Is Good Friday not enough?
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Introduction
Today, on Easter Sunday, we should be singing from the rooftops - shouting aloud, Jesus Christ is alive…he has risen from the dead and he’s alive.
And that’s kinda what we do, although being Presbyterian we don’t do rooftops terribly well.
But Easter Sunday is a great day of celebration because we celebrate the day when our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ was found not to be in the tomb, but instead he had risen from the dead.
Risen from the dead...
But that’s not typical. That’s not something you see every day, is it? People don’t just rise from the dead in every day life - neither did they in Jesus’ time, except for a few cases.
But it got me thinking - why did Jesus rise from the dead? Did he need to rise from the dead?
Because on Good Friday he died on the cross and he paid the price for sin - so surely when he cried ‘it is finished’ it WAS finished…why the need for him to come back to life again? Surely Good Friday and what happened on Good Friday is enough…is it not?
If Jesus’ purpose on earth was to pay the price for our sin, then that was accomplished on Good Friday…why didn’t he just go back to the Father in heaven and job done?
Why did he need to rise again…or did he need to rise again?
Pause
In the passage we read out earlier, Paul is kinda addressing this issue to those in Corinth.
There were some in Corinth who said that once you’re dead, you’re dead...
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
These people were more than likely influenced by the Sadducees, who were a group of religious people back then who did not believe in the afterlife or the resurrection of the dead. This thought had infiltrated the Christian church in places and people were saying that the dead can’t be raised.
And Paul wants to set the matter straight. And he does it in two ways…first of all, he lists some of the people who had seen Jesus AFTER his crucifixion, and then he tackles their argument from a theological point.
Pause
So verses 1-11 are pretty much a list of people whom Jesus met with after he rose from the dead. Peter, the other disciples, James, 500 other people…500 other people - people who were able to testify to what they had seen...
“Hey, you’ll never believe who I saw…Jesus Christ…If I hadn’t seen him with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.” Now, multiply that by 512 and then some, and you’ve got a lot of weight behind that.
And not only did Jesus appear to these people, he first appeared to Mary. And there’s a plan in this…
Because the first people to testify to the fact that Jesus had risen were women…And if you’re making this story up, you would not have a woman being the first to testify about Jesus rising from the dead.
A woman’s testimony wasn’t taken in court because they were considered so unimportant.
So these events were NOT made up, cos if they were, a woman wouldn’t feature in the testimony.
Pause
So Paul explains how Jesus has appeared to all these people, and lastly to himself.
Now, look at the verse on the screen again… Paul says, ‘if all these people are proclaiming and testifying that Jesus was raised from the dead, why on earth are some people saying that the dead don’t rise?’
And so Paul takes their argument and takes it to absurdity...
Ok, so if you’re saying that the dead aren’t raised, then logically speaking, Jesus couldn’t have been raised either...
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
And if that is the case then why on earth am I wasting my time preaching to you about following Jesus who never rose from the dead? And more than that - it that’s the case, then your faith is in vain…you are believing in nothing.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
In fact, Paul takes it further in verse 17...
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Not only is your faith in vain, it’s futile - it’s worthless… and because it’s worthless it doesn’t have the power to save you from your sins.
Because, don’t forget, it is by grace that we have been saved, THROUGH FAITH…so if our faith is futile and in vain and worthless then we are NOT SAVED, because it is our faith alone in Christ alone that saves us.
Pause
So Paul is saying to these people - if you seriously are saying that the dead don’t rise, then Jesus didn’t rise either, and if that’s the case then what you’re believing is false and worthless and you’ve got a problem, because you’re still in your sins because you don’t have a meaningful faith.
In fact, Paul takes it even further...
19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.
Pause
What Paul is saying is this...
Think of other religions and cults around the world…people who believe in some sort of deity - in fact, let’s make one up right now.
Let’s say that I start a religion that believes that football is a god to be worshipped. And that when you watch football you’re worshiping this football god whose teams are his servants on earth, and the goal of life is to immerse yourself in football and everything about football.
Now if that is your goal and your hope in life, that you watch and maybe even play good football, then you are to be pitied more than anyone else…because, we all know that when life is over and you’re dead, there’s no more football for you.
Now, I made that up....but it’s not far from the truth - look at all the people who worship at football stadia around the world, especially in the UK on the football sabbath.
Look at all the people who devote their life to football, who ignore their families on football sabbath because they are worshiping the match. Look at the people who ignore worship of God because they are playing football on a Sunday, worshipping the football god.
It’s not far from reality, but when those people die and they realise that the football god does not exist, then they’ve got a problem.
And so, for people like that, if football is their only hope and goal in life, they are to be pitied.
Same with people who worship money...
Whose hope in life is to have more money and to not have to worry about money - people who want to be successful so they can accumulate more money.
If that is their only hope in life then they are o be pitied the most.
Pause
Can you see what Paul is saying here?
If Jesus did not rise from the dead and therefore we don’t either, then this life is all we have and we are to be pitied. That’ why Paul says in verse 32...
32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
If I put myself through torture with no hope of anything more than this life then what’s the point, Paul says. In fact, if that is the case, let’s just get wasted and have a ball in this life because when we die, we die, and that’s it. So let’s stop preaching the gospel. let’s stop ministering to people…let’s just quit it all and eat and drink and be merry because what’s the point? Tomorrow we die and there’s nothing after that.
Pause
Like I said, Paul is taking this to absurdity, because the truth is that Jesus DID rise from the dead. He appeared to all these people who testify to the fact, and not only that, it is BECAUSE he rose from the dead that makes our life have a point. Our lives our pointless if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead.
Pause
Back to the question earlier…Was Good Friday not enough?
Paul has answered that for us in many ways...
Jesus rose from the dead to show us that resurrection from the dead is a real thing and he is the firstfruits of that…in other words, he was the first of many to be resurrected.
But also, as one commentator wrote, the death and resurrection of Jesus should be seen as a seamless act. Jesus’ death frees us FROM something and his resurrection frees us FOR something.
Because Jesus’ death frees us from sin. It frees us from our old life and the bondage we had to sin. And his death frees us from that.
But he resurrection frees us for a life in Christ…It frees us FOR our eternal life with him.
Because, and this is the crux of the matter…Paul continues later in this chapter...
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
In other words, sin causes death… it was because Adam and Eve sinned in the garden that death came into the world as a consequence of sin. That’s why people get sick and die - it’s the consequence of sin.
And we can’t escape death - nobody can. It’s the only sure thing in life.
But if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead then the power of sin would NOT be broken. If Jesus stayed dead then death would not be defeated. And Death would have had the victory.
But thanks be to God that he rose Jesus from the dead, defeating death - taking the victory over death. And because Jesus lives, he is the hope and the certain assurance that we will live too…that even though we die, if we die in Christ, we shall live, with new resurrection bodies, like Jesus had.
That’s why Jesus had to rise from the dead, because death cannot and does not have the victory over us…and Jesus’ resurrection secured that victory for anyone who has given their lives to Jesus Christ.
Long Pause
So, in Hillhall, perhaps more than other places, perhaps not…we have a lot of deaths. Paul and I are witnessing people pass away on almost a weekly basis.
And it is so sad to see this happen…and you grieve with the family, and your heart goes out to them.
However, there are two types of people at funerals...
There are those who have given their lives to Jesus Christ, and there are those who worship another god - whatever that might be…but they don’t worship Jesus and they haven’t given their lives to Jesus.
In other words, there are those who are IN Christ, and there are those who OUTSIDE of Christ.
And when death comes, those in Christ have a hope, if their loved one was also in Christ…they have a hope that death is not the end for this person…They have a hope, born out of Easter Sunday…
...they have a hope that because Jesus was raised from the dead, their loved one will also rise and get a new resurrection body and will spend eternity in a place where there is no sin or death or sickness or tears.
And while they grieve, they do not grieve as those without hope, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
These people have a hope…and it stems from the resurrection of their Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.
Pause
But at times, we get a call from a family, and we can’t honestly say where they stand with Jesus, but it appears that they haven’t given their lives to Jesus…and they grieve in a different way, because they don’t have the hope that we have.
And I’ll not go into more detail…but this is why we preach the gospel week in week out. This is why we urge people to give their lives to Jesus…and it’s down to Easter Sunday.
Because when people fully trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins they will also trust in Jesus for eternal life - a share in the resurrection glory…and that’s a hope worth having.
Pause
And also, before we close, Jesus’ resurrection is a reminder to roll up our sleeves and serve the Lord as he has commanded us to do. Because, as Paul says, what’s the point of serving God and beating yourself into the ground for the gospel if the dead don’t rise… if there’s no hope in the future?
So I want to encourage you to serve God…and for those who ARE serving - when it feels like you’re beating yourself into the ground and wearing yourself down and for what??? Remember, that there is everything to gain by fighting the beasts at Ephesus, like Paul did.
So whatever beasts you’re fighting in your service for Jesus, remember, there’s a point to it all - you’re part of Jesus’ work of changing lives and saving souls....and it’s not in vain, because Jesus rose from the dead…You’re giving people a future…you’re giving people a hope.
Pause
Jesus Christ rose from the dead, according to the scriptures. He was seen by many people who testify to that fact… and because he lives, death is defeated and it has no victory over anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ. Because he lives we know that we, too, shall live.
Because he lives we, too, have the victory over death - and so while we may pass away, we have a sure and certain hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ, with a perfect resurrection body that will suffer no more.
Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross, and it is his death AND resurrection that gives us life and hope and it’s what gets us through our lives…knowing that this life is not the end…it’s only the beginning.
Let’s pray.