The Great Mystery

INTRO: Can somebody tell me which is the resurrection chapter of the Bible? Since about 2005 I have been going through 1 Corinthians 15 on the day we call Easter. This is the 11th message. Let me briefly go through the chapter as I dealt with it. I called 15:1-11 The importance of the resurrection declared. In this first section Paul has dealt with the importance of the resurrection. He showed that Jesus had been crucified and buried. But on the third day He had been raised and many people had seen Him alive, and at the time he wrote, most of them were still alive. This account was verifiable at that time.

Then in 15:12-19 he dealt with those who refuted the resurrection. He said if Christ was not raised from the dead, their preaching was empty, and so was the faith of those he was writing to. In other words, if you don't believe Christ was raised, you are wasting your time. And furthermore, that would make preachers false witnesses. He said that if Christ was not raised their faith was futile and they were still in their sins and all those who have died have perished. That is, they are in hell. And last, if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most pitiable!

I called 15:20-34, "The hope of the resurrection restated." So he says, "But now Christ is raised." If this is not true, he said, "Let us eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."

Then 15:35-50 Paul dealt with how the resurrection will take place. There were questions like; how are the dead raised and with what body do they come. We have covered that in past years.