Why Does the Resurrection Matter — Meaning Explained

Paul stated it plainly: 'If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins' (1 Corinthians 15:17). Everything stands or falls on the resurrection. It proves Jesus' deity — He was 'declared to be the Son of God with power... by the resurrection from the dead' (Romans 1:4). It validates the gospel — the resurrection confirmed that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice: 'Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification' (Romans 4:25). It guarantees our resurrection — 'Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20). As the firstfruits guarantee a full harvest, Christ's resurrection guarantees ours. It demonstrates victory over death — 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' (1 Corinthians 15:55). It empowers present living — Paul's ambition was 'That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection' (Philippians 3:10). Without the resurrection, Christianity is a philosophy. With it, Christianity is history's most transformative event.