The Centrality of Christ’s Resurrection

Please read 1 Corinthians chapter 15 – it’s the resurrection of Jesus passage of the New Testament. I submit to you that without the resurrection of Christ, we have nothing. Christianity simply does not exist without the resurrection of Jesus. I would put all my eggs in that one basket when it comes to our faith. If Jesus is not alive, we have no hope, nothing to look forward to—no heaven, no God, no eternity. Everything hinges on this fact: the resurrection is what validates and authenticates the Christian faith. Jesus was physically dead, physically rose again, and physically ascended into heaven. Everything rests on this!

Let’s begin by considering the tragic consequences if the resurrection is not a real event. We’ll be reading from verse 12.

The Tragedy if Christ Did Not Rise (1 Corinthians 15:12-18)

If there is no resurrection, several things are tragically true:

1. The Early Christians Were Liars (Verses 12-15)

1 Corinthians 15:12-15: “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.”

Paul wrote this because some in the Corinthian church contended there was no physical resurrection. The fact that it was a physical resurrection is crucial, as our future resurrection will also be physical. If Jesus didn’t rise, the apostles—Peter, Paul, James, John, Thomas—were all lying about the eyewitness accounts they shared (verses 4-8), having literally, physically, visibly, audibly, and even tactilely witnessed the resurrected Jesus. You could not believe anything the Scriptures say.

2. The Faith of Billions Is Vain (Verse 17)

1 Corinthians 15:16-17: “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Our faith is empty, worthless, and useless if Jesus is not alive. Over thousands of years, billions of Christians have believed this truth—and all would have believed in vain if the resurrection isn’t true. But we serve a living God!

3. The Debt of Our Sin Is Not Forgiven (Verse 17)

If Christ is not raised, “…ye are yet in your sins” (v. 17). That means the sin that condemns you to hell is not paid for. Your good works, being religious, or believing in other concepts like reincarnation cannot pay for it. Jesus paid the price when He died on the cross, but if He did not rise again, that debt payment is invalid. But praise God, Jesus is alive!

4. There Is No Hope Either Now or Later (Verse 18)

1 Corinthians 15:18-19: “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

If we are only hoping for a Christ who is not really alive, we are miserable. There’s no point to our lives or our humanity now or later.

Evidence of the Resurrection

Apologist Gary Habermas, whose work I’ve been studying, points out that virtually all scholars agree that 1 Corinthians 15:3 records an ancient oral tradition that reports the gospel data: Christ’s atoning death, burial, and resurrection appearances to many.

1 Corinthians 15:3: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”

The fact that the tomb was empty is verifiable! Even the Jewish leaders, the enemies of Christ, attested to the empty tomb by instructing the soldiers to lie, saying the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15). They couldn’t refute that the tomb was empty, and no one ever found the body. This enemy attestation is powerful evidence favoring the resurrected Christ.

The Amazing Truths if Christ Is Risen (And He Is!)

I suggest the resurrection is true, and because of this, several positive and amazing things occur:

1. Our Resurrection Is Possible (Verses 20-23)

1 Corinthians 15:20: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Christ is the firstfruits, meaning the first of the rest!

1 Corinthians 15:21-22: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

The first Adam messed it up for us all (Romans 5:12-17), but the second Adam, Jesus Christ, brings us back to God. Because of Him, you have a resurrection to look forward to—a new, physical body, free of sin, pain, and suffering! Our resurrection happens at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-58).

2. Our God Is Alive (Verses 24-25)

1 Corinthians 15:25: “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”

We serve a living God! While skeptics try to naturalize the resurrection, the fact remains that God is still reigning, and He will reign until all enemies are under His feet, establishing His Millennial Kingdom and the new heaven and earth.

3. Death Is Defeated (Verses 26-28)

1 Corinthians 15:26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

Death is a terrible, powerful enemy, but the resurrection is more powerful than death! Jesus “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

4. God Is All In All (Verse 28)

1 Corinthians 15:28: “…that God may be all in all.”

This means the Divine will be supreme by a universal, voluntary, glad consent. The Triune God, All-in-all, is above all, through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:6).

A Final Question for Reflection

The main idea of Christianity is the centrality of the resurrection—the fact that Jesus Christ is alive.

Is God the All-in-all in your life? Is your life revolving around Jesus Christ, or something else?

Let’s rejoice in the resurrected Christ and practice making Him the center of our life each day. Look to Him, pray to Him, depend on Him, and keep seeking Him with all your heart!