Paul speaks the gospel of Christ crucified, buried and resurrected, in the closing chapters of first Corinthians, together with a comprehensive discourse on the certainty of our bodily resurrection and the assurance we have in Him that we too have life immortal, and will rise from the grave, in the twinkling of an eye, on the day of Christ.
Without the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian faith would be in vain, for the gospel dictates that Christ died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scripture, and Paul started to name the many eye-witnesses who met with Jesus following His glorious resurrection from the dead.
He reminded them that Jesus had appeared to over 500 brothers at one time, and that many were still alive and living among them, although some had already "fallen asleep". Paul included James, Christ's own unbelieving brother, who was brought face to face with the Truth when His older brother came to him as his resurrected Lord, and no doubt showed him the nail print in His hands and wound in His side, so he would no longer doubt, but believe.
We read that all the apostles were eye-witnesses to His resurrection, and Paul even included himself in that long list of believers, who had seen the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ, for we read - "last of all, He also appeared to me". However, the first person Paul placed on the list of eye-witnesses was Peter, the big fisherman who denied His Lord three times.
Paul reminded the Corinthians of his former teachings on salvation, lest they forget, "For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve”.
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Questions:
Paul was certain just as Jesus rose from the dead - he would rise again because Jesus said so. Do you have that same certainty? Are you living your life in the light of Christ return?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you that you one the ultimate victory, help that fact affect the way I live my live now. Amen.