For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… 1Cor 15:3-4
Can we be assured of the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection? Yes. The church was born by the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and its relentless testimony to the unbelieving world is the gospel of the living Lord. (Acts 2:23-24) There is another that testifies of the resurrection- Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. We expound these verses in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to see how Old Testament Scripture testifies of the resurrection, and to learn why Scripture’s witness of Jesus’ resurrection is complete, perfect, and pertinent to us today.
“For…” Verse 3 begins with the conjunction “for” to explain a key component from verses 1 and 2. The Corinthians were saved by the power of the gospel. Verses 3 and 4 is where Paul outlines the gospel message.
“…I delivered to you…” The gospel does not originate from Paul- he is simply called to deliver God’s message. (Acts 9:15) Like Paul, we are all God’s servants, called to preach Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“…of first importance…” The gospel is the doctrine of doctrines. If you were to amass all knowledge about God, yet miss the gospel, you are nothing. Jesus never condemned the Pharisees for ignorance. Without the gospel, you can not be saved. We must be absolutely clear about the gospel. It is of first importance.
“…what I also received…” Before Paul delivered the gospel, he was a believer of it. He himself experienced God’s forgiveness in the gospel. Formerly a persecutor of the church, Paul was transformed and saved by the living Lord. (Acts 26:9-11; 9:20)
“…that Christ died for our sins…” Paul emphasizes each event in the gospel, beginning with Jesus’ crucifixion. He uses the title “Christ” rather than Jesus’ name to avoid any confusion. There were many men named Jesus in Paul’s day, and Paul wanted to clearly state that the Messiah Who was anointed by God was the One crucified and nailed to a cross. (Matt 1:1)
…and that He was buried…” Paul was faithful to historical facts. Jesus was buried in a tomb like a king after He was crucified.
“…and that He was raised on the third day…” In the gospel, God perfectly fulfilled His promise to save the world. (Jn 3:16) Jesus carried our guilt to the cross and His sacrifice was accepted by God because He was raised from the dead. We can be forgiven by God for our sins through Jesus Christ.
The common denominator in these two verses is “according to Scriptures.” We can know Jesus truly was raised from the dead because Scripture reveals it. Prophets in the Old Testament declared Jesus’ death and resurrection before it happened, and Jesus was raised from the dead in order to fulfill the God’s Word. (Is 53:5,9; Hos 6:2; Jn 5:39) Scripture’s testimony of the resurrection is sure, because God’s Word can not be broken. As Scripture says, God says. (Jn 10:35; Is 55:11) Any gospel that is not according to Scripture is not the gospel at all. Manmade gospels have no power to save, because only the Word of God has the power to save and transform sinners. (Heb 4:13) We must continually wrestle and meditate on the Word of God to be transformed. As Spurgeon declared, “No one ever outgrows the Scriptures.”
Why is Scripture trustworthy? Scripture never lies, because God can not lie, nor can He be tempted to lie. (Num 23:19) Scripture is trustworthy because it is inspired- God is the ultimate source of the Bible. It is therefore inerrant and infallible- it will never mislead or deceive you. (2Tim 3:16) God’s Word is authoritative. It is sufficient and contains everything we need to know and believe to be saved and to live a life pleasing to God. Believing in Scripture empowers believers to endure trials and suffering with love and joy. (1Pet 1:8) Christians who believe in God’s Word are in the world, but are not of the world. Their joy is rooted in Christ, not in emotions or circumstances. They live by faith, choosing to depend on Christ and His Word. They seek God’s presence as they go through trials, and are therefore refined by their sufferings because they abide in the Lord. The believer’s hope is fixed on heaven, and so he presses on in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, looking forward to the new heavens and the new earth when Christ comes.
We must ask ourselves, Do I believe in Jesus’ resurrection as the Bible reveals? Jesus’ resurrection is according to the Scriptures. If our lives do not accord with the Scriptures, we must reexamine our faith. There is hope as we repent and have faith, because God’s Word is living and active today, tomorrow, and forever.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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