Does the Resurrection Matter? (Part 2)

Without the resurrection not only our lives and our faith, but the lives and faith of every Christian believer since the Apostles have been based on a lie. Not only that, but if Jesus did not raise from the dead then we, believers in Jesus Christ, have no hope beyond this life. This is it. This is all there is. 1 Corinthians 15:16-19 says,

[16] For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

There are three significant statements in this these four verses. The last of the statements, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” I wrote about in a previous post. Everything we have done for Christ has been based on a lie. We have sacrificed, served, worshiped, and given all for nothing. The other two statements are just as significant.

First, “You are still in your sins.” We preach that Jesus died for our sins, and that is so. But if he died without rising from the dead then we serve a dead God who cannot forgive sins. The death without the resurrection becomes meaningless. Romans 1:4 says that Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.” In Romans 4:3 Paul reminds us that Genesis 15:6 says that Abraham’s faith was counted to him for righteousness. Then he says in Romans 4:24-25, that this wasn’t recorded just for Abraham’s sake, “but for ours also. It will be counted to us [that is, our faith will be counted to us as righteousness] who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” As many have said before me, the resurrection demonstrates that Jesus' death is sufficient to save his people from their sins. It shows that God’s justice was satisfied. Without the resurrection we are still in our sins; there is no forgiveness.

The last statement in this First Corinthians text says not only that without the resurrection we have given our lives to a lie and we are still in our sins, but that “those who have fallen asleep have perished.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says, “that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” One Atheist said, “When I’m dead, I’m dead. If I find out that there is life after death I’ll be really surprised.” I think he’s going to be really surprised, but not in a good way. For believers we do not say “Goodbye” to our loved ones who pass, but “See you later.” We have hope beyond this life.

Back around 1989 my hands started hurting so much that just a slight bump would crumple me on the floor in pain. I went to the Doctor who said that it might be bone cancer. I had a friend with bone cancer and I knew the pain he lived with. I have to tell you that I didn’t sleep that night. The doctor later told me that it wasn’t cancer, just bone cysts that would probably go away, and thankfully they did. But I didn’t sleep well waiting for a diagnosis. Reflecting on that night, what I found interesting was that I wasn’t afraid of dying. I was okay with that. I was afraid of two things. First, I feared for my family, leaving my family without any means of financial support and without a husband and father. Second, I feared the possibility of facing a long and painful death. I feared the process of death, but death itself held no threat.

As believers we anticipate that day when life will be what it was intended to be. It will be life in perfect communion with God and with each other. It will be a life in which we perfectly fulfill our purpose in being. I remember as a child being told that Heaven was gold paved streets; that we would be standing on the gold paved streets singing forever. Somehow that didn’t sound particularly exciting to me. I didn’t really like to sing, and thinking of an eternal songfest just didn’t appeal to me. When I voiced that to my grandmother her answer was, “When you get there, you’ll really like it.” Hmm, somehow that didn’t help. But when I read Revelation 21, I got excited about Heaven. I get excited about a new creation in which we live in perfect fulfillment of our purpose as those created in the image of God. I get excited about living in a new heavens and new earth where I get to bring in the fruits of my labor in worship. I get excited about living with no pain, no conflict, and where the earth responds to my care rather than overwhelming my garden with weeds and pests. The older I get, the more I look forward to that day. And the more friends and family I have in Heaven, the more I anticipate that reunion not only with Jesus, but with my friends and family as well.

Without the resurrection, not only are our lives and our faith based on a lie, but if Jesus did not raise from the dead then we have no hope beyond this life. This is it. This is all there is. But thankfully, the resurrection is not a lie. It is a well established and documented truth upon which we build our faith. He is risen!