1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Have you ever had an all or nothing deal? Perhaps you were playing poker with friends and put all your chips in. Or maybe you took a course knowing that it would either lead to your ideal career or achieve nothing. It was all or nothing. You would win massively or lose completely but there would be no middle ground. Paul is saying that the resurrection is all or nothing. It is the key to all of our faith.
Without the resurrection…
… there is no hope. Our lives is all that there is and there is no eternity. We can have no expectation for justice or restoration or that things will get better.
… there is no presence of Christ. He died and is not working with you or for you in any way.
… there is no purpose. This life is meaningless and whatever we do will ultimately fade and disappear.
… there is no forgiveness. Jesus’ death and resurrection were the victory over sin and the foundation of our relationship with God.
… there is no eternity. We will never see loved ones again, they are lost to us.
… there is no greater meaning. Anything that we lose or sacrifice in this life has no greater significance. Life is hard and that is all that there is.
However, if the resurrection is true…
… we get hope. We get purpose. We get forgiven for our sins. We get comfort, Christ is alive and still working int he world. We have significance and our choices echo into eternity. We have a mission. We are transformed. We have new life. Nothing is impossible. Nothing is too broken or too lost. The best is still to come!
The resurrection changes everything. It is all or nothing.
