If Easter Never Was
Last week was Holy Week, and in both our devotionals and podcasts, we focused on the cross of Christ. Jesus died in the darkness and, after his death, was laid in the blackness of a borrowed tomb. The stone was rolled into place and sealed, and Roman soldiers were sent to guard the body.
It was over. At least, that’s what his disciples thought.
What if they had been right? What if the stone was never rolled away? What if Jesus never came forth from the grave”
To put it another way: what if Easter never was?
This week, we are going to be answering that question, and to do so, we will look at what the apostle Paul has to say in I Corinthians 15. I want to encourage you to read the entire chapter for yourself. Oh, and feel free to email me with questions. There are some things Paul says in these verses that I won’t deal with in these devotionals, but I’ll be happy to share my thoughts on them for those interested.
So, what if Easter never was? Paul points out at least five consequences for our lives as Christians if Jesus was never raised from the dead. Today, we are going to focus on the first of those, which is . . .
WE ARE WASTING OUR TIME!
That’s what the apostle tells us in I Corinthians 15:14 where he writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
That word I’ve placed in italics, useless, is translated differently in various versions of the Bible. It refers to something meaningless. Some translations say, vain.
If Jesus Christ was never raised from the dead, Christianity is a meaningless, worthless fairy tale and we are wasting our time.
Go ahead and enjoy your Easter egg hunts, your brunches, ham and roast lamb, your family gatherings. Celebrate the arrival of Spring as the grass grows green and the flowers bloom in all their colors and glory.
Just don’t waste your life devoted to a dead, meaningless religion.
Does that sound harsh to you? It is harsh. I believe Paul meant it to be. But as the great apostle goes on to say later in this passage, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and his resurrection is just the first fruits of all who place their faith in Him.
As I close these thoughts, I want to remind you of a passage I shared in one of last week’s devotionals. In the opening verses of I Corinthians 15, Paul makes this statement —
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: 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. (I Corinthians 15:3-5)
“Of first importance.” That’s what the crucifixion and resurrection are to our faith as Christians. You can bet your life on it.
In Christ,
Dan