Jesus’ 33 years on this earth impacted the world in such a way that time itself was divided before and after Christ. However, many have denied his resurrection from the beginning. This is the context in which Paul wrote chapter 15. This chapter is a defense and explanation of how vitally important the resurrection of Christ is for our faith. Without the resurrection our preaching is in vain. Corinthians 15:13-14 tells us,
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. First (New American Standard 1995)
God’s plan for humanity has been under attack from the very beginning. It was through the disobedience of Adam and Eve that death came into humanity. That problem needed fixing; Jesus fixed that problem with his resurrection. He became the sacrificial lamb. We must add that the cross completely fooled the devil, the resurrection was a total surprise for the devil and his kingdom. First Corinthians 2:8 tells us,
None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (NIV)
Obviously, the devil regrets killing Christ. The devil realize that the power of Christ’s resurrection was the key to the redemption of the world. That same power is available for you and me today. Happy Resurrection Sunday!
