Dear Reader,

It should be immediately realized that a Christ who died and then remained dead would achieve nothing for our salvation. The Apostle Paul makes that clear in 1 Corinthians 15:17, where he argues, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile [or “useless”] and you are still in your sins.”  In other words, if Christ is still dead and we remain in our sins, we are not saved.

According to Paul, if resurrection is taken away, we have no salvation. Certainly, without the death of Christ, there is no salvation, but then neither is there any salvation without resurrection.  Our salvation consists of the whole gospel, not just part of it. And what is the gospel in a nutshell? It is this: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” 1 Cor 15: 3-4.  It is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the summary of the gospel that Paul gives us in 1 Cor 15:3-4, we see the relationship between salvation and resurrection. Salvation on its negative side is salvation from sin.

Sin affects our standing before God. It renders us guilty, liable to God’s just judgment and condemnation. Sin leaves the sinner both inexcusably guilty and helplessly enslaved.

And wonderfully, Christ came into the world through the virgin birth to change that helpless and miserable sin condition that every human being fell into. And it was by both His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead that He changed it for us.

It was to that effect that the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 6:33, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And in the words of Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”  Paul shows us that the gift of eternal life and the victory of the children of God over sin and over all the accusations of Satan against them were the result of Christ’s death and resurrection. That of course makes the resurrection of Christ the crowning evidence of the completeness of our salvation and the cornerstone of Christianity.

As we prepare to celebrate Easter, there is one important question that we always need to ask: If Christ is dead and there is no resurrection from the dead, then what is the implication of that? Why is resurrection so important to Christianity?

In Paul’s time, there were false teachers who were arguing that the resurrection as a historical event is not necessary for a meaningful Christian faith and life. They were saying that because they did not believe in Christ’s resurrection. Paul had a different view. He boldly exposed the falsehood of the teachers in his time who denied Christ’s resurrection by bringing the following truth to mind in 1 Cor 15:

–          If Christ was not raised from the dead, then, our faith is useless

–          If Christ was not raised from the dead, then, we are still in our sins

–          If Christ was not raised from the dead, then, our preaching is in vain

–          If Christ was not raised from the dead, then, the dead will not be raised

In 1 Cor 15, Paul does two things. First, he gives us a detailed argument for Christ’s resurrection based on the fulfillment of the Scripture and eyewitness testimonies.

Second, he talks about what the consequences would be if Christ was not raised from the dead, as listed above, and he masterfully declares in the name of the risen Christ that the resurrection is a true historical fact without which there is no salvation and upon which believers can bank for salvation and hope for the future—life beyond the grave.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He  has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable , undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” 1 Peter 1: 3-5.

Happy Easter! I hope to see you all at the Easter breakfast and at the worship of the Risen Lord!

In Christ,

Pastor Zaki