January 25, 2015 ~ 1Corinthians 15:12-28, “If Christ Didn’t Rise, We Are Dead in Our Sins.”

Last week we looked at the testimony of witnesses of Christ’s resurrection; and because Christ was raised, so we also can expect to be raised with Him. But, if there was no resurrection, we are wasting our time with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Verses 12-15... In verse 12 the construction of the sentence is such that, it is making the point that Jesus has indeed been raised, and He being a Son of Man; therefore, the resurrection of the Son’s (and daughters) of men, i.e., humans, is most certainly possible.

Remember, when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His crucifixion (Luke 24:39-43), He made a point of having them touch Him, saying He was not just a spirit, but that He had flesh and bones, and in fact asked them for something to eat and He ate it in their presence.

Peter’s message at Pentecost (Acts 2:22-23) makes it very clear that Jesus was a “man,” and that He was put to death; Peter also proclaims (Acts 2:32) the resurrection of this Jesus was evidenced by the witness of many.

At the beginning of great book of Romans, Paul makes it very clear concerning the humanity and divinity, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-4).

The apostle John also made clear the humanity, divinity, death, and resurrection of Christ.

2John 7, “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

Revelation 1:8, ”I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 17b-18, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Jesus conquered sin, death, judgement, and hell; this could not have been done apart from the resurrection! And so, to preach a Christ who is still in the grave, would be to present an gospel without salvation, for there would be no hope of forgiveness for sins, and no hope for eternal life. Christianity would be impotent, a sham.

Verses 16-19... If Jesus didn’t rise from the grave, neither will any of us, and not only that, but what about the long history of those who have trusted in Christ, the Hall of Heroes (Hebrews 11)?

If no resurrection, we have all believed in vain, in fact all those who lived for Christ throughout the ages, did so for nothing. And we have no reason to come together, to study the Bible, to pray, to worship, to serve the Lord, to encourage one another, or to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who will listen.

But, that is not the case: Jesus is indeed alive, and He has provided both forgiveness for sins and eternal life, for He is (John 14:6), “The way and the truth and the life,” and the only way to become acceptable to a Holy God, and the only way to get into heaven, is by believing in and confessing Jesus as Lord & Savior.

Verses 20-23... Christ is the “first” fruits of those who have died - meaning, there will be more “fruit” after Him; just as He was raised, so we, and all those who believed in Him, will also be raised to new life.

Notice in verse 22, through Adam death came to all of humankind, because of sin; but through Christ life comes to all who believe (Romans 5:12), “sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men.”

Romans 5:17-19, “by the trespass [sin] of the one man [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. The result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Spiritual life is granted by Christ (John 11:25-26), "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Christ was raised first, then all those who belong to Him will be raised. When will that happen?

First, the resurrection of the Church, Pre-Tribulation:

1Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Second, the resurrection of Tribulation saints:

Revelation 20:4, “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

OT saints are also resurrected Post-Tribulation:

Daniel 12:1-2, "There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Verses 24-28... Christ will deliver the world back to God the way it was intended to be, after every enemy of God is conquered and abolished; not until after the Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom, and the White Throne Judgement.

There is also to be a resurrection of the unbelieving, the unrighteous, those who are not saved through Christ.

Revelation 20:7-15 tells us that after the Tribulation Period and the Millennial Kingdom there is a last rebellion, at which time the devil is cast into the lake of fire, after which all those who rejected God will be cast into hell.

Revelation 21:8 tells us, “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

The final enemy of God and man is death (Hebrews 9:27), but death, along with everything that displeases of opposes God, will be abolished; for through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all dominion, authority and power is conquered by and subjected to God, in order that "God [the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit] may be everything to every one,” finally revealing the mystery of the Trinity of God (Ephesians 4:6), “who is over all and through all and in all.”