I don’t know if it was that they considered themselves realists or what . . . but why would someone who was saved into an “evangelical church” spread the idea that there is no resurrection from the dead? What’s to be gained by such a “non doctrine?” But that’s exactly what was happening in the Corinth church. Established by the gospel preaching of Paul . . . built on the foundation of the teaching of Apollos, “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24), there were some in the Corinth body of believers who were developing an opinion that this is it . . . 70 years or so under the sun, and then you’re done. I don’t know what seeded such a thought . . . but the apostle Paul was not prepared to let it take root . . . the implications were too great . . . the potential damage too devastating to let such an idea gain momentum . . .

“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. . . . For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. . . . If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1Corinthian 15:13-19 ESV)

The argument’s pretty simple. The cause and effect . . . or, as the case may be, non-cause and therefore non-effect, isn’t hard to connect. If there’s no resurrection from the dead, then Christ has gone the way of the dust of the earth . . . and if Christ is not raised, then gospel preaching is vanity . . . there’s nothing to believe in . . . the faith is devoid of any truth, or power, or life changing effect . . . sins stain still abides within the soul and forever corrupts the creation . . . and hope? . . . what hope?

“But,” says Paul, “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (15:20) Yes, “In fact!”

Fact . . . Christ died for our sins just as it was written in the Scriptures. Fact . . . Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb with a large stone rolled in front of it and a guard placed around it. Fact . . . the tomb was empty on the third day, Jesus had been raised from the dead . . . in accordance with the Scriptures. The ladies who went to the tomb that glorious morning saw it empty . . . the disciples saw it empty . . . the guard knew it was empty. Fact . . . Jesus appeared . . . to Cephas . . . and to the twelve disciples . . . and to a crowd of 500 . . . to James . . . to all the apostles. Not appeared as in “they felt His presence” . . . but appeared as in “put your finger here, and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it in my side” (John 20:27). Appeared as in “let’s do breakfast together” . . . Jesus frying up some fish at the seaside, inviting the disciples to eat with Him (John 21:4-14) . . . appeared as in “let’s walk and talk along this road to Emmaus, and then break bread that you might know me and believe” (Luke 24:13-35).

Those are the facts . . . the facts of life . . . the facts of forever life . . . Christ is risen!

Christ is risen and so the gospel is not vanity, but is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. Christ is risen and so our faith is not futile, but is grounded in truth and power and is bearing fruit that will last literally forever. Christ is risen and so I am no longer a slave to sin . . . the price has been paid by the blood of Christ and the bondage of sin and death destroyed by the power of His resurrected life. Christ is risen and so my hope extends so far beyond this life and this world.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And because He lives, so shall I. And that’s a fact!

To God be the glory!