“For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
1 Corinthians 15: 16-19
The cross would be futility and our faith would be absurdity if it wasn’t for the fact of the resurrection’s validity.
I think a lot of the times as Christians we focus so much on the cross that we forget about the resurrection. We celebrate it one day out of the year, when, in reality, we should celebrate it every day. Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 15 about how the resurrection of Christ is the hinge-point of Christianity: if Christ has not been raised, then our “faith is futile” and we are still in our sins (v. 17). Anyone can claim to be God and offer the forgiveness of sins, but what makes Christ unique is that he did what no human can do: rise from the dead.
Likewise, the resurrection not only assures us of our salvation and freedom from sin and death—it gives us hope for the life to come. Paul says that “if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (v. 18). Basically, if Christ has not been raised, then the hope of heaven and all the promises that go along with it are lost, and we as Christians are therefore the most miserable, self-righteous band of wretches to walk the earth, believing that we are forgiven and going to heaven when (surprisingly we find out) we aren’t.
All this is to say that the resurrection of Christ was meant to be a historical fact. Not some fancifully made up, metaphorical story to give the disciples “hope,” or a bout of wishful thinking to ease their troubled minds after seeing their Lord brutally crucified—no, it was meant to be a cold, hard fact. The reality of the resurrection was their hope; it gave the early apostles supernatural strength to carry on in the face of endless trials and persecution. It was what enabled them to stand up for their faith as they laid down their lives.
I wonder, Church, do we fix our eyes on the resurrection with enough voracity and intention? Do we take hold of the power that is found in it? Scripture tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is also alive in us (Rom. 8:11). Do you hear the force of that statement? Christ has given us his Spirit, not that we would be timid–but strong, speaking the truth in love with power (2 Tim. 1:7). The resurrection assures of us of our salvation, it allows us to become “new creations” (2 Cor. 5:17), it gives us the hope of heaven, it frees us from the grip of sin and death–
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
This is the power of the resurrection. This is the hope we lay claim to. Therefore sing, dear Christian, because you have the resurrection power of Christ living inside of you; be confident, oh ye of little faith, knowing your hope is not just for this life, but for the life to come; stand firm, then, child of God, and run your race with intensity and fervor. And when all is said and done, and our final resurrection takes place on the day of Christ’s return, I will see you in the kingdom.
In Christ,
-Cole
P.S. Oh, and don’t celebrate Easter for just one day; rather, celebrate Easter every day.