“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” – 1 Corinthians 15:6
Jesus rose from the dead. Paul wants us to understand that he and we have devoted our lives to a historical fact. Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, was crucified, dead, and buried. Then, He physically rose from the dead. This isn’t a fairy tale, a hallucination, or a legend created after the fact. This was a historical event that his early readers could verify by talking to any of the hundreds of witnesses who saw Jesus alive. Who saw Him eat. Who touched Him or saw others touch Him. Paul is essentially challenging skeptics to go check things out for themselves because there were so many eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus still alive at the time.
This truth is vitally important as chapter 15 explains. The physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central event of our faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, neither will we. Because Jesus rose, we who believe in Him will also rise to eternal life. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, His sacrifice wasn’t sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. Because Jesus rose, we who believe in Him are forgiven our sins and set free from guilt and shame. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we have no long-term future and should just maximize physical pleasure on earth. Because Jesus rose, our future is eternal and our greatest rewards will be in God’s presence.
Because Jesus rose, we who believe in Him have a purpose for our lives – to proclaim hope and make disciples. This mission is worth any amount of inconvenience, sacrifice, danger, and even the risk of death. This mission is greater than any person or any church because Jesus is alive and He wants many others to live with Him forever! #FollowJesus