Of First Importance

We just celebrated Easter. No, not Easter; the Resurrection. "Easter" is has its origins in "Astarte," a Chaldean goddess (originally associated with the Amorites) of, among other things, sexuality. So, no, not Easter; the Resurrection of Jesus. So what? We have bunnies and eggs and candy and Spring and all that. So what about the Resurrection? Well, as it turns out, all of Christianity hinges on this point. Paul said, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor 15:17). So it's not trivial.

In Athens Paul spoke to the philosophers of the day and offered a helpful hint regarding an altar to "the unknown God." He told them,

"Having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)

Do you understand what Paul was telling them? "God will judge the world." Well, now, that's bad news. "God will judge the world in righteousness." Oh, that's even worse because we don't measure up to righteousness. "God will judge the world through a Man whom He has appointed." Paul is talking about Christ, of course. And what does Paul offer as proof of God's coming, certain, righteous judgment? His resurrection from the dead. Christ's resurrection is proof of God's judgment to come.

We're looking, then, at certain judgment from God that we cannot afford to face. This is why, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes,

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Cor 15:3-5)

"Of first importance." This message "of first importance" has three basic components. 1) Christ died for our sins. 2) Christ was buried. 3) Christ rose again. Paul includes some proofs. He died "according to the Scriptures." He was raised "according to the Scriptures." And, he offered additional proof for the astounding claim of a resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul lists witnesses. Eyewitnesses. Over 500 of them. "Most of them remain until now," he said, implying, "Go ahead and ask them." This wasn't symbolic. It wasn't mythical. It wasn't allegory. Eyewitnessed and attested to.

Some people will tell you Jesus did not die for our sins. He died to be victorious over death so we could be, too. He died as a moral example, obedient to God, so we would be obedient, too. He died to show His love. He died because of the Pharisees and the government and it was simple murder, nothing more. While some of those are valid reasons, perhaps, if they exclude the fact that He died for our sins, they miss the point. Of first importance is that He died for our sins. Miss that, and you miss the message. Of first importance is the burial because to miss that He died -- actually, physically died -- is to miss the point. And of first importance He rose again. Rising again demonstrated that there was life after death. Rising again proved that God accepted His death on our behalf. Rising again demonstrated that we could live again. Jesus took on Himself the punishment we had earned and rose again to demonstrate the success of the mission. Scripture repeatedly uses this Resurrection as a reference for the power God makes available in our lives (e.g, Acts 13:34; Rom 4:24; Rom 6:9; Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:20; Col 2:12; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Peter 1:21). It is of first importance.

Paul calls this "of first importance." Christ died for our sins. Without that, nothing follows but judgment. Christ was buried. If He didn't actually, physically die, the whole thing was meaningless. Christ rose from the dead. His resurrection affirms His promises, His propitiation, and His presence. The power that raised Him from the dead is at work in those who trust Him. If He did not rise from the dead, our faith is meaningless. Of first importance. You will certainly encounter people -- even people who call themselves Christians -- who will assure you all this is false. You can be assured they're wrong. You can be confident that He did die for your sins, was actually buried, and physically rose again from the dead in victory that we get to share. Don't miss the importance of it all.