The resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus is one of the key foundations of the Gospel; without

it, salvation becomes very vague, and we have to ask what the point of Jesus' visit was if he just lived and died like the rest of us. 

Today, if you were to talk to people on the street about Jesus being raised from the dead, what answers do you think you would be likely to get?

Perhaps some would say yes, they believed he was raised, others might say he cheated death in Jerusalem, was not really dead on the cross, and thus faked a resurrection, then went elsewhere where He died at a later time. 

Some might say that the disciples swiped the body and buried it elsewhere.

Some may say that Jesus never lived and that his story is all a myth. Or perhaps others would say they have other beliefs, and they don’t even think about Jesus’ resurrection at all.

In early Christian times, it seems that the reality of Jesus’ resurrection was a stumbling block for some, and why not? Jesus’ resurrection turned the world upside down. Death was the end as people understood it, and Jesus had beaten death and been raised and promised the same for those who follow Him. That is quite a claim. Let’s see what the scriptures have to say. We have accounts of the resurrection in all 4 Gospels, but I would like to focus on what Paul has to say about it.  

The resurrection was prophetically predicted

In 1Corinthians 15, Paul talks about resurrection. Christ’s resurrection and our coming resurrection. In verses 3 and 4, Paul makes the point that Jesus died and was resurrected according to the Scriptures. In other words, Paul is pointing to the prophetic plan of God that is evident in the Old Testament, being fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul is a firm believer in the resurrection and sees that it was not an accident or hidden event but foretold in the Old Testament, and was always in plain sight. 

In verses 12-17 argues against those who say there is no resurrection. 

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 

Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 1Cor. 15:12-17

Paul is astounded that there are some believers in Corinth who say that there is no resurrection from the dead. Paul sees the resurrection of Jesus and our promised resurrection on the last day as going hand in hand. If Christ is raised, then we will be raised, if Christ is not raised, then we are dead in our sins.

The promise of our resurrection

The promise of our resurrection is clearly spelled out for us in John 6:40

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

Later in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul details what our resurrection will look like, but we will touch on that later.  

Paul says, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. “

This statement has far-reaching implications. If Christ has not been raised …. 

To understand this statement, we need to do some Bible exploring. 

Back to the garden we go!

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam a specific warning about a certain tree.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

To say that Adam was told and Eve was unaware cannot be argued, because in Genesis 3:2-3, the serpent asks Eve about what trees she can eat from in the garden; her reply shows that she knew perfectly well that she should eat from the tree, and to do so would result in death.

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:2-3

We know that to disobey God, by eating the fruit of this tree was a sinful act, and these verses link sin and death, … “ for in the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die.”

So death arrived because of sin, and it infected Adam, Eve, and all their descendants. 

Only sinners die!

Death only has power over those who sin, so all of the descendants of Adam and Eve were affected by death. Paul says in Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death. In other words, everyone who sins dies. If Christ has not been raised from death, the implication is that Christ must have sinned, and death had the right to claim him. However, the scriptures are very clear: Jesus was sinless. 

Which one of you convicts Me of sin? … John 8:46

Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” Luke 23:4

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

I cover Jesus' innocence in greater detail in a video you can find here. https://youtu.be/DSbnHOd4Q94

Jesus, being innocent of any sin, means that death had no right to hold him. Jesus death on the cross paid the price for our sin, His blood was shed for us, and His resurrection is the realisation of His promise to us. We will be raised like he was raised, because our sins are forgiven and death has no claim on us anymore.

How the final judgement works. 

We die because of our sins. There will come a time when we will be raised, and the books will be opened. (… it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27 ) 

The opening of the books is the place where Jesus sorts out the sheep from the goats, the tares from the wheat, the forgiven from the unforgiven. 

The forgiven will have eternal life with Jesus, and the unforgiven will go into the lake of fire as described in Revelation 20. Death will have to give up its claim on everyone who is without sin, whose name is written in the book of life, but those whose sins are not forgiven will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-14

As each person’s name is read out of the book of life, Death’s claim over them is denied. The forgiven, those without sin, because their sins are forgiven, will pass into God’s eternal Kingdom and the unforgiven, and Satan and his followers, are sent to the second death, the lake of fire. With justice served and the forgiven granted eternal life, death becomes irrelevant, so it too is disposed of in the lake of fire, never to rise again. 

So the resurrection of Jesus is important. Forgiveness of sin and our resurrection to eternal life go hand in hand. 

We will be changed!

Paul goes on to say that when the last trumpet sounds, those who belong to Christ will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. What has been made of perishable material will be clothed in imperishable. We will be changed.

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Sin will be fully dealt with, and death will be gone. Our salvation is eternal; we will never again see the likes of sin and death! 

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 

O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 

but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

O death, where is thy sting?

As for me, I am a firm believer in Jesus’ resurrection and my coming resurrection. I know I am going to be with Jesus forever.

How about you?