The Mega Appearance: Part II (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
Rev. William L. Barron, May 12, 2019Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Jesus appeared to more than 500 at one time and to some of the other apostles. He also appeared to Paul. Paul emphasizes the importance of the resurrection. Paul referred to the gospel that Jesus related to the disciples and also later to Paul. “Gospel” means good news. We needed this good news because of the bad news of sin that separates us from God. The gospel is more than just getting us saved. There is a present and future aspect to the Gospel. Jesus’ death and resurrection was the fulfillment of the covenant of works. The gospel leads us in how to live now and in the future. How do we live as saved people? Jesus Christ died, He was buried and He was raised from the dead. For man, death was not normal; it came as a judgment with the Fall. Some people live in denial of death. Some think they can overcome it, as with Ponce de Leon seeking the fountain of youth, or Houdini. Christians do not deny death; they deal with it head-on. We believe that Jesus really did die. The Romans and Jews were convinced that Jesus was dead. They buried Him, yet He arose in the third day. This fact was testified to by hundreds of witnesses. At the writing of the epistles to the Corinthians, many of these witnesses were still alive. Jesus prophesied His resurrection. He pointed to it beforehand as a testimony to His authority. The term Apostles meant one who was with Jesus from the beginning. A second criterion was one who witnessed the risen Christ. Paul witnessed this on the road to Damascus. Paul, the persecutor of the Church, became an apostle by the grace of God. James, Jesus’ brother, a doubter, became a believer and leader of the Church in Jerusalem as a result of Jesus’ appearance to him. Five hundred witnesses is a staggering number. Salvation is a free gift that justifies us before God. Now, we need to live it out. This process is also of grace. The gospel is applied to us on a daily basis. He is always faithful to forgive those who have placed their trust in Him. Christ died for all that God has called to Himself. Those are the ones who will respond. This frees us from guilt; there is no condemnation. The resurrection is the proof that Jesus has defeated death. The resurrection is the gospel power by which we live today and for eternity. We have assurance and can live a different life.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « By The Sea | None | Sovereign: God Is Lord Over All » |
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (Listen)
15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
(ESV)