1 Corinthians 15:12-22
Now, if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is pointless, and your faith is pointless too. Then we are even guilty of giving false testimony about God because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it were true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then it also follows that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. For as in Adam, they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for Easter and the resurrection of Your Son. From the fall of man, you had given us a promise that you had a plan to save us from the destruction of our sins. Some want to diminish you by saying Jesus never rose from the dead. If he never rose, then all of what we believe is a lie, and as Paul says, we are more pitiful than all other people. Through the ages, men have given up their lives holding to the certainty of your son and our Lord’s resurrection. This is the pinnacle of all that we believe; because Jesus died and rose, we too will rise again. He took all our sins to the cross with him, then gave up his life, only to take it back up again; so that we will only see a temporal death and will be made alive through Christ. Amen
Vicar Roger Emmons
Since God does not lie, we have the added assurance with all the witnesses Jesus rose from the dead. Our Victory he won there on Calvary!