Day 16

Completion: The Importance

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul makes it very clear: “No Resurrection. No Hope.” This is why Easter is so important. If Jesus is still in the tomb on Sunday morning, then he was just a good guy. But if the tomb is empty then what he claimed was true. He was the Son of God who had all power and authority. His victory over death shows us that and gives us hope. Not only did he claim to have authority over death but he also has the authority to forgive sins. When you combine those two claims together we have the promise in Christ that our sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s obedience and that we will live forever in eternity.


1 Corinthians 15:12–19
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that 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 futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

REFLECTION
Have you ever thought about the importance of the Resurrection and what it means to you? What have you learned after reading 1 Corinthians 15?

If someone far from God asked you this week why you celebrate Easter, what would be your response?


PRAYER:
Spend some time asking God for the opportunity to share the importance of the resurrection with someone who is close to you but far from God.