Power and presence

Albert Bogle April 25, 2019 0 0

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1 Corinthians 15: 19-26

19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

There is no getting away from it. Resurrection is in the Christian’s DNA. In our reading today the Apostle Paul suggests that resurrection is the deal maker or the deal breaker. If you can prove that the resurrection was all a fake then the substance of the Christian faith collapses because it is built on a lie. More than that Paul recognises that the joy of the Christian centres around the forgiveness of sins and the hope of the coming Kingdom and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Stop and think for a moment. Is Paul not right that we would be the most miserable of people if there had been no resurrection? 

But because this truth is a revelation from God. We encounter his power and presence by faith.  And more than that it is faith which is a gift from God himself. We stand amazed at the enormity of the transaction Jesus completed on the cross.

Lord,
I’m thinking for a moment
Taking time out 
From the pile of work on my desk
If I were completely honest
I don’t understand the deeper meanings 
Hidden in your resurrection story
But this I do know
There is a ring of truth in it all
It strikes a chord in me 
It gives me hope for the future
And courage to keep going 
I think the Apostle Paul was right
If there was no resurrection
What then is the point to life?
Which brings me to another question
This pile of work on my desk
Is it making like better or worse?
Mmm
I’ll leave that for another day
And answer the phone.