QT 4/22/2025 1 Cor 15:12–16, The amazing historical event

1 Corinthians 15:12–16 (ESV) —

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

 

NOTE: One of the fundamental truths of Christianity and maybe the most important fact of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. It differs from all other resurrection stories in that it is a historical recorded event witnessed by hundreds, and specifically 11 men who died rather than deny what they saw. Paul also saw the resurrected Christ. He was an intelligent man trained in the law by one of the greatest rabbis of the time. He had a great future. And yet his encounter with Christ caused him to endure tremendously difficult times in order to take the gospel to as many people as possible. His experience with the resurrected Christ forever shaped him. Without the resurrection, there is no real hope in Christianity. 

 

Ultimately, everyone must deal with the resurrection event. Most choose to dismiss the eyewitnesses and the separate accounts. Others foolishly look for discrepancies which when evaluated logically, only support the historicity of the event.

 

What does it all mean to us as believers? Our faith is based on a historical fact that proves Jesus was God and has power over death. No matter how difficult life seems, we have a better hope. But for now, we, like Paul, must do all we can to share the message to others.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I ever considered the reality of the event, the resurrection, and its implications on whatever beliefs I hold?
2. And for that matter, have I truly considered the historical Jesus, witnessed by thousands, and the documents that recorded his life and were written during the lifespans of many thousands of witnesses?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is amazing that Paul even had to write this section of the letter -- it seems so central to everything. But, I am glad he did and that he wrote it so forcefully. I pray that our faith would be encourage by this man who lived during the years of Jesus' life, and who encountered Jesus after the resurrection, and who was so affected by Jesus, that he literally gave his life to tell the story to as many as possible.