing Christians at Corinth!
It seems that some people within the church had begun teaching that there is no such thing as resurrection from the dead. They said that dead people don’t live again. Dead bodies don’t get back up and walk. Corpses don’t carry on conversations. Cadavers don’t breathe, or eat, or dance, or sing. There is no such thing as resurrection.
Do you believe in something as “far out” as...resurrection?
Paul did. And to counter this pernicious idea, Paul explains what is at stake in believing in the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.
“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? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And 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 Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (NIV)
I asked my hitchhiker what he thought of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He didn’t think anything about it. It wasn’t on his radar screen.
He didn’t know. Maybe it was just a made up story.
I insisted that Jesus Christ came back from the dead, and it made all of the difference.
Look at v.12.
“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead [and we know it is because he just went over that in vv.1-8], how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
Paul begins this section by pointing out that any resurrection from the dead means that the dead can be and will be resurrected. And he also points out that they have already believed in a resurrection–namely Christ’s. V.13.
“If there is no resurrection of the dead [as some of you are claiming], then not even Christ has been raised.”
You’ve got to be consistent here.
It only takes one resurrection to prove the rule. And the one that’s been proven is the also the most important.
Because if they are right...and there are no resurrections ever, ever, ever, then Christ was not ever resurrected Himself.
And that would forever alter Christianity. It would make it...futile, useless. V.14.
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
There can be Buddhism without a living Buddha. Confucianism without a living Confucius. Christian Science without a living Mary Baker Eddy. Mormonism without a living Joseph Smith. Islam without a living Mohammed.
But there is no real Christianity without a living Jesus Christ.
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
Here is why:
#1. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN ALL THE APOSTLES ARE LIARS. V.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.”
If Christ has not been resurrected, then all the apostles are no better than liars. That’s what he means when he says in v.14 that their preaching is useless and in v.15 when he says they are found to be “false witnesses about God.”
Here’s what I said to my hitchhiker. [Did I mention that I was young and dumb?]
I said, “Did you know that all of the apostles died for the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Many of the apostles were martyrs, that is people who were killed (whether actively like Peter crucified upside down or passively like John exiled to a prison island, killed) for the story about Jesus being alive again.
Did you know that?” Then I said, “Imagine that you were an apostle that said that Jesus was alive again. And then imagine that I had a gun pointed at your head...”
That got his attention! I think he thought that he was in the car with a nutcase, not the other way around!
But I was hot on making this point.
“Imagine that you were an apostle that insisted that you had seen Jesus dead...then alive again. With your own eyes. An eyewitness.
And I put a gun to your head and say, ‘Take that back. If you keep on saying that Jesus Christ is Lord because he’s alive again, I’m going to shoot you. But I’ll let you go if you take it back. Tell me that you lied. You and your apostle-buddies made this one up. You can’t be sure. Maybe you were mistaken. You didn’t see it yourself, you just heard about it and you aren’t sure.’
What would you do?”
That’s what I asked him.
And that’s what I’m asking you. Would you die for a lie?
I wouldn’t.
But these men all went to their graves insisting that Jesus had died and came back again.
More than 500 check-able eye-witnesses according to verse 6! The evidence is overwhelming.
But, what if they’re lying? What if the apostles were lying?
Well, then, they aren’t worth listening to!
Why bother listening to what the apostles say if they are wrong about the most fundamental facts in their story? They can’t be trusted!
In other words, don’t read your Bible! Don’t bother! Throw it away!
If these guys can’t get their facts straight about whether or not the Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth who was crucified under the auspices of the Roman Prelate Pontius Pilate came back from the dead or not, don’t bother listening to anything else they have to say!
If your mechanic told you it was time to get new brakes, but he couldn’t figure out where the engine was in your model, you wouldn’t bother with the brake-job!
So, don’t bother reading your Bible. Don’t listen to what they say. They are no better than liars if Jesus is not alive. Either they are doddering fools or malicious deceivers–and, either way–don’t trust them. That’s what Paul is saying!
However, the opposite is also true. If Jesus IS alive, if Christ has been raised, then all the apostles are telling the truth!
And if that’s the case, you’d better listen to what they have to say. Because if they’re right about that, I think they may have a handle on the truth in other areas.
If Jesus is alive, the apostles become trustworthy. We’d better read what they have to say!
It all hinges, though, on whether or not Jesus came back from the dead.
#2. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE APOSTLES ARE DOOMED. V.16
“For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith if futile; you are still in your sins.”
Uh oh. The apostles have taught that Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification, our salvation (Romans 4:25).
But if they are wrong, then we who believed them are still sinners with no hope. We’re doomed.
Jesus’ resurrection is the completion of the promised benefits purchased in His death. And if there is no resurrection...no benefits.
Let me put it this way:
No resurrection life for Jesus, no eternal life for You and Me.
No forgiveness, no heaven, no new bodies, no eternal happiness, no joy in God’s presence, and no eternal pleasures at God’s right hand (Psalm 16:11).
Just sin and then judgment and then wrath.
If Christ Has Not Been Raised, Then Those Who Believe the Apostles’ Gospel Are Doomed.
That’s what Paul is trying to bring home in v.18.
“Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”
Those people who died believing the apostle’s story are lost. They’re just gone. There’s nothing next for them.
I think about some of the saints from this church who have died in the last decade: Marie Wertz, Marie Benton, Tiny Older, Mabel Carlson. Dempsey Kyler, Raph Johnson, George Neidrick. And many others.
If Jesus is not alive today, then those folks are lost. They died believing in the apostles’ gospel of Jesus’ resurrection. And if it was a lie, then they are already doomed...and we will be, too.
However, if Jesus is alive, then those who believe the apostles can be saved. If Jesus is resurrected, then salvation can come to those who believe.
Sins can be forgiven. Debts can be cancelled. Promises can be fulfilled. Joy in God’s presence, pleasures forevermore from God’s right hand, and eternal life are a reality for those who put their faith in the good news of the Risen Jesus.
If Jesus is alive, then Marie, and Marie, and Tiny, and Mabel and Dempsey and Raph and George have a short wait until they, too, get a resurrection body. The rest of the chapter talks about those new bodies that we have “on order.”
But if Christ has not been raised, then don’t bother!
There are some people who think that living like a Christian is the best thing to do even if it’s not all true.
I’ve heard people say, “I would still live like a Christian even if Jesus has not risen from the dead.”
But that’s not what Paul says! He says the opposite! And he was a major leader in the early church!
Here’s what Paul says:
#3. IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, THEN ALL CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE PITIED (MORE THAN ALL OTHER PEOPLE). V.19.
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
If you are banking on Jesus and there is no Jesus left, just 2000 year old rotting bones in some unknown tomb in Jerusalem, then Paul says that you should be pitied.
You’ve wasted your life.
Other people bank on things that count in this world. You’ve put all your stock in a resurrected body and a new heavens and new earth still to come. Pie in the sky!
You’re too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. You’ve wasted your life on Jesus. You’ve built your life on a lie. You should be pitied.
I was talking about this with my buddy Kipp this week.
This is what he said:
“If Christ is not risen, the birth of Christ is irrelevant.
If Christ is not risen, the example of Christ is meaningless.
If Christ is not risen, the teachings of Christ are foolish.
If Christ is not risen, the cross of Christ is pointless...
If Christ is not risen, if there is no resurrection, then ANY other religion is better than Christianity. Why? Because every other religion is based on rules, and rules work without a risen Christ. But we preach grace, and grace cannot exist without an empty tomb.
If Christ is not risen, we should all convert to Islam or Buddhism or Pastafarianism. If Christ is not risen, we should throw away every Bible, close every church, give back every tithe, and apologize daily for leading people so astray.”
That’s exactly right.
If Christ is not risen, then all Christians should be pitied more than all other men.
People should feel sorry for us.
Do you know that many people do? There are many people who call Christianity “a crutch.” Just something to prop you up. Something to make you feel a little better as you travel this ugly road called life. And they feel sorry for us that we need to make up these stories about Jesus. They feel sorry for us that we spend so much time in church and in ministry and give so much of our resources away.
“Poor religious fools.”
And they’re right....if Jesus is still dead.
But if Jesus is alive again, then we should feel pity for them!
If Jesus is alive again, then Christians should be congratulated more than all other people!
If Jesus is alive again, we have every reason to rejoice every day!
If Jesus is alive again, our faith is NOT FUTILE! It is fantastic!
It’s wonderful. It’s worth getting excited about every day. It’s worth sharing. It’s worth suffering for. It’s worth dying for. It’s not futile, it’s fantastic!
If Jesus is alive today, our faith in Him is worth building our life upon.
That’s what I was trying to get across to my hitchhiker.
And that’s what I’m bringing before you today.
I’d guess that you’re wondering how my hitchhiker story ends.
I’d like to say that he trusted Jesus Christ right there in my car and that he turned from his sin and asked me to turn him in to the police.
But that’s not what happened. I simply took him to the next exit, encouraged him to turn himself in before he gets into more trouble and to consider whether or not Jesus Christ came back from the dead.
Because if He did, it affects everything!
But the question today is not what happened to my hitchhiker, but what you are going to do with Jesus Christ.
Do you believe that He is alive today?
It makes all the difference.
If He isn’t alive today, then the apostles have been lying to you. Don’t believe a word they say.
If He isn’t alive today, then you and I stand condemned, hopeless, in our sins, lost and doomed.
If He isn’t alive today, then you and I should be pitied for wasting our short lives on Jesus. We have a futile faith.
If you take out the resurrection, there is nothing left of Christianity.
But (first part of verse 20), “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!”
He is alive! So you I can trust what the apostles have said in the Bible.
You and I can put our faith in the Resurrected Jesus and be saved from our sins.
You and I can have a fantastic, to-be-congratulated faith, worth dying for, and worth living for, and worth building our life upon. And worth sharing!
Do you believe?
I invite you to believe today and to build your life on this essential, inescapable, and glorious truth of the resurrection.
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