My Favorite Easter Story

¹ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ² and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me (1 Cor 15:1-8).

That's has to be one of my most favorite renditions of the Easter story. It catches it all. It is, first and foremost, the Gospel ... you know, the Gospel "by which you are being saved". It includes absolutely essential components: Christ died, was buried, rose on the third day, and did so all in accordance with Scripture. It includes a evidence for the skeptical: There were eyewitnesses, many of whom you can go ask. What a marvelous rendition!

Of course, there is more wonderful stuff in that chapter. Paul speaks of the absolute necessity of the Resurrection. Some today discard it. You know ... it's inconvenient to try to explain to people how someone could rise from the dead, so they throw it away. Makes us all the more acceptable, don't you know. Paul, on the other hand, assures us, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Cor 15:17). Hmm ... no small thing, then, eh? And, of course, the very fact that Christ did rise from the dead has wonderful ramifications. Here in this same chapter Paul says, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor 15:22). Christ's death took our sin, but Christ's Resurrection gave us life! That event overcame the ancient curse! Paul almost (or maybe actually does) sings, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Cor 15:55) as he extols the glory of going from perishable human to imperishable (1 Cor 15:35-57). And I simply love this line: "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Cor 15:51).

You see, in His death, Christ took our sin, but in His Resurrection, He defeated death for us, took on the imperishable, and made the way for us. Because of the Resurrection we have certainty of the defeat of death and the ultimate victory over sin -- for us. Oh, I love a good Easter story -- especially the true one!