The Good News
April 8, 2020 - Pastor Jacob Kanda
The Good News
1 Corinthians 15:1–5 (ESV)
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
The truth never loses its power. People, however, often lose their grip on truth. The struggles in the Corinthian church made it clear to Paul that they needed to refocus their attention on the gospel. He brought his letter to a close with a vigorous proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were wandering; Paul called them back to the center. Like the Corinthians, we can’t afford to stray from Christ. Every claim about Christianity has roots in his resurrection. What we believe about this life and the afterlife depends on what Jesus did with death. God’s Word calls us back to the center. We need to remember who we are and how we became christians. We are not our own we were bought with a price. Jesus Christ gave himself so that we could have life, everlasting life (1 Peter 1:18-19; Matthew 20:28;). Our spiritual freedom comes at the price of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Yet the grave could not hold Him there, for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest news ever.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Without the truth of this message, Christ’s death was worthless, and those who believe in him are still in their sins and without hope. However, Christ as the sinless Son of God took the punishment of sin, “dying for sin” so that those who believe can have their sins removed. The phrase “according to the Scriptures” refers to the Old Testament prophecies regarding this event, such as (Psalm 16:8–11; Isaiah 53:5–6). Christ’s death on the cross was no accident, no afterthought. It had been part of God’s plan from all eternity in order to bring about the salvation of all who believe.
He was buried. The fact of Christ’s death is revealed in the fact of his burial. Many have tried to discount the actual death of Christ, from the false teachers of Paul’s day to false teachers today. But Jesus Christ did die on the cross and was buried in a tomb.
He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Christ “was raised” permanently, forever; his Father raised him from the dead. He came back to life from being a dead person in a grave “on the third day” as noted in the Gospels. This also occurred “according to the Scriptures.” Jesus had quoted the prophet Jonah: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:17) to show the connection to “three days” as prophesied in the Old Testament. Psalm 16:8–11 and Psalm 110 also foretell the resurrection of the Messiah.
(The Gospels do not explain the Resurrection; the Resurrection explains the Gospels. Belief in the Resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith. John S. Whale).
Know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news according to scripture. The question you need to ask yourself, Do you know who Jesus Christ is? Have you repented from your sins? If you know who Jesus is then you will obviously know that you are a sinner and you need Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
The greatest news ever is that Jesus gave His life for me, all I have to do is confess my sins with my mouth (my disobedience, my unbelief, my pride, my rebellion ), and believe in Jesus in my heart, (Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.) as Gods word says the greatest news ever. If you don’t know Jesus Christ He wants to get to know you. We are all unrighteousness in need of a Savior Jesus Christ is He.
God is waiting for you He is knocking on your heart. Will you surrender your heart and confess and believe in Jesus Christ? The Gift of Eternal Life is His the choice is yours.