THE GOSPEL: Good News by Vic Dove

“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:14

 

We ask small children, “How much do you love me?” Words like “more than anyone else in the world,” or with outstretched arms, “this much,” are often voiced from the little ones.

We ask God, “How much do You love me?” The answer is found in an empty cross and tomb, a death and resurrection… The dramatic moment when Jesus walked out of the tomb dawned a new day. Jesus being alive makes the difference in life, because love always matters.

In 1 Corinthians 15:14, Paul states in unmistakable terms that anyone who rejects the historic bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be considered a Christian. Why is this belief so important?

It is foundation upon which Christianity rests and is unique among all the religions of the world. No other founder, of a world religion, substantiated a claim to reveal God by rising from the dead.

Jesus lived out His life in perfect harmony with God. Taking His body from the tree, they buried Him. Three days later He was alive again.

In the book of Acts, the resurrection is cited as the great proof of the deity of

Jesus Christ. The resurrection was considered by the apostles and the preachers of the early church to be God’s visible validation of the claims of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection made everything the apostles preached believable. If Jesus Christ had not been resurrected from the grave, nothing He said or did would have mattered and nothing the apostles preached about Him would be believable.

The faith founded by Jesus has many things in common with other religions. However, the one doctrine of Christianity that sets it apart is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The entire structure and credibility of the Christian faith stands or falls on the resurrection. Individuals have been raised, like Lazarus only to die again. But of our Lord, Paul tells us, “Being raised from the dead, He dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” (Romans6:9).

The Christian faith hinges upon the trustworthiness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates His ministry. It allows the Gospel message of the preacher to be credible as He offers hope to our world. We have placed our confidence in the truth of His Word. It hinges the key doctrines of the faith together. What a glorious hope!

“God, how much do You love me? He says, “An empty cross and an empty tomb! Could I love you more?”

 

Shoulder to Shoulder

Bro Vic