1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures!

It was all over the news and social media. They came for him with criminal allegations. Though he had served the school faithfully Mr. Nunson, also known as Coach Josh, was terminated. The students and staff who knew him best were shocked. After the police came and escorted him out in handcuffs that Friday, no one expected him ever to be back in the classroom. It was a long sad weekend for all who knew him. Then Monday came and he was back, and, in the weeks to come, the corruption of the leadership who wrongly accused him was exposed. That is quite a story, but no one saw it happen because it is not true.

We want to hear about real issues. Fiction is for entertainment, and fake news does not help us. We want the truth for what matters to us in life. We want to hear the truth on the news or social media when it comes to gas prices, grocery prices and our taxes. We want the truth from the doctor about our health or our kids or parents’ health. We want the truth from our spouse about their commitment to our marriage. These topics matter because they are matters of life and death. We may not appreciate these topics in that way, but they are what our lives revolve around. We are passionate about these things because they are examples of us holding on to life or fighting off death. When these things are going well life is fulfilling and peaceful, but when these things are not going well worry and emptiness are like fighting off death.

Scripture or the Bible speaks to the real issues we all face. One way to describe its theme is the gift of life and the fight against death. In our New Testament reading from 1 Corinthians 15, we read, 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. The gospel that was preached to the early Christians was based on what had been written in the Old Testament Scriptures from hundreds of years earlier. The message was one of life and death; it is salvation from the death and resurrection of Christ.

Without the resurrection of Christ, the Bible is not about the gift of life and fight against death, it is only death. The end result of all books and messages is death because fiction is not real, fake news is not real and everyone from history is dead, and someday we will be history. Without the resurrection, Adam and Eve would have lived a long time and died without the promise of the Offspring to crush the serpent’s head. Without the resurrection, Noah and his family would have been drowned with the rest of the world without a Savior to hope in. Without the resurrection, Abraham and Sarah would have remained childless and quickly faded from history. Without the resurrection, Isaac and Rebekah would have remained childless. Without the resurrection, Jacob’s twelve sons would have remained slaves in Egypt. Without the resurrection, Moses would have remained an adopted murderer outcast shepherding sheep in the wilderness. Without the resurrection, David would have remained a shepherd, and Jonathan would have succeeded Saul as King and Jerusalem would not have been the capital city and Solomon would not have built the Temple. Without the resurrection, the remnant of Israelites would not have been allowed to return from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the Temple. Without the resurrection, Mary and Joseph would have had a family, some grandkids, passed away and been forgotten within a few generations. Without the resurrection, Jesus would have died without a kingdom, without an army, without a home base and maybe a few followers, and what was left of his body would have been tossed aside as a crucified criminal, and his moral influence to be kind to the poor, sick, outcasts and your enemy would have been lost or no better than the many philosophies of the world. Without the resurrection, we would not be here today. Without the resurrection, gas prices, grocery prices, taxes, our health, our kids and parents’ health, our marriages, and truth do not matter because they all end in death.

Life is the theme of the Bible with the resurrection. With the resurrection, the Bible is not fiction or fake news and all who have died will rise again. With the resurrection, Adam and Eve looked to the serpent Crusher, Jesus. With the resurrection, Noah and his family were saved for their faith in Jesus who is the reason we are washed clean from sin in baptism. With the resurrection, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to a nation whose people are blessed by faith in Jesus. With the resurrection, Isaac and Rebekah gave birth to Jacob whose twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. With the resurrection, God worked through Moses to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt with the Ten Plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, his presence in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, manna and water and clothes for their forty years wandering in the wilderness, and entrance to the promised land. With the resurrection, David’s son Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, and his greater Son is King Jesus. With the resurrection, a remnant returned from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. With the resurrection, Mary and Joseph were given Jesus. With the resurrection, Jesus died and rose to save us and rule his heavenly kingdom. With the resurrection, we are here today despite worries about gas, groceries, taxes, health, marriage and false opinions. The gospel is not something new, it has always been in the Scriptures, and in Christ Scripture became real flesh and blood sacrificed for us. And in our Gospel reading from Matthew 28, we hear the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” And, not only did Jesus appear to the women and later to the disciples in Galilee, but in our New Testament reading from 1 Corinthians 15, we hear about the many appearances of Jesus, 4 … he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Many saw Jesus’ death and many saw him resurrected. Life is the theme of the Bible because Jesus was raised on the third day.

With Jesus’ resurrection, we have our salvation. With the resurrection the Bible’s message is the gift of life and victory in the fight against death. Our Old Testament reading from Jonah 2, warns us against holding onto anything more than God’s love, 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” As we sift through what we care to listen to, we must leave behind worthless idols or created things because the real issue affecting all of us is salvation. Scripture records people facing evil, wickedness, selfishness, crime, war, suffering, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt, fear and death. Different terms are used for it, but sin caused all these issues. We face these same real issues with Jesus’ resurrection proving he saved us from sin, and so we have salvation from them as we hear in 1 Corinthians 15, 2 By this gospel you are saved. The Old Testament believers who looked forward to Jesus and all of us New Testament believers who look to him have the guarantee of the forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead and eternal life in heaven.

It was all over the news and social media. They terminated him for criminal allegations, and those who knew him were shocked when the police came to escort him out in handcuffs that Friday. It was a long sad weekend, then Monday, he was back and, in the weeks to come, the corruption of the leadership who wrongly accused him was exposed. That is quite a story, but no one saw it happen because it is not true. Many witnesses saw Jesus die and many saw him raised to life. Of all the messages we hear and issues we face, Jesus’ resurrection is unique. With Jesus’ resurrection, we have salvation. So, we stand firm and hold onto the truth that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Amen.

        

Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church