All week long we have had twenty-four hour coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. Terri has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990, when her heart stopped briefly due to a chemical imbalance. A glance at yesterday’s editorial page reveals how deeply divided people are about her situation. Some see her situation as her husband's ultimate act of love and compassion. By withholding the feeding and hydration tube, he is allowing Terry to die with dignity. He is fulfilling his promise that she not be kept on artificial life support. All reasonable hopes for recovery have been exhausted.
But others see her situation differently. They believe that all life is sacred. Disabled people, no matter how disabled, have value. Her parents and family love her and want the right to care for her. Terri smiles. She laughs. She responds. She talks. There may still be hope.
It is as we have been stuck between the darkness of Good Friday and the sunrise of Easter morning. On Friday Jesus was unjustly sentenced. The crowds rejected him and cheered for his crucifixion. His mother and close friends watched, in agony, as he suffered and died. Evil was incarnate. The ugliness of humanity was put on display.
On Saturday there was confusion and despair. It was as if hope itself had died on the cross. People had more questions than answers. Christ Jesus lay in the grave. Death seemed so final and irrevocable. But on Sunday Jesus rose from the grave. The Christ had gained victory over sin and death. Hope was restored. Even Friday became Good Friday!
A lot of people are living their lives on Friday and Saturday. But God wants us to live in the resurrection hope of Easter Sunday. He wants us to live in the knowledge that through Jesus Christ, sin and death has been soundly defeated.
One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is 1 Corinthians 15. At the end of this chapter the apostle Paul taunts death. He is confident and triumphant. In Christ’s resurrection from the dead there is real hope for the Christian. He declares in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NIV), "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
For you Illinois fans, you know how important hope is. With just a few minutes remaining in the game the Illini were down by double digits. But then the miracle. They pulled it out! At the end of the game the Reverend Roger Powell, one of their star players, was sporting his scripture-laced shoes, thanking Jesus for the victory! There is nothing like victory, but especially victory over something so certain as death.
Again, God wants us to live in the victory of this Easter day. In the first part of 1 Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul builds a case for the resurrection. Last Sunday night we broadcast a live debate about the resurrection. The case for the resurrection can be outlined with four words: centrality, scriptures, witnesses, impact.
The centrality of the resurrection.
The central fact is that Jesus Christ was physically resurrected, or raised from the grave. The resurrection is of first importance. Apart from the resurrection, we have nothing of relevance to say to non-Christians.
The scriptures speak about the resurrection. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection wasn’t a surprise. Long before Christ was born the scriptures predicted his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus predicted his own death, burial, and resurrection many times during his ministry.
The witnesses of the resurrection. The resurrection didn’t happen in a corner, in obscurity. People actually spoke to Jesus, they touched him, and they saw him ascend into heaven. At the time when Paul wrote this letter, there were people who could be interviewed about it. These people were contemporaries of Jesus.
The impact of the resurrection. The resurrection has changed countless lives, including the lives of Jesus’ first disciples, the apostle Paul, and many of us here today.
Consider the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 15 as Paul makes his case. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NIV) says,
- Per Centrality of Resurrection: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:. . ."
- Per Scriptures on Resurrection: ". . .that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. . ."
- Per Witnesses of Resurrection: ". . . and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
- Per Impact of Resurrection: ". . . For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."
Our Hope Hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus.
Everything you need to believe in Christ’s literal resurrection is in these first verses. Some of you don’t have hope because you haven’t explored the case for the resurrection. Maybe you’ve never taken the time or maybe you’ve been afraid to ask questions. Well, I give you permission. For the Christian, everything hinges on the resurrection. The whole of Christianity stands or falls on the basis of whether Christ’s resurrection actually happened. It is the thread that holds everything together and keeps it from unraveling.
In 1 Corinthians 15:13-19 (NIV) Paul illustrates the significance of the resurrection. "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."
The resurrection isn’t some optional belief for the Christian. Everything about our faith unravels without it. It's essential, it's foundational, and it's fundamental. Nothing is more basic to all Christianity. For Paul, the resurrection of Christ isn’t some pie in the sky belief. It has direct relevance to our lives. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV) Paul speaks of the resurrection of the dead. "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
The Christian hope is that just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also will be raised. When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We are trusting that God will raise us from the grave, just as he rose Christ from the grave.
A while back, Lara and I were with some friends down in Hillsboro. They were taking us out to eat, but they also wanted to show us around town. One of the many places we visited was a large cemetery which contained hundreds of headstones. All of the stones were nicely arranged with all of them facing the east. I asked the couple if they knew why all the headstones were facing east, because these days, not many people know why. I mentioned that Christians have long believed that Christ will appear in the eastern sky, and that when he returns there will be a bodily resurrection of all the dead, and we will be caught up in the air and meet Christ in the sky.
Matthew 24:27 (NIV) tells us that "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Christ) Christians want to be facing Christ at his return, and are buried accordingly, even to this day. It is a way for us to proclaim our resurrection hope, even in death.
The Nature of Our Resurrection Hope
In 1 Corinthians 15:35-56 Paul likens our coming bodily resurrection to gardening. Just as a seed is planted in the ground, so our bodies are laid to rest in a grave. Just as a seed we plant springs to new life, so our bodies will spring to new life. Just as a seed is given a new, more glorious body, so we will be given a new, more glorious body at the resurrection. Cemeteries aren't places of death and despair, as many presume. They are gardens of life and resurrection hope. They will be ground zero for the miracle of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:35-56 (NIV) says, "But someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor."
"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."
"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' "
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
A little fellow named Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still, his parents tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa’s Elementary School. At the age of twelve Jeremy was only in second grade, and it seemed that he was unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. But most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher.
His teacher, Doris Miller, grew more and more impatient with him. She had eighteen other youngsters to teach and Jeremy was a distraction. She thought, "Why waste my time with him? He will never learn to read or write!"
Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?" All of the children responded enthusiastically. Except Jeremy.
The next morning nineteen children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in a wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life." she explained. The next egg contained a plastic butterfly. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes this is new life too." Next, Doris found a rock with some moss on it. And she explained how the moss showed life.
When Doris opened the fourth egg, she gasped. The egg was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy’s she thought, and of course he did not understand her instructions. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren’t you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!"
Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then his Father raised him up!" During recess, Doris just cried. Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket. All of them were empty.
My fear is that many among us are living their lives on Friday and Saturday. But God wants us to live in the resurrection hope of Easter Sunday. He wants us to live in the knowledge that through Jesus Christ, sin and death has been soundly defeated. On Sunday Jesus rose from the grave. Christ gained victory over sin and death. Hope was restored for us. God turned our darkest Fridays into Good Fridays.
Romans 10:9-11 (NIV)
"…if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' "