The Power of Resurrection

Introduction
● One of the central teachings of the Christian faith is that the dead
shall one day rise again.
● This rising from the dead is called “resurrection.”
● The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was raised from
the dead--in other words, resurrected--after dying for our sins.
● The Bible also teaches that all of us shall one day be raised bodily
from the grave. This will take place when Jesus comes back to the
earth.
● Each person’s body will be raised (the bodies of Christians first, later
those of lost people), restored, reunited with his soul, and will live
forever.
● Those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior will live forever in
that inexpressibly sad place of separation called hell--but those who,
in this life, repented of their sins and, in faith, surrendered their lives
to Jesus will live forever in heaven.

● Now, apparently some of the folks at Corinth had raised questions

about this teaching. Some of them didn’t believe it, and still others
didn’t feel like it was all that important whether one believed it or not.
● Thus, in answer to their questions and doubts, Paul--under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit--penned this great 15th chapter of 1
Corinthians. Contained in it are some of the clearest teachings in all
the bible concerning the truth of the resurrection, and its importance.
● Paul points out that if the doctrine of the resurrection is not true, then
all Christians are in a pitifully deluded condition.
● In 1 Cor. 15:19 he says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we
are of all men most miserable.”
● Obviously, then, the doctrine of the resurrection is of crucial
importance. Indeed, it is the centerpiece of the Christian faith, upon
which all else stands or falls. Why so?
I. JESUS’ CHARACTER AND THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION

● For one thing, THE CHARACTER OF JESUS DEPENDS UPON THE

TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION.
● The central theme of Paul’s preaching, and the preaching of the other
apostles, was the resurrection. They proclaimed that Christ’s
resurrection proved his divine identity.
● For example, in Romans 1:4 Paul wrote “and who through the Spirit
of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his
resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”
● 1 Corinthians 15:13 says, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead,
then is Christ not risen.”
● “If physical resurrection is an impossibility,” says Paul, “then Jesus
wasn’t resurrected”--and if Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, then
he isn’t what he claimed to be.
● Throughout his earthly ministry JESUS PREDICTED HIS
RESURRECTION.
● John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty
and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in
three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.”
● Matthew 12:39-40 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be
given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”--in other words,
in the grave. His clear point was that after those three days and
nights he would not REMAIN in the grave.
● Matthew 17:22-23 “And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto
them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And
they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again....”
● The enemies of Jesus were very much aware of his having made
those predictions-- and, following his crucifixion, they said to Pilate, in
Matthew 27:63, “...Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he
was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”
 ● It was in no uncertain terms that Jesus stated that he would be raised
from the dead.
● Thus, his integrity, his character, his very claim to be God’s Son,
were all dependent upon his being raised from the dead.
● If he had NOT been raised on the third day, he would automatically
have been proven a fraud, or at best a sincere but deluded man.

II. OUR SALVATION AND THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION

● That being the case, it automatically follows, then, that OUR
SALVATION DEPENDS UPON THE TRUTH OF THE
RESURRECTION.
● In verses 1-4 Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel message,
which they had believed and by which they were saved--and verses
3-4 make it clear that the resurrection was a vital part of that saving
gospel.
● In those two verses Paul said: “For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day....”
● In verses 14-15 he wrote: “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.”
● I’ll tell you how important the resurrection is to me. if there were not
clear evidences that Jesus rose from the grave, and if I did not
believe that he did, I would never preach again--because I would
have no message.
● If Jesus had not been raised on the third day, you and I who are
believers would be in a pathetic condition, because we would be
basing our lives here and hereafter on a myth, on a delusion.
● Paul reiterated his point in verses 16-17, part of which I read a few
moments ago: “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.”
 ● It follows, then, that unless a person believes in the resurrection of
Jesus he cannot be saved.
● Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
be saved.”
● The unmistakably clear meaning is this: in order to receive God’s gift
of salvation, we must not only believe that Jesus shed his blood for
our sins on Calvary’s cross; we must also believe that he rose again
and lives today.
● In other words, to be saved we must believe ALL of the gospel--and
the resurrection is a vital part of that gospel.

III. VICTORY OVER DEATH AND THE TRUTH OF THE

RESURRECTION
● In that same connection, there is also another vital reason that the
resurrection is of supreme importance: THE BELIEVER’S VICTORY
IN DEATH DEPENDS ON THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION.
● If the resurrection were not a fact, not only would Christ’s character
be besmirched, and not only would our salvation be invalid, but, Paul
says in verse 18, “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished.”
● Were it not for the resurrection, death would be a terrifying
experience. It would be a blind alley--the final chapter--a fearful step
into darkness and oblivion.
● But because Jesus rose again, so shall his followers.
● Indeed, as emphasized earlier, ALL people will rise again when Jesus
returns.
● Their bodies will be made whole, reunited with their souls, and from
that point on the whole person--body and soul--will spend eternity in
that place of final abode to which the soul went at the very instant of
death.
● The lost will go away into everlasting punishment, but the saved will
be ushered into the presence of God, to be with him forever in
heaven.
 ● In verse 20 Paul says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the
dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
● We learn from Leviticus 23:10 that in Old Testament days when a
grain crop had ripened, the farmer would bring the very first sheaf of
grain as an offering to the Lord--and that sheaf was called the
“firstfruits.” It was a symbol and proof of the harvest to come.
● In like manner, Christ’s resurrection was not only the first of its kind,
but also God’s assurance of many more to follow--in other words,
God’s assurance that Christ’s followers would also be raised.
● Thus, death holds no terror for a Christian. In verses 55-57 Paul says,
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to
God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
● The law of God makes us conscious of our sins; and it is sin that
makes people fear death--in other words, sin gives death its “sting.”
“But,” says Paul, “through Jesus the sting of death is extracted.”
● Jesus, by his shed blood and by his resurrection, has delivered us
from sin’s dominion and condemnation, so that in the ultimate sense
death for the Christian is victory.
● Although a believer is saddened at the thought of temporary
separation from his loved ones, death has no sting for him, because
for him death is but the dusky gateway into a place more wonderful
than anything this earth can afford.
● No wonder the writer of Revelation 14:13 said, “...Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord....”

IV. MOTIVATION FOR RIGHT LIVING AND THE TRUTH OF THE

RESURRECTION
● One other thing needs to be said regarding the tremendous
importance of the resurrection: OUR MOTIVATION AND POWER
FOR RIGHT LIVING DEPENDS ON THE RESURRECTION.
● In verses 32-33 Paul wrote, “If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no
more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not
raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”Do not be misled:
“Bad company corrupts good character.”
● Paul was saying that your beliefs determine how you live. He was
saying that if Christ had not risen from the dead we would therefore
have no hope of life after death, and thus would be tempted just to
“pull out all the stops” and “live it up” in the here and now.
● You check it out for yourself. Look around. In some cases, simply
look within. People who mistakenly think that this life is all there is
aren’t likely to be all that concerned about walking the straight and
narrow. They’re not likely to be striving to guard their tongue, or to
follow a strict, clean moral code, or to be faithful in church. Their
attitude is pretty much that of the old beer commercial, “You only go
around once, so grab all the gusto you can”--and hang the
consequences! What a fearful awakening such folks are going to
have at the judgement bar of God!--but, tragically, it will be too late
then.
● But, on the other hand, right convictions about spiritual realities lead
to right living. When a person has committed his life to the crucified,
risen Christ, he not only has the motivation for clean, honorable living,
but through the living Lord he also has access to the power for right
living. In Philippians 3:10 the apostle Paul expressed the deepest
longing of his heart when he said, “That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection....”
● Paul had already been saved, but he yearned to know Christ even
better--and he wanted to experience in his life even more of God’s
resurrection power--and that same power is also available to you and
me, once we repent of our sins and in faith yield our lives to Christ.
● Think of it! The same supernatural power that raised the dead body of
Jesus from the grave is available to you and me, those of us who are
born again, to help us overcome temptation and to meet the
challenges of everyday life.
● But it doesn’t flow into our lives automatically--we can only
experience it as we meet God’s conditions. What are those
conditions? He requires that we discipline ourselves to read his Word,
and pray, and reassert our allegiance to his lordship on a daily basis.
 ● In other words, we must do our part--and then we can be sure that
God will do his part. James 4:7 puts it like this: “Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

CONCLUSION
● Romans 5:10 says, “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.”
● Our sin debt was paid by Jesus on the cross, and now because he
didn’t remain in the grave but rather is alive he will save us--that is,
deliver us--from those snares that Satan places in our path.

The song writer said it like this:

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

God sent His Son - they called Him Jesus,

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory - and I'll know He lives.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

● Are you linked up with the living Christ? There’s only one way to get
linked up with him, and that is by repenting of your sins and making
an all-out, nothing-held-back surrender of your life to him. If you’re
already a Christian, this would be a great time to ask his forgiveness
for your wandering and disobedience, and to rededicate your life to
him.
● Jesus didn’t rot away in that tomb. Jesus arose--and he is alive today,
waiting for you and me to respond to him--some in that initial act of
repentance and faith, to be born again, and others of us, already
believers, that he might move us forward in our spiritual growth and
effectiveness.