The Power of the Resurrection of Christ
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The gospel is given in I Cor. 15:1-4, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
I. I Cor. 15:3,4 - According to the scriptures: The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ happened in fulfillment of scripture, not by happenstance.
A. The resurrection of Christ shows that He is able to take care of us after we die.
B. The resurrection of Christ shows that God has a plan to take care of us not only on this earth and when we die, but also after we die.
1. He has a plan to give eternal life to as many as come unto Him.
2. This is not to be a life of sorrow, but a life of total, complete happiness and enjoyment.
II. He arose again the third day according to the scripture.
A. Nobody has ever risen from the dead who didn't have to die again.
1. The people in the Bible who were raised from the dead all had to die again.
2. I Kings 17:17-24 - The widow woman Elijah was staying with during the drought had a son who die, and God used Elijah to bring him back to life. This child had to die once more.
3. John 11:43 - Jesus told dead Lazarus to come forth, and he came forth, wrapped head and foot with graveclothes.
a. John 12:9-11 - Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. Jesus was having a meal with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, and many came to see Lazarus, but the Jews consulted that they might put Lazarus to death.
b. Lazarus must die again.
B. Jesus Christ has come out of the grave.
C. Every other god that people worship either has no life, or never had any life.
1. There are those people who worship some part of nature, but those thing never had life.
2. There are others who worship some man, but all of those men have died, and haven't raised from the dead.
III. There are some people who say that the death and burial of Christ doesn't mean anything because he raised from the dead.
A. They say that Christ didn't really give his life for us because he took it back to Himself.
B. The point they are missing is that Christ has the power to lay down his life, and he has the power to take it again.
1. No man has this power.
2. We cannot lay down our life, nor can we take it again.
3. When we are dead, we can do nothing.
4. But when Christ died, he was still alive and able to take his life back to himself, raise from the dead, and continue living.
C. He is also able to do this for us.
1. In salvation, a person believes that they are dead in trespasses and sins - they are unable to rise above sins, but because of their total depravity, must remain forever in sin.
2. They trust Christ to take them out of their own personal sinfulness, delivering them from death, hell and the grave and giving them the same kind of life He has, which is eternal life.
IV. There are some who say that Christ didn't rise from the dead.
A. I Cor. 15:12-19 - Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 5 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
B. I Cor. 15:20-23 - But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Christ has eternal life, and we have temporary life because of the sin that Adam sinned and passed on to all humans. In Salvation, Christ gives us His kind of life, replacing our temporary life.