Go! And Proclaim The Risen Saviour - 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 Series

Go! And Proclaim the Risen Saviour 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (NLT)

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (NLT): “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.”

Introduction: Why Does the Resurrection Matter Today?

Imagine standing in a courtroom. The evidence is laid out. The witnesses are called. The verdict is life or death. For the early church, the resurrection was not just a doctrine—it was the very evidence that Jesus Christ was who He said He was: the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.

Today, in 21st-century Britain, many live as if the resurrection is a myth, an old story, a comforting legend for the weak-minded. Yet Paul writes to the Corinthians—and to us—saying this is “most important.” This is not optional Christianity; this is the heart of the Gospel.

This morning, the Word of God calls us: Go! And proclaim the risen Saviour! Because if the resurrection is true—and it is—everything changes. Your past can be forgiven, your present can be transformed, and your future can be secure.

I. Christ Died for Our Sins – The Necessary Cross (v.3)

Paul begins with the most crucial truth: “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”

The word “Christ” (Greek: Christos) means “Anointed One,” the promised Messiah.

“Died for our sins” points to substitutionary atonement. The Greek preposition hyper (?p??) here means “on behalf of” or “in place of.” He didn’t die for His own sin—He had none. He died in your place.

Isaiah 53:5 (NLT) foretold this: “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.”

The Corinthians lived in a city obsessed with wisdom, power, and status, yet Paul says the greatest wisdom is found in a blood-stained cross.

Romans 5:8 (NLT): “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

God did not wait for you to get better. He came while you were still broken.

A pastor once shared how a soldier in World War II threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades. He died so they might live. That soldier’s sacrifice was noble but temporary—Christ’s sacrifice is eternal and complete.

John Piper once wrote: “The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God.”

Piper captures it well—the cross is where love and justice meet. God’s wrath against sin was satisfied. His love for you was demonstrated.

Stop trying to pay for what Christ already paid. Stop carrying guilt for what He already bore. The cross means there is no sin too great that His blood cannot cleanse.

II. He Was Buried – The Reality of Death (v.4a)

“He was buried…” These simple words remind us Jesus truly died. His body was placed in a borrowed tomb.

The Greek etaphe (?t?f?) is passive—He “was buried.” This was something done to Him. His burial confirms His death. There was no swoon, no myth, no illusion.

Matthew 27:59–60 (NLT): “Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock.”

When Queen Elizabeth II died, the whole world watched her burial. It was final. It was public. It marked the end of her reign. But for Jesus, burial was not the end—it was the doorway to victory.

Charles Stanley said: “Jesus did not come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people alive.”

And His burial sets the stage for that resurrection life.

Your old life—your sins, your shame—can be buried with Christ. Romans 6:4 (NLT):

“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead… we also may live new lives.”

III. He Was Raised – The Power of the Resurrection (v.4b)

“…and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.”

The verb egerthe (??????) is in the perfect tense—He “has been raised” and remains alive! The resurrection was not just an event; it is an ongoing reality.