In 1981 there was a devastating flood in central China. During the flood an ancient pagoda collapsed at Famen Temple. A few years later, archaeologists were digging through the rubble when they made a startling discovery. Sealed in a miniature stone casket, they found what they believed to be part of one of the Buddha’s fingers. It is now touring Taiwan, and was for a while on display at a mountain-top monastery. The finger was housed in a miniature golden pagoda as tens of thousands people came to pay homage to it. They burned incense and placed flowers all around the relic. One visitor said, “I was born more than 2,000 years after the Buddha, but I feel moved and touched to have seen the finger.” Some said they felt as though the Buddha was actually sitting in front of them.
How tragic. How utterly empty. People sitting before a piece of dismembered, mummified flesh feeling as though it was something special. Could the finger of the Buddha help them? Could it reach out and touch them? Could it heal them? Could it raise them from the dead?
Christians would react quite differently if someone claimed to have a preserved finger of Jesus. They would not revere it at all. In fact, if someone could find a finger of Jesus it would literally destroy the Christian faith per se. The whole Christian faith rests on the fact that there is no such finger to be found. There is no finger, no hand, no body — for Jesus rose from the dead and his body is gone and his tomb is empty. As we come here today we are celebrating the fact that Christians believe in an empty tomb. There are no relics because Jesus was bodily resurrected from the grave. We are not here to have a memorial service for a great religious teacher who lived 2000 years ago; we are here to celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is alive and reigns as King of the universe. When the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb on Sunday morning, the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:5-6).
The first thing that we need to understand is that if there had been no resurrection: Death would have won, and the life of Christ would have been exterminated. If Christ had not been raised he would have no power over death. We would have no hope of life beyond the grave. We would not be able to say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25-26). If death had conquered Jesus Christ it would mean he could not conquer death for us. Everything rests on this, for the Bible says, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). This is the underpinning of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection Jesus Christ is just another dead religious teacher. But because of the resurrection, he is Lord of all. He has conquered death, sin and hell. He has said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).
The second thing we need to understand is that without the resurrection: Darkness would have won, and the light of Christ would have been extinguished. How dark the world would be without the hope of life after death. Even at the funerals of people who do not believe in Christ, do not live for him and have no use for him, people still talk about them being in heaven. They may reject Jesus, but they want to believe there is something more. They want to believe that their loved ones continue to live in some way. The resurrection of Christ brings the light of hope into the world. Without the resurrection we would not talk about heaven because there would be no life after death. The Bible says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:19). If Christ is not alive then the light of the world has gone out. He who said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), has been extinguished. If Christ’s light had been extinguished, the light in your heart would have gone out as well. There would be no light in the world or in you. The hope of eternal life and heaven would be gone.
We would be like the three buddies who were discussing death, and one of them asked the others: “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?” He said, “I would like them to say about me, ‘He was a great humanitarian, who cared about his community.’” The second one said, “I want them to say, ‘He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow.’” The third guy said, “I want them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’” With no hope of heaven that is what all of us would want them to say.
The Bible says, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. He has opened the grave. He is alive at this moment. He is here. The Bible says, “But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries” (1 Corinthians 15:20, The Message). Paul writes in 1 Corinthians: “But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die — but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes — it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?” (1 Corinthians 15:51-55, The Message).
The third thing we need to understand is that without the resurrection: Evil would have won and the sacrifice of Christ would have been worthless. Jesus died for the sins of the world. But if sin killed him, and he was not able to rise from the dead, sin would have won. Evil would have conquered good and killed God. The Bible says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Another passage explains it like this: “It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three — sin, guilt, death — are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57, The Message).
Toward the close of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play Jesus Christ, Superstar there is a very moving scene of the crucifixion. The agony of the cross and its terrible tragedy are powerfully acted out, but as you sit there watching the dying Christ on the video, waiting for the next scene, you see instead the film credits begin to roll. It is a crucifixion without a resurrection. It is Jesus with no Easter. It is a tragedy in the fullest sense of the word. God comes to save the world, but he cannot do it in the end. There is a cross, but no empty tomb. That is the world’s view. But the cross is not the end of the story. The Bible says, “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3). He did that by rising from the grave and ascending to heaven. Within the truth of the resurrection is the promise of our own resurrection and triumph over death. The Bible says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Did you read B.C. in yesterday’s cartoons? Two women are sitting on a small hill. One is reading the Bible and says, “Oh, my goodness. . . Says here. . . Jesus descended into hell!” The other is shocked and says, “You’re kidding!” Then the woman with the Bible says, “Oh, no. . . Not to stay! He just dropped in to cancel our reservations!” There is more truth in that cartoon than in a library full of books.
If the resurrection is not true then death, darkness and evil have won. But we are here today to say and celebrate that Jesus Christ is alive, and that what this means is: The life of Christ won and death was defeated. The light of Christ won and darkness was vanquished. The sacrifice of Christ won and evil was conquered. The death of Jesus Christ was not the death of Christianity, because Jesus Christ rose from death and the grave and triumphed over them. It was not the end, it was the beginning of life.
There used to be a strange tradition in the Greek Orthodox Church. The day after Easter was devoted to telling jokes. Laughing covered that whole part of the world. People saved up their best jokes for that special day. The reason was because they believed they were imitating God, because Easter’s resurrection was God’s way of pulling a cosmic joke on the devil. The devil had tricked mankind into killing God’s Son. For three days he laid in the grip of death. It looked like it was over. The devil was smug. He thought he had the last word. But God set the world to laughing as Jesus Christ rose from the grave and became victorious over the devil, sin and the grave. God had the last, best word in the end.
Perhaps a good way to celebrate this day would be to tell some good jokes around the dinner table today. Celebrate the fact that God has pulled the biggest upset in history and we are the winners.
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a victor
From the dark domain
And He lives forever
With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Rodney J. Buchanan
March 31, 2002
Mulberry St. UMC
Mt. Vernon, OH 43050
Rod.Buchanan@MulberryUMC.org
www.MulberryUMC.org
JESUS, THE LIVING SAVIOR
1 Corinthians 15:1-20
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
If there had been no resurrection:
1. _________________ would have won, and the life of Christ would have been _________________________ .
2. ________________ would have won, and the light of Christ would have been _________________________ .
3.___________ would have won, and the sacrifice of Christ would have been ____________________________ .
BUT, because there was a resurrection:
1. The __________ of Christ won, and ____________ was defeated.
2. The __________ of Christ won, and ____________ was vanquished.
3. The ___________ of Christ won, and ___________ was conquered.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION (March 30, 2002)
1. Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important to you personally?
2. What would have happened if Jesus had failed to rise from the dead?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 15:17. Everything we believe hinges on this important truth. In light of this verse, how is it that some pretend to be Christian and not believe in the resurrection?
4. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. How many people saw Christ after his resurrection from the grave?
5. Read 1 Corinthians 15:19. What is it like for those who have hope only for this life?
6. Read 1 Corinthians 15:48-52. What are some of the characteristics of our resurrection bodies?
7. Read 1 Corinthians 15:54-55. What is the hope we have? What do those who do not have this hope do without it?
8. Read 1 Corinthians 15:58. How does this affect our view of life and work?
9. Read Hebrews 2:14-15. How do Christians think about death? What is it that frees us from fear?
10. Think about how you will live in the confidence, peace and joy that comes from knowing that death cannot ultimately harm you.
