Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.

“This is important!” These words cut through all the clutter of life, shove aside all the distractions that bombard us. Anyone who hears these words will look around to see who said them. Whether the words that follow

actually earn the title of “important” will depend on the the topic, the facts the speaker will present, and the skill of the speaker in presenting the facts. Unfortunately, today’s media has screamed “important!” so often about such mundane topics that few people nowadays want to hear anything worthwhile about really important topics.

St. Paul had ministered in the city of Corinth for 18 months, building a thriving church before he left for Ephesus. After he left, Corinthian believers began questioning some of the basic teachings of the Christian faith, including the resurrection of Jesus. Just like people today, people in Corinth found belief in a man rising from the dead quite difficult to fathom, much less understand or accept.

St. Paul reminded the Corinthians of the “gospel” he had preached to them, “which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved.” Then, St. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Did you catch what St. Paul considered the gospel? Christ died for our sins, was buried, and then raised again on the third day.

Did Jesus physically rise again from the dead, or did someone make up a story about His resurrection? St. Paul reminded the Corinthians of the witnesses to the resurrection: “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” You can almost hear the challenge in this list: “Most of these witnesses still live. If you don’t believe me, ask them!”

“The gospel we preach.” It seems that the past 2,000 years have witnessed countless attempts to define the gospel: attempts to condense it, redirect it, or harness it to particular agendas. This group thinks the gospel revolves around their group of legalistic rules; this group thinks the gospel consists of their social programs; this group thinks the gospel consists of their moral definitions.

St. Paul would have none of this. The gospel doesn’t need our definitions because St. Paul has already defined it. The gospel consists of the resurrection of Jesus! Nothing else defines the gospel. The resurrection of Jesus we celebrate today changed everything; the resurrection announced God’s kingdom to the world. Nothing else can change lives like the resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection profoundly changes our lives. We stand guilty before God, deserving of eternal death for our sins. Jesus’ resurrection proclaims God has paid the penalty for our sins, taking the penalty on Himself and promising atonement to everyone who believes in Him (John 3:16). Our belief in Jesus changes our standing before God; we no longer stand in fear of judgment, but we receive His unconditional love as He adopts us into His family (Romans 8:14-17).

The resurrection of Jesus also radically transformed the balance of power in our world. Jesus’ crucifixion seemed to reinforce Roman power; Jesus had opposed the powers in Jerusalem and died on a cross for His opposition. Tyrants and the powers of this world rely on the fear of death to maintain their grip on humanity. Jesus’ resurrection proves He has conquered death. It shouldn’t surprise us that the Roman emperors hated to hear the Christian confession, “Jesus is Lord;” they had convinced the Mediterranean world that they alone deserved the title “lord,” a title they held by force of the legions.

The early Christians, as well as countless others of our spiritual family, went to their deaths willingly because they knew Jesus’ resurrection meant they would live again as well. Christians have faced death for their faith as they sang hymns and laughed at their executioners. The resurrection of Jesus removed the greatest tool of the powers of this world, the fear of death.

Lastly, the resurrection of Jesus challenges us to a new way of life. It’s not enough for us to accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, to be born again, and then simply wait for our deaths so we can live forever. The resurrection of Jesus loudly proclaims the arrival of the kingdom of God. We must live so that people see the kingdom’s presence. Our inclusion in God’s kingdom should affect every decision we make, and through those decisions, our inclusion should affect every person around us. Christians should and must work to demonstrate God’s justice in government and His mercy and compassion in society. People around us should look to the Church as the place where the kingdom of God manifests itself, and we should do our best to demonstrate the kingdom when they look to us.

You may have heard lots of “gospel” talk in your life. You may have heard people refer to the gospel as a way of life, or as a political philosophy, or as a morality. The gospel we preach consists of one thing, and one thing only: Jesus is risen! Preach this gospel in your life, as you approach the Table of Christ and as you leave this sanctuary: Jesus is risen!