HE AROSE!

The Empty Tomb

• The greatest evidence of Christianity!– The atheist, agnostic, nor unbeliever can answer

the dilemma of the empty tomb.– Many ideas have been advanced about the empty

tomb, but all have failed.– The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our

faith and hope!

Explanations for the Empty Tomb

• The followers of Jesus took the body– Risk their lives for what they knew to be false?

• The enemies of Jesus stole the body– Why not produce it at Pentecost, and end it?

• Jesus merely appeared to be dead– The soldiers thought him to be dead, and buried

him. He still had to roll the stone away, and walk past the guards unnoticed.

The Only Plausible Explanation

• HE AROSE! HE AROSE! HALLELUJAH, CHRIST AROSE!– “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”

(Lk.24:5)– “He is not here; he is risen” (Matt.28:6)

• “Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus, my Savior; he tore the bars away, Jesus, my Lord”

What if there be no resurrection?

• Have you ever stopped to consider if there were to be no resurrection of the dead?

• Some in Corinth were guilty of teaching that there was no resurrection.

• They had failed to consider the ramifications of such teaching.

• Paul calls their attention to some things which follow if their teaching was correct.

IF there is no resurrection from the dead, THEN we have…

An UNRISEN SAVIOR

• If there be no resurrection from the dead, then we follow a religion that does not bear a distinguishing mark.– “then is Christ not risen” (1 Cor.15:13)– The resurrection sets Christianity apart– It is not morality, or devotion, or piety– The Muslim, the Hindu, the Mormon, the Christian

Scientist, etc. follow leaders who are dead and buried

USELESS PREACHING

• If there be no resurrection of the dead, then preaching loses its effectiveness, it good news– “then is our preaching vain” (1 Cor.15:14)– The gospel is comprised of the death, burial AND

resurrection– 1 Cor.15:1-4– To take away the resurrection is to take away one

of the central tenets upon which our faith is built– What news is so good about a dead Savior?

An UNFOUNDED FAITH

• If there be no resurrection, our faith has been built upon a falsehood– “Your faith is also vain” (1 Cor.15:14)– We have been building our spiritual houses on the

sand of lies and deception (Matt.7:24-26)– Our faith is not built upon evidence (Heb.11:1),

but upon a hoax.

An UNTRUE TESTIMONY

• If there be no resurrection of the dead, then the testimony of inspired men CANNOT BE TRUSTED!– “we are found false witnesses” (1 Cor.15:15)– The apostles and faithful saints of the 1st century

were propagating a fraud– Nothing these men said or wrote would be

credible/believable

UNFORGIVEN SINS

• If there be no resurrection of the dead, then we remain in our sins!– “ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor.15:17)– While Jesus made the sacrifice for our sins, there

would be no one to make the offering in the presence of God for us.

– The way to God would be closed (Heb.10:19-25)!

UNENDING SEPARATION

• If there be no resurrection of the dead, then our departed loved ones are forever lost to us– “then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ

are PERSISHED” (1 Cor.15:17)– Death would prove to be the end of it all– We would have no hope, no comfort at the

passing of a loved one– “we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor.15:19)

HE AROSE!

• 1 Cor.15:20

“BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE

DEAD”

We serve a RISEN SAVIOR!!!

• The resurrection of Jesus is overwhelming proof of his divinity– Rom.1:4– “declared to be the Son of God WITH

POWER”– Acts 1:1-3– “To whom also he showed himself

alive after his passion by MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS”

Therefore…

- 1 Cor.15:5-8• He was seen of Peter, then the 12• He was seen of over 500 brethren at once• He was seen of James, and other prominent Christians• He was seen by Paul

Therefore…

• The foundation of our faith, the cornerstone, is the resurrected Christ– 2 Pet.1:16– “we have not followed cunningly

devised fables”– 1 Pet.1:18-25– “who by him do believe in God,

that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

Therefore…

• Jesus rose to be our Avocate with the FatherI John 2:1-2“My little children, these things write I unto you,

that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Therefore…

• We have the promise of life beyond this life!– 1 Cor.6:14– “And God hath both raised up the

Lord, and will also raise us up by his own power”– Acts 17:30-31– “whereof he hath given assurance

unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead”– We have hope of a great and glorious reunion

with those who have gone on before!– 1 Thess.4:13-18– “wherefore, comfort one

another with these words”

What does this mean for you?