The Gospel: Brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, I Corinthians 15:1-4.
The Resurrection is a core piece of the good news whereby men can be saved. In fact, if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty, 15:13-14.
Yet, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 15:12
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, Acts 17:32.
For believing and declaring the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Paul was jailed and eventually tried and executed. Acts 24:20-21, Let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.’
So, why is the resurrection such a flash point??
What is taught in the Resurrection piece of the Gospel?
- it says that there is a God who rules over death and the grave
- that the Old Testament is true – Job 19:26; Isaiah 53:8-9, 12 die then given
- it proves that Jesus was sinless and God – John 11:25, I AM the resurrection
- it validates what Jesus did on the cross when He declared, “It is Finished!”
- it proves the New Testament – it affirms the church whose leader is not in a grave, Acts 1-2
- it gives the believer hope – it gives strength to stand and fight, fear of death is destroyed
- it gives value to the body – in the face of Gnosticism that the material or physical does not matter
- it means there is another life – it affirms John 14:6 – to God
- it means it matters what is done in the body – there will be a judgment with the books opened
- it means that sacrifice, giving, serving matter – I Corinthians 15:58, labor is not in vain
The Resurrection packs a HUGE punch and thus it is so very important AND challenged!
The resurrection of Jesus is attested to in a host of ways and never successfully refuted!
Gotquestions.com: Because our eternal destinies ride on the truth of this historical event, the resurrection has been the target of Satan’s greatest attacks against the church. Accordingly, the historicity of Christ’s bodily resurrection has been examined and investigated from every angle and studied endlessly by countless scholars, theologians, professors, and others over the centuries. And even though a number of theories have been postulated that attempt to disprove this momentous event, no credible historical evidence exists which would validate anything other than His literal bodily resurrection. On the other hand, the clear and convincing evidence of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is overwhelming.
And what the Resurrection means to all men today:
- All made alive: I Corinthians 15:20-21, But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
- Jesus will do all the judging – sending some to an abundant life and others to condemnation:
John 5:25-29, Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
a PK Musing 
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