THE GUARANTEES OF EASTER (I Cor 15:1-23) Intro A man found a magic lamp while walking on the beach.

. Naturally a genie appeared and granted him one wish. After pondering a moment he requested a copy of the stock page from the local paper dated exactly one year later. Puff! The paper appeared. Quickly the man plotted two or three stocks that would make him rich within a year. But when he folded the paper, he was jolted back to reality. There was an obituary column on the reverse page, and the name at the top of the list -- was his! The certainties in life are not really very certain, are they? Benjamin Franklin, writing to a friend in France in 1789 made his famous declaration: in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. The Bible and experience amends the quote slightly nothing is certain except death and sin. But the glorious news of Easter is that the world has another certainty a certainty that addresses both death and sin a certainty that defangs those mortal enemies of mankind. It guarantees redemption from sin and power over death. Guarantees it! The most succinct statement of the gospel of Christ is found in our text, in I Cor 15:3-4, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. Paul didnt make this up. He received it. And if you want to know from whom he received it, you have only to look at Gal 1: 12) For I did not receive it (the gospel from v. 11) from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. So here is the gospel of Christ, delivered to Paul by the risen Christ and then passed on by him. No wonder he refers to it as of first importance. Paul is saying, Of all the things Ive told you, nothing holds a candle to this. These are the words that transform lives. This is what Jesus wants you to know above all else -- that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. Simple -- yet profound and life changing. For these events guarantee victory over sin and death. This is the heart of the gospel. And the heart of the gospel is Christ His birth, life, death, burial and resurrection. But this passage keys on His resurrection. That is the thing that provides certainty, assurance, proof guarantees! So, lets look at the three great guarantees of the resurrection of Christ. If they have not already changed your life, I hope they will.
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I.

The Guarantee of a Redeemer (1-11)

Christianity is absolutely unique in this regard. We serve a living Lord, not a dead founder. Thats a profound statement. Next time someone wants to insist that there are multiple ways to God, just ask how many of them point to someone who has conquered death. The thing that separates Christianity from any other faith is that little phrase in v. 4, that he was raised on the third day. Thats the key to everything. Suppose an earthquake traps us inside a cave we were exploring. What do we need? We need a Savior, dont we? Denying the problem, or thinking positively or partying the time away until we die isnt going to help, is it? Religion or philosophical speculation wont cut it. We need a Savior -someone strong enough to move the rock and get us out. Someone proven. And that is exactly what Jesus did in the resurrection. He demonstrated in time and history that He is equal to the task of conquering death and has the ability to redeem from the guilt of sin. He alone can solve our worst nightmare. Hes a Savior. The greatest conquers in the history of the world Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Kahn have were conquered by death. The greatest rulers in the history all themselves ruled by death. The strongest men have all died. The greatest philosophers have all died just like the fools who surrounded them. The greatest scientists in the history of the world have met the same fate as everyone else. They have all died. Did they all want to die? Did they go willingly? Of course, not. But the enemy could not be conquered. Death is the great equalizer. Alexander the Great was puzzled to find the philosopher Diogenes examining a heap of human bones. What are you looking for? he inquired. Diogenes replied, I am searching for the bones of your father, but I cannot distinguish them from those of his slaves. The enemy of death conquers one and all. Well, what about the religious leaders? Perhaps they have the answer? What about Buddha? Dead. What about Lao Tzu dead. Muhammad? Dead. Joseph Smith? Dead. Jesus Christ? Alive and well! Do you see a difference? He alone has power over death. Who would you put your faith in? But is He really alive? Surely you dont believe Jesus was raised bodily. The NT writers were only referring to a kind of spiritual resurrection. The idea of
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a resurrection is just a myth on the order of the Greek stories. Well, Paul didnt think so. In this passage he offers proof in several forms. First, there is prophetic proof. He says that Jesus was raised up according to the Scriptures. What is that about? Well, he is simply saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus had been prophesied in OT passages like Psalm 16, Psalm 110, Psalm 22, Psalm 69; Isaiah 53. It was modeled in Genesis 22 when Abraham was about to offer Isaac, and in Jonah where Jonah was rescued from 3 days in the great fish. It was just that the Jews had missed it. So they didnt recognize it when they saw it. But in hindsight it was a powerful explanation of the empty tomb just outside town. And those facts the empty tomb outside town, and the prophesies that Peter referenced is the main reason that 3,000 of these people came to Christ in one day 7 weeks after His death. Listen, dear friends, you dont want the blood of Jesus on your hands because you rejected Him, do you? Paul also gave eyewitness proof. He says in vv. 5-6, and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Paul is writing about 20-25 years after the crucifixion of Christ. The apostles are active preaching all over the world. Paul is saying, You think they are devoting their lives to a lie? You think tough old Peter gave up a perfectly good fishing business to go preach a lie? These men who knew for sure whether Jesus was alive or not, all gave their lives (all but John) for the sake of this message. Would they do that for what they knew was a lie? All of them? Not hardly. Rather, they knew it was true. He was alive! Paul further notes that Jesus appeared once to more than 500 at one time, most of whom are still alive. With that phrase he is saying Check it out. You dont believe me, go find the ones who saw him. Theyre still around. Paul knew his claim was verifiable. Then he comes to his coup de grace. Vv. 7-8, Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. Who is James, and why does Paul link him to himself? James is the half-brother of Jesus, a kindred spirit with Paul because they were the ultimate skeptics. We covered this in detail last year, but suffice to say James thought his brother, Jesus was crazy. Mark 3:21 tells us huge crowds began to follow Jesus. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, He is out of his mind. They truthfully thought He was wacko. John tells us in 7:5, For not even his brothers believed in him. James was a
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skeptic yet days after the resurrection, the apostles were together in Jerusalem praying and we read in Acts 1:14, All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. What in the world changed those brothers in the course of a few days from skeptics to believers? How could it be anything other than they met the resurrected Christ? By Acts 15 James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. Pauls own skepticism was brutal and included murdering disciples. Until Jesus stopped him cold on the road to Damascus, introduced himself to Paul and changed his life. Paul spent three years in the desert learning of Christ, at least partially from Christ. Then he went to Jerusalem and specifically sought out James. He tells us in Gal 1:18, Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lords brother. Why James? Kindred spirits! Sharing how the risen Christ changed their lives. Jesus is alive and so we have a redeemer a Savior whose life guarantees victory over death something that no one else can offer, claim or duplicate. He is our victory over death and sin. Its a certainty. What we need most in life, we have in Christ! II. The Guarantee of Our Redemption (12-20)

Here is a crucial truth. Notice Pauls comment in v. 14, 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. Skip to v. 17, 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Verse 18: Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. And then look at the conclusion he draws in v. 19, If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. Everything ties to the resurrection of Christ. Without it, faith is vain, we are yet in sin; dead believers have perished; and we are pathetic! But isnt it true that Christ died for our sins? So, isnt the resurrection just a bonus? Arent we saved from sin by His death? Doesnt it say in v. 3, that Christ died for our sins? It does say that, doesnt it? Yes, but notice that it doesnt put the period there. The period comes after the resurrection. And Without the resurrection, believers would still be in their sins. Why is that?

Well, first, the life of Christ, including the resurrection was in accordance with the Scriptures. If the resurrection part isnt true, it invalidates the whole, right? With the resurrection, Scriptures fail. Furthermore, Jesus predicted His own resurrection. Look at John 2:18-22, So the Jews said to him, What sign do you show us for doing these things? 19 Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 The Jews then said, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. There was an unambiguous promise of His resurrection -- the ultimate sign. Had He not been resurrected, that would have been a lie. And if He had lied, inadvertently or not, He could not have been the perfect lamb of God required to take our sin on himself. Jesus predicted His own resurrection when he said in Matt 12:39-40, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. They didnt get it at the time, but He knew what He meant, and if there was no resurrection, He lied. He would have disqualified himself as our Savior. He said in John 10:17-18, For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. So, Jesus did die for our sins, but without the resurrection, it all unravels. Even more telling, how could God promise eternal life and He could not even give life to His own Son? Not just Gods promise, but Gods power is in question. Weve all had someone promise what they could not deliver, right? Credibility goes right out the window, doesnt it? Like the guy who went to a healing service. But he found a sign out front that read, There will be no healing service tonight due to the pastor being ill. It is unlikely he went back there, right? If you cant heal yourself, how can you heal others? So, while the cross is central to the gospel message, while Christ became sin for us in His death it is all meaningless without the resurrection. That shows the power to deliver. Without it, Paul says in v. 17, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. But praise God he didnt stop there. V. 20,But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. Without the resurrection, it would be
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curtains for us. Paul admits it but there was a resurrection and it reverses everything. So the guarantee of our personal redemption is the cross plus the empty tomb. The death of Christ pays the price for our sin and satisfies the holiness of the heavenly Father; the resurrection of Christ proves it is all true that he has the power to deliver on every promise He ever made. This turns all the negatives into positives. We have not believed in vain; we are not yet in our sins; the dead in Christ have not perished, and we are not to be pitied. We are the most privileged people on earth the resurrection of Jesus guarantees it. We are redeemed through His death and resurrection. III. The Guarantee of Our Resurrection (20-23)

Finally, we have hope beyond the grave because of Christs resurrection. Vv. 20-23, But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. There is our hope, The grave is not final for believers. Its an interim step to glory. The Bible teaches in II Cor 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. At the moment of death, the spirit of anyone who is in Christ is instantaneously in His presence. What a stupendous thought. Falling asleep holding the hand of a loved one here one moment only to have our next conscious thought be holding the hand of Jesus. What a hope we have. But, death not the end of our body either. Jesus resurrection is the firstfruits of all who have died in Christ. Paul uses the term those who have fallen asleep. The Bible never talks about the death of a believer after the resurrection of Christ? Always thereafter death is defined in terms of sleep, which emphasizes the temporary incapacity of the body, even while the spirit is vital in glory. But body and spirit will soon be reunited. Guaranteed by His resurrection. You say, Well, what about those bodies that have burned up or been lost at sea or otherwise destroyed? Good question, but remember all bodies decay and are destroyed. But whatever their fate, they are not lost to God. We are told in Rev 20:13, And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. No one is lost to God; all believers get a spiritual body modeled after that of Christ. Paul describes it in vv. 42ff: So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it
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is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Is Jesus your Savior today? Then that is your future. Paul says in Phil 3:20-21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Christs resurrection changes everything. Conc Marty Halyburton was informed that her husband, Porter, was shot down and killed during the Vietnam War. Marty was stunned as a young bride going through the agony of placing a memorial over a bodiless tomb and accepting the outpouring of sympathy from her community. Eighteen months passed, and she was still trying to adjust. But one day, a group of military representatives appeared again at her house, this time with dramatic news. Porter was alive, in relatively good condition, being held by the North Vietnamese. Martys emotions leaped as if on a roller coaster. Originally requested to keep the news quiet, the Navy soon released her to call everyone with the unbelievable news -- Hes alive! Imagine the celebration when her husband returned home as he eventually did! Thats the reunion that awaits every believer in Christ. Thats the hope of glory that fills us with joy now. Not much in life is certain. But the resurrection guarantees the future of every believer. What it cannot guarantee is that you will be part of that future. The resurrection of Jesus changes everything for committed believers -- but has it changed everything for you?! That is your decision. For unless you have asked Him to be your personal redeemer, His hands are tied. Hes done all He can do. Now its up to you. Do you belong to Him today? Is your future guaranteed? Its all available by grace thru faith. But you have to receive Him which you can do right now by asking Him into your heart and life. Lets pray.