The Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus part 5

We come to the reason why Paul is writing about the resurrection of Jesus. He leaves the big issue till the end of his letter. The Corinthians had begun to reject the application of the resurrection of Jesus. They were preaching that the Church would not be raised from the dead. Paul is aghast! He then presents what is the most powerful arguments for the centrality of Christ’s resurrection to the Christian faith.

“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ 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. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15 v 12-19)

Ever played Jenga? I’m sure you have. Jenga comes from the Swahili word to build or construct. Each player takes a wooden tile from the tower as gently as possible without letting it collapse. Paul builds a logical reasoning for the resurrection which is still true today.

• If there is no resurrection for us then Christ has not been raised.
• If Christ has not been raised then the entire Christian faith like Jenga, collapses. This game is over.
• You cannot have one or the other.
• If Christ is still dead then all our preaching is a nonsense.
• If Christ is still dead then every believer who has died is also just dead. They have gone forever.
• If there is no resurrection then all our beliefs as Christians and all our experiences of God are simply a lie.
• If that is the case then the 2.4 billion Christians today are still unforgiven and more than that, they have wasted and are wasting their entire lives on the greatest delusion the world has ever known.
• If the body of Jesus had been found in Jerusalem or some other place in the region at any point then the stack of cards come crashing down. The gospel cannot survive the dead body of Jesus being found.
• Our daily approach in life, to suffering and to death is a reality not a doctrine to defend. Remove the resurrection or its application or any part of it and the love, faith and hope that is our hearts as a living reality is utterly worthless.

This is Paul’s powerful logic for the resurrection of Jesus. The reality of which everything and everyone is transformed by that one event.