1 Corinthians 15:3-6a, 7-8, 12-15a, 17-20 - 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, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time ... Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me. ... Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that He raised Christ .... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Paul is aggravated. He is writing to a church where some of the people have decided that rising from the dead is just a nice fairytale, and the truth is that dead people are dead forever. There are modern people who call themselves Christian but teach the same thing. "We should try to live good lives and make this world a better place," they say. "What good does it do to believe in the resurrection?"
Paul gets rid of that nonsense very quickly. As he says, if nobody ever rises from the dead, that means Jesus Himself has not risen from the dead, either. Do you really want to go there?
Think what that would mean. Follow the trail of "ifs."
If Christ has not been raised from the dead ... then what? Then the apostles are liars and blasphemers, and all our faith is wasted. Then Christ's great sacrifice on the cross has not been accepted, and we are still stuck in our sins, unforgiven. Then every Christian who has ever died is dead forever, and all their life and work wasted, too. Then we have nothing to look forward to but a few more brief years in a world filled with evil and grief—and after that, nonexistence forever and ever.
Thank God all these "ifs" aren't true! Because Jesus has truly risen from the dead, and everyone who trusts in Him will also live forever. His work on the cross did result in our forgiveness, and as a result, we can face God with joy and not terror. And now we can get on with making this world a better place—not because we think nothing else exists, but because our effort is a way of saying "I love you" to the God who has given us so much more.
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You that I can look forward to the resurrection of the dead! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Did you know that you, too, will be resurrected some day?
2. If so, what do you know about your own future resurrection?
3. What are you looking forward to the most about your resurrection life with Christ forever?
Today's Bible Readings: Exodus 14-15 Matthew 26:36-75
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