But in fact...

1 Corinthians 15:12-20a
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

[20a] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead

Now let me get this straight. If the over 500 eyewitnesses to Christ's resurrection were all somehow deceived, then all preaching is hot air, our faith is nothing but smoke, the apostles are liars, our sin is not forgiven, there is no heavenly rest for our dearly departed, and we live and die pitifully like any other road-kill.

Woo! Ouch! Why would anyone willingly go there?

I have doubted a lot of things in my life, but the Resurrection was never one of them. I never really thought about it much until this week. Even before studying this great chapter of the Bible, I somehow sensed that raising that doubt would just lead to a line of reasoning dead-ending in darkness. When I am dark places, I much prefer a tunnel of hope, regardless of how far away the light at the other end appears, over a sink-hole of despair. I think anyone would.

And yet, we all know people who do not know the reality of a risen Lord. We know of those who do not sense the presence and infinite love of our living Savior. There are those who are immersed in darkness who need to know of the coming light. They need to know that Jesus overcame death to become a beacon of hope to anyone willing to accept Him into their lives. And what of those who prefer to believe in a Jesus who was a mere man — the one hinted at in a movie opening this week — rather than the one proclaimed by eyewitnesses in the Bible … the One I talk to every day … the One I actually let run my life once in a while?

Why anyone would want to start (or continue) down that path is beyond my comprehension. But I do know, that as a Christian, I have a responsibility to love them, to shepherd them, and help them separate fact from fiction. And the fact is … Christ has been raised from the dead and is alive within us. Verse 20 makes all the difference in this world. Praise God for that! For without that, nothing we do in this life makes any sense whatsoever.

[LK]
Considering the length of my life, it wasn't that long ago that I pondered and dwelled on the fact of the resurrection. I had worshiped in many Easter services and yet, somehow the realization that Christ was raised and then ascended into heaven hadn't become real. I mean that though I can't "see" him, he is living in another dimension and very much alive! When that truth hit my heart and I came before him with my sin, remorse, and repentance; my faith came alive and I've never been the same. Must we not urge others to take the time in their crazy, busy worlds to ponder these life-giving truths?

[MF]
This makes me wonder about all the people who say Jesus was a good man — just not God, and certainly not raised from the dead. You just can’t have it both ways. Either Jesus is who he said he was and did all that the Bible proclaims, or two millennia of faithful believers have been living a lie.

And the historical evidence is good. We unquestioningly believe historical events for which there is much less corroboration. This one just matters so much more…

[SJ]
Excellent verse for this week.

Regarding the incomprehension as to why someone would walk down that path...As someone who has willingly done it, I can say "why" may not be the correct question, but rather, "who", "when", and "how" might be more enlightening. When confronted with the Jesus was only a man argument, I try to find out "who" in the church or what church turned them off, "when" that happened, and "how" it was done in their minds and in their experience.

Perhaps they have no experience and thus do not understand. Perhaps they understand very well and have had really frightening experiences. Because the other fact of the matter is that people identify Christ with the people in the church and those people can royally screw it up for everyone, especially if the symbols of the faith have been used to justify the abuse suffered (as with the Catholic priest scandal).

Given that, I can easily understand why someone might reject the Resurrection, which I still question myself on occasion, but do not reject it. When we give over our power to others and allow them to define the terms of the faith, we will certainly lose it, whether it be the Church proper, the pastor, or friends and family.

Paul is counseling us in how to receive information with regard to the Resurrection, which is foolishness to the Greeks and false witness to the Hebrews. The message this week articulates well how that information is received - it is held up to the risen Christ within each of us and understood in that context.

The revolution of consciousness and soul and mind is radical when we see ourselves as dependent on something other than our own devices. We do not get any closer to the truth than through Christ, but I have deep compassion for those who cannot, will not, or have not gone through the revolution of the mind Paul speaks of. The risks are high, the potential for being wrong outrageously extreme and the possibilities and reality of a life in Christ make it all worthwhile.
Return to Home