This past week I have been pondering extensively over the fact: What if the resurrection isn’t true? This weeks sermon passage was 1 Corinthians 15:12-34. I have heard the sermons at church over the last couple weeks on the subject of the resurrection, had numerous conversations with friends on the subject and even pondered death itself. One of my friends had to deal with the loss of her grandma this last week. It was painful to see from afar. She missed her grandma and wanted her back.
So if this life is all there is and there is no “resurrection of the dead” as we have been pondering, than I have to say this life seems pretty disappointing. Yes, I enjoy my life. But if there is nothing at the end that I have to look forward to, than I feel like I have been sold a bill of goods that I would like a refund for.
My friends’ grandma was a believer in Christ and so is my friend. My friend hopes to one day be able to see her grandma again in heaven. But if there is no resurrection of the dead than there is no life after death. Death is all there is. Death has won. Christ was not victorious over death and is not currently victorious over Satan in any battle. If Christ never rose from the dead like He said he would can we really believe anything He ever said was true?
This is Paul’s point to those in Corinth. “If there is no resurrection of the dead, than not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (v.13-14). VERY BOLD WORDS PAUL. Our preaching–everything we have taught or been taught is crap if there is no resurrection of the dead. Our faith–everything we believe in and have based our life upon is worthless.
Paul goes further….”More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead” (v.15). He basically calls us liars. He also says in verse 17 that if resurrection is not possible than we are still stuck in our sins. No salvation. No cure. Depressing stuff.
So is there hope? Yes. In verses 20-28 Paul makes his case for hope. He implores those in Corinth (and us) to see that the resurrection is true. That there is reason for hope. That our preaching and faith has value. That Christ has defeated death. That life is worth living now and it will get better. Please read it for yourself. I pray that those words come alive for you.
Ultimately my hope is that in this life we can know that death is not the end.
Going Deeper 