I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, GNT

This week, I get the privilege of touring with Mile High Academy’s music ensembles in South Dakota.  I’m actually finishing up this post between visits to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Although the weather today isn’t lending itself to the full effect of these grand monuments, it’s still inspiring to see the lengths to which we’ll go to ensure that legacies live on, and it makes me wonder:  What kinds of things do you want to pass on to future generations? Maybe your mind goes to material possessions, personal traits, or a quality of living you’ve worked hard to secure.  Whatever it is, they’re likely things that are of great value to you and will be of great value to those you love. In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul describes something of “greatest importance” that he wanted to pass on (1 Cor. 15:3).  But for Paul, it wasn’t a material treasure or personal quality. The most precious legacy he could leave was the story of Christ’s death, burial, and especially His resurrection. Though we’re already a few days past celebrating Resurrection Sunday, it’s still worthwhile to reflect on the supreme importance of the resurrection of Jesus. 

FULL FAITH

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17, NIV

As Paul imagines a world without the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, he concludes that our faith would be “futile.” The term here points to something that is without purpose or profit because it’s without basis.  Apart from the resurrection of Christ, our faith would be groundless, unreal, and empty of meaning.  The story of Jesus’ death and burial alone would be a heart-touching story, but its impact on our own story would be wanting.  Sin would still be our defining reality — defining our identity and our destiny.

But thankfully, that is NOT the world we live in!  Jesus Christ is not only the one who died for us but has also been raised to life for us!  

The empty tomb gives tangible evidence that God’s promises have truly been brought to the full.  

All that Jesus declared to be “finished” on the cross (Jn. 19:30) has in fact been completed and brought to the full.  Sin and all its curses — including death itself — has been overcome.  We are no longer in our sins but can instead walk in newness of life because Jesus has been raised from the dead (Rom. 6:4).  Our faith in God most definitely has solid ground.  We have a full faith, not an empty one, because the crucified Christ is also our risen Lord.

FUTURE HOPE

But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 1 Corinthians 15:20, GNT

The resurrection of Jesus not only gives us a faith that is full but also a future that is full of hope.  Because Jesus could not be held in the grave, death no longer has the final say in our lives.  It’s true that 10 out of 10 people die, but just because death is a universal experience doesn’t mean it has to be our final one.  Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that death is merely a temporary sleep we can be awakened from!  Furthermore, the risen Lord is also the soon-coming Savior.  And when He returns in glory, all that is “corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”  

In the same way that Jesus’ resurrection allows us to walk in newness of life today, it guarantees that we will walk in newness of life in glory for all eternity!  

Friends, no matter how dark or full of despair our days may feel, especially when we walk through the valley of death’s shadow, we know that light is just around the corner.  Jesus’ resurrection reminds us that death has lost its sting (1 Cor. 15:55) because He has assured us of a beautiful future beyond it.

PRESENT PURPOSE

Paul might have finished his resurrection treatise with that hopeful climax, but instead he wraps up the weightiness of Jesus’ resurrection with this appeal:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV

For Paul, the fact that Jesus has overcome the grave and fills our future with hope calls for a response of  investing our present life in ministry, all-in and all-out ministry.  This is coming from one who met intense difficulty and outward resistance in gospel work, even the disheartening departure of former partners in ministry that could have cast doubt on his own sense of calling.  

But for Paul, the resurrection of Jesus has overcome all the barriers and hardships that may be encountered in the work of the Lord.

Earlier this morning, I read Psalm 114 in which the psalmist portrays the Exodus event and Israel’s miraculous deliverance from bondage as something all creation responds to.  When God demonstrated His power and presence in that moment of Israel’s history, the seas, rivers, mountains, and hills trembled and backed off (Ps. 114:2).  In the conclusion of 1 Corinthians 15, it’s as if Paul is presenting Jesus’ resurrection as the new exodus event, the display of God’s power and presence that overcomes all enemies and causes all barriers in the human experience to back off.  When we live in the reality of the risen Lord, there is no hardship or difficulty in the work of the Lord that is too great.  Whatever mountains or seas that seem insurmountable in ministry can be overcome!  Why?  Because Jesus lives! Maybe you’ve been tempted to throw in the towel.  Maybe you’ve felt overwhelmed by the demands of church responsibility or have felt ineffective in a certain ministry role or discipling relationship.  While those may be real feelings and real temptations, what’s more real is that Jesus is alive, and the risen Lord invites us to lean on His resurrection power so we can be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”  Because Jesus lives, we have a present purpose to fulfill, a call to give ourselves fully to the work He has entrusted each one of us.

Do you know the great importance of the fact that Jesus is alive?  The light of Jesus’ resurrection dispels all shadows of futility, hopelessness, or ineffectiveness in our outlook or ministry.  Jesus’ victory over death translates into a victorious life in more ways than we understand.  Feeling bound by sin?  Look to the One who overcame all of sin’s curses.  Walking through the valley of sorrow and loss?  Find hope in the God who through death broke the power of death itself.  Wondering if you’ve got anything to offer in ministry?  Serve from the overflow that Jesus’ resurrection gives meaning and impact to every gospel effort.