The Resurrection Validates Who Jesus Is

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The Resurrection validates who Jesus is. If Jesus is not Resurrected everything about Him is invalidated. Furthermore, it invalidates who we are as followers of Christ; the passage where this truth is emphasized more than any other is in Paul’s writing of First Corinthians 15:12-19:

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

[1Co 15:12-19 NASB]

If Jesus’ Resurrection did not occur, really the cross has no value at all without the Resurrection because we cannot validate what Jesus claimed about His person and work. Why is this, because without the Resurrection the claims of Christ are absolutely invalidated by His own claims? Reese in his book on First Corinthians said,

If one fact to the contrary exists (dead bodies don’t rise). As we follow Paul’s presentation, we can see the essentiality of the future resurrection, especially when we see what follows from a denial of it. . . . There would be the same difficulty in raising Him up, as would be encountered in the raising of any other man. If no man can rise...

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...ed and glorified (the telling of the old, old story of Jesus and his love) is null and void: it is vain if Christ has not risen.

However, if Jesus is resurrected then everything we believe is validated, our Christianity, our faith. We know we can be resurrected and live again. We know Jesus has paid the consequence and we now can live with God. We know because of the Resurrection that He is worth of honor we know a life lived in faith is the best way to live your life. We know He has validated our hope for an eternal life when he your following him; the Resurrection that He who He says He is.

Bibliography

Cottrell, Jack. The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today. Joplin, MO: College Press,

2002.

Reese, Gareth L. New Testament Epistles, 1 Corinthians, A Critical And Exegetical

Commentary. Moberly, ILL: Scripture Exposition Books, 1960.

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