What If The Resurrection Didn’t Happen

WHAT IF THE RESURRECTION DIDN’T HAPPEN

1 CORINTHIANS 15:12–19 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? 13IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, THEN NOT EVEN CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED. 14AND IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, OUR PREACHING IS USELESS AND SO IS YOUR FAITH. 15MORE 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. 16FOR IF THE DEAD ARE NOT RAISED, THEN CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED EITHER. 17AND IF CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED, YOUR FAITH IS FUTILE; YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR SINS. 18THEN THOSE ALSO WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST ARE LOST. 19IF ONLY FOR THIS LIFE WE HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST, WE ARE TO BE PITIED MORE THAN ALL MEN.

INTRODUCTION: PEOPLE CAN BE OBSESSED WITH LOTS OF THINGS. WHEN THIS IS TAKEN TO THE EXTREME, WE WOULD CALL THAT OCD. EVEN OCD CAN HAVE DIFFERENT FACETS. THERE IS A FORM OF OCD THAT IS CALLED OBSESSIVE LOVE DISORDER. THIS IS THE FIXATION ON ONE PERSON TO THE POINT WHERE THEY BECOME OVERLY PROTECTIVE AND CONTROLLING.

OTHER COMPULSIVE DISORDERS INCLUDE:

HOARDING

HAIR PULLING

COMPULSIVE ACTIONS

COMPULSIVE BUYING

AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE NEWEST – COMPULSIVE USE OF SMARTPHONES.

YET I THINK ALL OF THESE PALE IN COMPARISON IN WHICH SOME HAVE A COMPULSIVE DESIRE NOT TO DIE.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: LOCATED IN SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA IS THE ALCOR LIFE EXTENSION INSTITUTE, WHICH FOR A MEMBERSHIP AND A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY WILL BE READY TO PRESERVE AND CRYOGENICALLY FREEZE YOUR REMAINS AT THE TIME OF DEATH WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF REVIVAL IN THE FUTURE IF AND WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS.

TRANSITION: HOW INTERESTING, THE LENGTHS SOME WILL GO TO PRESERVE THEIR LIFE. AND HERE IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE SEE PAUL DEALING WITH THOSE IN THE CHURCH WHO WOULD DENY THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. IT IS TO THESE FOLKS THAT PAUL ARGUES THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH AND A BELIEF.

I. EXPLAINING AWAY THE RESURRECTION

a. SINCE THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST MEN HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY

i. HIS DISCIPLES STOLE THE BODY – THIS IS WHAT THE SOLDIERS WERE BRIBED TO SAY

1. THE TOMB WAS GUARDED

a. IF THE BODY OF CHRIST WAS GUARDED BY THE TEMPLE GUARD.

i. VERY DISCIPLINED MEN

ii. IF FOUND ASLEEP, THEY WERE BEATEN AND THEN BURNED WITH THEIR CLOTHES

iii. THEY WERE FORBIDDEN TO SIT OR LEAN AGAINST ANYTHING WHILE ON DUTY

b. IF THE ROMAN GUARDS WERE ON DUTY

i. THEIR GUARDING INVOLVED FOUR MEN, CHANGING SHIFTS EVERY FOUR HOURS

ii. THE TOMB ALSO WAS SEALED WITH A CORD OF CLAY AND A SIGN STATING “DON’T TOUCH BY ORDER OF ROME.”

iii. BREAKING THE SEAL WAS INSTANT DEATH – CRUCIFIXION UPSIDE DOWN

ii. THE JEWISH LEADERS STOLE THE BODY

1. JUST THINK THIS ONE THROUGH, HOW DOES THIS HELP THEM DENY THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST?

2. IF THEY HAD THE BODY, IT WOULD SEEM A LOGICAL CONCLUSION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE REVEALED IT TO THE PEOPLE

iii. THEN THERE IS THE “SWOON THEORY”.

1. JESUS REALLY WAS NOT DEAD, HE FAINTED FROM THE LOSS OF BLOOD

2. LATER IN THE COOLNESS OF THE TOMB HE WOKE UP.

3. JUST A FEW PROBLEMS HERE

a. HOW DID HE SURVIVE FOR THREE DAYS WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER

b. HOW DID HE GET THE GRAVE CLOTHES OFF AND FOR THAT MATTER EVEN BREATH

i. THE SPICES USED TO ANOINT HIS BODY WEIGHED ABOUT 100 POUNDS AND WOULD HAVE DRIED AROUND THE GRAVECLOTHES, KIND OF LIKE CEMENT

c. THEN, JESUS, WHO WAS WHIPPED AND BEATEN, WENT THROUGH 6 TRIALS, HAD SPIKES DRIVEN THROUGH HIS HANDS AND FEET, WHO WAS SO WEAK HE COULD NOT CARRY HIS OWN CROSS, NOW SUDDENLY HAVE THE STRENGTH TO MOVE A 3400 POUND STONE AND WALK OUT

d. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT UPON EXAMINATION BY THE ROMAN SOLDIERS, HE WAS DEAD. REMEMBER , THEY DID NOT HAVE TO BREAK HIS LEGS.

IN LIGHT OF ALL THIS, PAUL ADDRESSES THE BELIEF THAT THERE IS NO BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT BELIEF

II. WHAT PAUL TELLS US ABOUT THE RESURRECTION

a. THE PROBLEM WITH A DEAD CHRIST

i. IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION THEN CHRIST IS DEAD

ii. OUR LIVES AS BELIEVERS WOULD RADICALLY CHANGE!

1. WHAT IS THE PROMISE OF LIVING FOR CHRIST TODAY WHEN THERE IS NO ETERNITY TO FOLLOW

2. WOULD WE EVEN DO IT

iii. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION GIVES OUR LIFE MEANING

iv. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION GIVES US A REASON TO LIVE FOR CHRIST