Scripture
By Deborah Hillman
Scripture Lesson Text: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
Related Scriptures:
Matthew 28: 1-9; Mark 16: 1-13; Luke 24: 1-49
John 20: 1-18; Acts 1: 3-4; 1 Corinthians 15: 12-28
Our lesson this week emphasizes the true gospel of a resurrected Christ in all His glory. There are three main essential points to Christ’s resurrection; they are Christ died for our sins, Christ was buried and He rose again on the third day.
Matthew 28: 1-9 speaks of two women at the tomb where an angel appears to them saying, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.” Mark 16: 1-13 tells us that Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James , and Salome went to the tomb early Sunday morning to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. These women proved themselves to be the most devoted followers of Jesus, and they were first to proclaim His resurrection. Luke 24: 1-46 recounts the scene at the tomb in more detail than either Matthew and Mark. He describes the angels as two men in dazzling apparel. “Why seek ye the living among the dead?”.
John 20: 1-18 records that Jesus appeared to his disciples, giving them peace, assurance, and knowledge that he truly had returned. Acts 1: 3-4 reminds us that scripture only speaks truth about Christ’s death, resurrection and time on earth. 1 Corinthians 15: 12-28 shows the believer that we surely have something to look forward to. That death in this life is not the end for us, because we have eternal life with God the Father.
Synopsis
By Doug Smith
1 Corinthians 15:1-11, describes the gospel as it was delivered to Paul, and as he delivered it to the Corinthian church. There were people then and now who struggle to receive God’s grace with their faith, but they are not beyond the reach of that grace. Paul showed the Corinthians belief in the gospel included belief in both the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
There will always be people who say Jesus did not rise from the dead. Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after his resurrection. We are not to be discouraged by doubters who denied the resurrection. We are filled with hope because of the knowledge that one day we all will see the living proof when Christ returns. James, Jesus’ brother, first did not believe Jesus was the Messiah but after seeing the resurrected Christ, he became a believer and ultimately a leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Paul’s most important credential to be an apostle was that he was an eyewitness of the risen Christ. Paul spoke of working harder than other apostles. This was not an arrogant boast because he knew that his power came from God and that it didn’t matter who worked the hardest. Because of his prominent position as a Pharisee, Paul’s conversion made him the object of even greater persecution than the other apostles. He had to work harder to preach the same message.
Practical Application
By Brittenne Boykin
If anyone knew both the factual nature and power of the resurrection it was the apostle Paul. He articulates and defends the resurrection of Christ by reminding the church at Corinth that this was not only a truth witnessed by more than five hundred people some of which were still in their midst (Vs.6). Paul who although now an apostle of Christ had persecuted the church relentlessly (Vs.9) had also seen Christ at his own conversion (Vs.8). Paul passionately defended the resurrection because it was a cornerstone of his faith and so it is with us.
Paul like us had incorrect beliefs, made mistakes, went charging ahead in error and was met with the love of a risen savior. Paul reminds us this week that it is the resurrection power of Christ that still works in us making us who we are (Vs.10). We too, all these years later bare witness to the accuracy and supernatural power of the resurrection that brought us who were far from God near to Him through Christ.
