Risen and Others Could Tell You About It

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul talks about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This might be the most important chapter in the entire New Testament as the resurrection is the most important event in history. The entire Christian faith rises and falls on the resurrection. Do you believe in the resurrection? For some it’s difficult to believe because they weren’t there. “Seeing is believing” as some would say. Though we didn’t see the resurrected Jesus, we can still believe. One of the unique things about Christianity and the resurrection is that there were so many witnesses. Have you ever been in the grocery store and saw on a tabloid that Elvis and JFK had been seen on the beach in California? You don’t believe that because you know; well, you know that’s not possible, but you also know there are no witnesses to this…just a doctored, grainy photo. But read what Paul writes: 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

 Jesus was on the earth after His resurrection for a period of 40 days. He was seen by many people, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians, which was no later than 55 A.D. So, there were many people who saw Jesus and most of them were still alive at the writing of 1 Corinthians. This is unlike any other religious tradition. Most of the texts of these faiths were written hundreds of years after the death of the figure they write about…Mohammed and Buddha are examples. There’s no way that Paul made this up. A lie such as a resurrection would be easily disproved…just show the body. There’s no way to believe that hundreds of people would agree to lie about seeing a body they really never saw. We’re going to spend a little time in this chapter because it’s so important but first, you can be confident that Jesus truly was resurrected. And if that happened, then is there any reason you wouldn’t want to follow whatever else Jesus said He could do, or do for you?