HE LIVES
I CORINTHIANS 15:1-8
Introduction:
The most joyous occasion in the Scriptures is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without His resurrection we would not have any hope. No wonder when His disciples saw Him after His resurrection there was great joy.
However, there are those who do not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. Many of the religious crowd of the Lord’s day did not believe in the resurrection of the dead even though the Scriptures taught it. We have some today that not only doubt the resurrection, but also that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. For these there is little hope.
I. SOME SAY THERE IS NO RESURRECTION
1 Corinthians 15:12, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
A. If Christ is not risen, then your faith is vain, v. 17, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
1. All of our preaching is vain, v. 14, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
2. If Christ is not risen we have no salvation, Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
B. All of those who have died as Christians are perished, 1 Corinthians 15:18, “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”
C. We are without hope, 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
II. CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD
A. The Witnesses are many.
1. Peter saw the Lord as did the all of the Apostles, v. 5, “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:”
a. The Apostles needed some convincing, Luke 24:36-43.
1) They were terrified, v. 37, “But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.”
2) They needed evidence, v. 39, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.”
3) They still needed more evidence, vs. 41-43, “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.”
b. Thomas was not there the first time the Lord appeared, John 20:27-28, “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28-And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
2. More than 500 brethren saw Jesus after His resurrection, v. 6, “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
3. James, the half brother of Jesus saw Him, v. 7, “After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.”
B. The Effects of the Resurrection.
1. A Great Joy, John 16:22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
2. A Great hope, 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
a. Those who first hoped in Christ, Ephesians 1:12, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted [hoped] in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
b. Those who were persuaded, 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
3. A Great Expectation, the redemption of our body, Romans 8:19-23.
a. Waiting for the coming of the Lord, v. 19, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:7, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
b. We shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, vs. 21-22, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
c. We look forward to appearing with Him in Glory, v. 23, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
CONCLUSION
Jesus is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father. The Apostle Paul writes, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1). Our expectation is the Second Coming of our Lord who is alive and the God of the living, “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.” (Mark 12:27a).