If today you are struggling to overcome trouble, temptation, (forgiving a) trespass (by others), or trial,  a terminal disease, do you know that Easter gives you a life-changing hope?      Beyond precious family time afforded by the holidays, spending time with traditional activities, hunting for beautifully-colored eggs, Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.

In 1Corinthians Chapter 15, Paul reminds us of the gospel on which we have taken our stand (1Cor 15:1), by which we are saved (v2): that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures(v3), that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (v4). CHRIST IS RESURRECTED!

CHRIST IS RESURRECTED!  He not only appeared to His followers (1Cor 15:5-6)  but He also appeared to His staunchest opponent, Paul (Acts 9:1-5) who would become the staunchest defender of the gospel of Christ. Jesus is alive! He is who He says He is.

So what if Christ is resurrected?

Paul answers this question from 1Corinthians 15:

We have salvation (v2).

Our faith is not useless (v 14).

We are true witnesses about God (v15).

Our faith is not futile, we are no longer lost in our sins (v17).

We will bear the image of the heavenly man (Christ)  (v 49b).

Those who have died ahead are not lost, they have the true hope of being resurrected (v18). We have hope in Christ not only for this life (v 19).  In Christ, those who belong to Him will be made alive. (v 23).  Death is defeated (v26).

1Cor 15:42b The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

1Cor 15:52 ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

He will destroy all (evil) dominion, authority, and power (v. 24).  He will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. (v25).  God gives us victory through Jesus Christ!

Paul’s conclusion, the bottomline from The Resurrection of Christ:

1Cor 15:58  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

That is an encouragement to keep on keeping on in our faith.  It is a call for fixing our eyes on Jesus, setting our goal heavenward.  If today we may face difficult circumstances, we are commanded to let nothing move us from our faith. We can stand firm. We can remain steadfast and have God’s perfect peace.

Isa 26: ³ You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
⁴ Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Our Hope is alive!  What we do now may be boring, corny, look stupid, or not matter to people around us but they matter to the Lord. What we do for Him in this physical life matters for eternity. Our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What a life-changing Truth we celebrate because CHRIST IS RESURRECTED!  A Joyful Easter to you and your family! Jesus is alive!

Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word which reminds us that because You are risen, we can stand firm. We have our hope in You. Thank You for dying on the cross for us. Thank You for the eternal life You give us. Resurrection Day is a wonderful cause to celebrate!

Here is a previous post about Passover