Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: Easter: April 9, 2023

Bulletin Easter 2023

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Today is all about “good news.”  It is the good news proclaimed by the angels at the empty tomb.  He is not here; he has risen! (Matthew 28)  This is such good news that it has its own word.  The word the Church  has used through the ages for this good news is “gospel.”  “Gospel” comes from the Old English “good spell” which means “good news.”

It was the “good news” of a risen Jesus that gave the disciples the desire and the courage to go out and preach Christ to the world.  It was the “good news” of a risen Jesus that gave early Christians strength in the face of persecution.  It was the “good news” of a risen Jesus that gave the early martyrs courage to face execution, for they knew death was defeated and the risen Jesus would receive them into glory.

The 15th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is all about the “good news” of a risen Jesus and all it means for us.  Our text today is only eight verses of this chapter, but in these eight verses we get a healthy dose of this Good News!

I am going to call your attention to the gospel that I preached [literally, “gospeled”] to you…For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:  that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (v. 1, 3-4)  Paul and the apostles delivered the news.  Christianity is really just the “breaking news” from Easter morning being repeated again and again throughout the world:  “Christ died for our sins…was buried, that he was raised again.”

This is the essence of the Christian faith.  It is news…good news!  This is important.  All other religions are “instructions,” or they are “rules” or they offer “advice” about how to make yourself acceptable to God or worthy of God.  Christianity comes as news, good news:  Jesus died for your sins and rose again!  It doesn’t tell you to do anything.  It is simply the good news of what Jesus has already and completely done.

This is the news the early apostles spread.  The book of Acts in the New Testament is the story of the spread of Christianity after the risen Jesus ascended into heaven.  The full name of the book is “The Acts of the Apostles.”  It is interesting that the word “resurrection” appears more times in the book of Acts than any other book of the Bible.  The same is true of the word “rose.” Christianity spread as the “good news” of Jesus’ death and resurrection spread.

In our text, Paul includes something interesting.  He mentions some of the resurrection appearances of Jesus.  He mentions Jesus’ appearance to Cephas (or Peter).  He mentions that Jesus appeared to the Twelve.  He even mentions an appearance of Jesus to over 500 people all at once!  Paul adds that most of those 500 were still alive at that time, though some had died and gone to be with Jesus.  Paul mentions an appearance of Jesus to his own brother, James.  And then, using humble, self-deprecating words,  Paul mentions that the risen Jesus appeared to him, the stillborn child (v. 8) That was Paul’s way of confessing that he was nothing at birth!

What’s the point of the resurrection appearances of Jesus?  Why didn’t Jesus just ascend to heaven on Easter morning?  Payment for sin was finished.  Yet we are told in the opening verses of The Acts of the Apostles, He appeared to them over a period of forty days…(1:3).  Because there is nothing more solid than eye-witness testimony.  It’s pretty much an open-and-shut case when a witness says they saw the incident.  If you can get two witnesses, even better!  If you’ve got ten witnesses, and you’re the prosecutor, you’ve got a dream case!

On trial is the “good news.”  Did Jesus really rise from the dead after he died?  Paul lines up the witnesses!  You want a witness?  Talk to Peter!  Talk to the apostles!  Talk to one of the 500!  Talk to Jesus’ brother, James!  Or talk to the stillborn, Paul!  All these witnesses – and there were others – will corroborate the good news:  Jesus died and rose again!  The resurrection of Jesus is not based on flimsy evidence, or circumstantial evidence, or theory, or conjecture, or guess-work.  It is most certainly not “fake news.”  It is witness-verified good news!

What does all this mean?  Paul gets personal in our text.  He tells his readers that this “good news” of Jesus’ death and resurrection, this is the “good news” they received (v. 1), they took their stand on it (v. 1), and they are also being saved by it (v. 2).  Easter gets personal. Dear Christian, you have heard good news today.  Receive it!  Believe it!  When you hear the good news that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins, speak your “Amen.”  When you hear the good news, “Christ is risen,” say with confidence, “He is risen indeed!”  Take your stand on this good news.   Satan does not want you to stand on this good news.  He knows this is solid ground and all other ground is sinking sand.  You are safe on the good news of Easter.  He cannot have you when you stand on this good news.  He cannot accuse you when you stand on this good news. Friends, this good news saves you.

I need to be saved.  I need to be saved from me.  My sin, my guilt, my shame, my slow death – they overwhelm me.  I can distract myself as best I can for moments at a time, but reminders are everywhere.  My aches and pains remind me.  My medicine cabinet filled with prescription meds reminds me.  That cursed funeral home across the street taunts me, “See you soon!  We’ll be ready for you!”  With Paul in Romans 7, I cry out, disgusted by ME, Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)

Who will rescue you?  Jesus will!  Here’s some good news for you!  Jesus died FOR YOU!  Jesus rose FOR YOU!  Eternal life in heaven is YOURS!  Good news…good news, indeed!

Amen.