Monday, April 17, 2006
Easter Monday
1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN -- PART 1
There were some in Corinth who were denying the resurrection from the dead. Paul here defends the truth of the resurrection in a strange way. Instead of proving the resurrection he disproves the denial of the resurrection. He says "if [it is true that] Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty." Here is the first tragic result of denying the bodily resurrection of Jesus: our preaching and your faith is in vain.
In other words, if Christ did not rise from the dead after His death and burial, you and I are wasting our time. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then the words that you hear every week in Bible classes and worship services, in private devotions and conversations with your pastor and other believers in Christ are worthless.
You are regularly reminded that the reason you go to church, the reason you pick up and read your Bibles at home is to strengthen your faith. But Paul points out that if the preaching is worthless (which is meant to strengthen faith) then it would also be true that what you have learned from that preaching, your faith, is also worthless. In other words, we are all wasting our time. If Christ is not risen then everything that we have come to know and believe in about Jesus is worthless, it's all been a waste of time.
Is that how we feel? Do we feel like we are wasting our time when we spend one or two or more hours to hear the message of Jesus on Sunday morning? Do we feel like it is a waste of time to read our Bibles or have our private or family devotions? We shouldn't! And Paul assures us that we are not wasting our time, reminding us in verse 20, But now Christ is risen from the dead. Since He is risen neither our preaching nor our faith is worthless. Instead they are full of comfort and hope in the life to come!
