Because Jesus Has Risen
Pastor Tan Thai · Apr 20, 2014
This Easter 2014 sermon affirms that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the indispensable foundation of Christian faith. The pastor presents three reasons why the resurrection matters for everyone: all will be raised, bodies will be gloriously transformed, and all deeds will be judged.
The sermon opens by declaring that Easter is the most important Christian celebration, even more significant than Christmas. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 15, the pastor affirms Paul's assertion that if Jesus Christ did not truly rise from the dead, then all preaching is empty, faith is useless, and believers remain in their sins. The resurrection is therefore not an optional belief but the very center of authentic Christian faith.
The first reason the resurrection matters for everyone is that because Jesus Christ rose, all people will also be raised — believers to live with Him forever in heaven, and unbelievers to face judgment. The pastor cites 1 Corinthians 15:51 on the mystery that believers will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, and uses Paul's metaphor of death as sleep to provide hope. He contrasts this hope with the despair expressed by atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell and Vietnamese musician Trịnh Công Sơn, both of whom described life as a hopeless and meaningless journey.
The second reason is that because Jesus rose, our perishable bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies, free from sickness, disability, pain, and sin. The pastor uses the elaborate tomb of Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, to illustrate that no matter how wealthy or famous a person is, the physical body ultimately decays. In contrast, Philippians 3:20-21 promises that Jesus Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
The third reason is that because Jesus rose, all work done for the Lord will not be in vain but will be examined and rewarded according to each person's deeds. The pastor cites Revelation 20:11-13 regarding the Great White Throne where all people are judged, explaining that believers are not punished but rewarded. The practical exhortation from 1 Corinthians 15:58 is to stand firm, be immovable, and always abound in the work of the Lord.
The sermon concludes by recalling how the resurrection of Jesus Christ completely transformed human history, turning doubting and fearful disciples into people of extraordinary courage. The gospel of forgiveness and resurrection spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, and today billions of people repeat the words of the angel: He is not here — He has risen.