And if Christ be not risen…..

The whole of Christianity hinges on the singular fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. If Christ is not risen from the dead, then it is all a house of cards that will come tumbling down. Through the centuries skeptics have sought to debunk, disprove, and ridicule Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Even in Paul’s day there were skeptics who mocked the resurrection of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 he says, “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not it risen. 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. 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. Then they which are also fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” He goes on to say, that if Christ hasn’t been raised then we won’t rise from the dead therefore, “let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32). Paul is saying that if Christ is not raised from the dead then we should be the most miserable people on the planet because we are living a lie.

The singular fact still remains that Christ indeed HAS RISEN from the dead, with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2), and therefore we ought to be the most overjoyed people on the planet. Resurrection Sunday should always be a high water mark for the Church each year. We are reminded on that sacred day our Savior has overcome sin, death, and the world by rising from the dead. And because He was raised from the dead we who have believed shall be raised with Him! Our joy should be unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). The expression of our triumphant worship regarding Christ being raised from the dead should cause us to be undone. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead produces a clarity that brings all things into focus. It is the resurrection that validates all that Christ did while He was on the earth. Everything He taught, the miracles He performed, the sermons He gave, the righteous life He lived, are all vindicated by His rising from the dead. Let us rise together as the Church Triumphant and herald our risen Savior. Let us hold forth this most glorious of truths in our Gospel witness. Let us live out the resurrection of Christ by living in resurrection power. Rise up, because He did!

Serving the King Together,

Eric