Jesus Is Who He Says He Is

16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul’s argument is pretty basic - -

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we’re a bunch of idiots. We’ve bought into a lie and we should all be pitied.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we’ve insulted God, because we said He raised Jesus from the dead and that Jesus was the Messiah.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then he wasn’t the Messiah, and we have everything all wrong. We’re a really pathetic bunch.

And that is still true today.

According to Paul, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, we’re idiots. We’ve devoted our lives to something which isn’t real. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then you, my friends, are wasting your time. You’re giving your lives to something that doesn’t matter.

The great writer, C. S. Lewis said that Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. He was either crazy or the Christ.

This is why Paul does a review for the Corinthians of the proof that Jesus rose from the dead. Paul said - -

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6 Then He appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-9

Paul recaps some of Jesus’ appearances –

And the Corinthians knew that story. They knew Paul had been anti-Jesus, anti-resurrection, and anti-Christian. They knew Paul wanted Jewish believers in Jesus to be killed. He applauded their deaths. They knew about Paul’s conversion.

They also knew Paul was in line to be a high priest for the Jews. He was in a great position. He had it made.

It would be like knowing you have a $125,000 job in the family business, but you choose a career path that will lead you away from that business and money. It would have been easy to do, but you choose something different, the more difficult road. That was Paul. Because he believed in Jesus, he gave up everything to follow Jesus.

So, Paul reminds the Corinthians, Jesus is who He says He is.

You see, when trouble finds us, and it will. We have a God who has promised He would never abandon us. In fact, God looks at you and me and tells us,

“Hey, I died for you!! I love you!! Why would I beat you up over and over again because of your sinfulness!! That’s why I sent my Son . . . I sent Him to give you life, to give you hope.

I sent Him so that I could pour My Spirit into yours. I sent Him so that you could receive My power!