SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I CORINTHIANS 12-15

Ressurection - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 There are many different beliefs about life after death in our culture: Annihilation: There is no afterlife Buddhism: after death you lose your identity into the ‘formless’ and ‘nameless’ beyond Traditional Christian/Muslim: Paradise or heaven awaits Reincarnation. Believing in ‘karma’ means that one must return in a different body to pursue the next stage in ones destiny. How you do in this life determines how you will return. Spiritualism: Ghosts, spirits and contacting the dead.

However 1 Cor 15 says RESURRECTION is the central affirmation of Christianity after death – it’s why Paul, who writes this letter is so clear. 1 Cor 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

If there is a weakest link in the chain of Christianity – here it is.  The Resurrection of Jesus.  Because our faith and hope for the future stands or falls on whether or not it happened.  The bible even affirms that fact.  1 Cor 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

One only need to provide the bones of Christ, and all of this collapses like a house of cards. If Christ stays in the tomb, then nothing has been achieved, a good man has died and that’s it. But if he rises and still lives – then no one has ever done that and that proves a whole ton of things about the Christian faith has massive implications for everyone.

Historical Evidence for the Resurrection:
1) Resurrection was Totally Unexpected.
2) The Witnesses were Women!
3) Mistaken identity:
4) Empty Tomb.
5) Jesus didn’t die:
6) Jesus only appeared to people who believed in him?
7) The accounts were biased or incorrect.
8) No shrine:
9) the Sabbath Shifting

The best historical explanation is that Jesus of Nazareth having been thoroughly dead and buried, was raised to life on the third day with a renewed body (not just a resuscitated corpse) and appeared to many different people.  Now, I realise it is still possible for you to say, “I don’t have a great explanation for the empty tomb and the resurrection appearances but I still maintain my belief that people don’t rise from the dead and so something else must of happened.” That’s fine, but can you see, your putting your faith in something other than the logical facts or evidence of the events.  That may be a shock to you but are you sure your putting your faith in the right things?

Christians have this wonderful hope that is far bigger than just going to heaven when you die.
God is interested in this life, this world. 

All Christians are called to bring resurrection and restoration to this dying, decaying world and look forward to the job getting completed at the end of time.  If Christ really does rise again, it means the worst that life can throw at you - Hardship, trouble, evil, even death, has been defeated. If you trust him, you get to benefit both now and in the future.

Questions:
What are the most commonly held beliefs about life after death with your friends?
What happens when a Christian dies? Where do they go and where do they end up?
How does Jesus’ resurrection impact your life?
What do think of the evidence for a physical resurrection?