The Gospel of Easter

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But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ‭‭-- I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭20‬

Easter marks the celebration and observation of Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. The period marks Good Friday when Jesus was crucified to Easter Monday when He rose from the dead.

Paul wrote about Jesus’s death and resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. He preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which he said is central to the belief of the saints. He delivered to the saints what he also received when he experienced his conversion. Paul fell to the ground when he encountered the light of Jesus Christ, on his way to Damascus to persecute the church. He heard Jesus’s voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?’ He asked the Lord to reveal Himself. He heard Him say, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” He was told to get up and head into the city where he would be told what to do next. When Saul got up, he had to be led by his companions as he was blind. He went to Damascus where Ananias was told by God in a vision to go lay hands on him so that he would regain his sight. Saul was prayed for, his sight restored and he spent some days with the disciples and then soon after started preaching the Gospel.

People were shocked that this same Saul who once wreaked havoc among the Christian’s, was now preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He continued to grow in strength and the anointing of God, and the Jews even conspired to kill him. He had to be lowered by night in a basket through the opening of the wall as the Jews watched the gates for an opportunity to trap him. He went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples there but they were initially afraid of him. Barnabas told them how Saul had encountered Jesus and was now converted and he continued to preach the gospel. There was another plot to kill him and he once again escaped to Tarsus.

Paul continued to establish churches in different cities including Corinth where he taught the saints about his experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He reminded them how Jesus was buried and raised again on the third day, according to scriptures. He was seen by Peter, then by the 12 apostles and after that by 500 brethren at once. Jesus revealed himself to James and to the apostles he revealed himself to Paul who considered himself ‘born out of due time’. (1 Corinthians 15:8)

Paul spoke to the Church about the resurrection of the dead as Jesus is preached as having been raised. He questioned how some believers didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. He argued that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ would not be alive. If Christ is not raised from the dead, then the preaching of the apostles and disciples was empty and their faith was also empty. They would even be false witnesses to preach that God raised Jesus from the dead.

If the dead do not rise, then Christ was not risen and if Christ is not risen, then their faith was futile as they were still living in sin. Those who were dead in Christ had also perished.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬) There is hope because Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who are asleep. Since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. Since all die due to Adam, all are made alive through Jesus Christ. The end will come when Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father, when He will put an end to all rule, all authority and all power.

Jesus will reign until he has put all enemies under his feet and the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. One day, like Jesus, we will have a new celestial (heavenly) body and our bodies sown in dishonor will be raised in honor. On the last day, death will be swallowed up in victory. “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”” ‭(I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭55‬) We give thanks to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This letter from Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, summarizes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God who existed in the beginning, who was born of a virgin, lived among us, was baptized and testified of by John the Baptist. He was tempted by the devil just like us and he preached the gospel, healed the sick, cleansed the leper and raised the dead. This same Jesus was denied, betrayed, persecuted and crucified for our sins. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” ‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬) Jesus’s death was not the end. He conquered death, hell and the grave. He rose up triumphant on the third day. Because of His resurrection, we are also alive in him and raised to sit with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We live and reign with Him and will continue to reign with Him when He returns after the judgment.