1 Corinthians 15:12-22
12But 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.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
Related Text:
Job 19:23-27
Romans 6:1-11
Acts 2:22-36
1 Corinthians 15:23-58
Commentary
Belief in the resurrection of Jesus is the backbone of the Christian faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, if He didn’t come back to life, then He was a liar and just another body in the ground. Some try to say He was just a good teacher or prophet with some good ideas about love and peace. Well, that can’t be true. He taught and preached about being the Son of God and being able to forgive sins. He also prophesied that He would be destroyed and rebuilt. He couldn’t have been just a good teacher and prophet, because if he was JUST a teacher and prophet (and not the Messiah), then He would have been blasphemous because of what He taught and prophesied about. Blasphemy isn’t a good quality of a teacher or a prophet.
Praise God that His Son, Jesus, died for our sins and rose to life again. Praise Him that we may have new life in Jesus and be raised with Him!
