Paul reminded the Corinthian church of the gospel, the good news, which was delivered to them. This good news is the same for us today and is the message of the Easter holiday that is celebrated at this time of the year.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV

Paul testified to the fact that Jesus had died on a cross and then was raised on the third day, just as the Old Testament scriptures had promised. Paul reminded this church of the hundreds of people who Jesus appeared to after his death. Many of those people were still alive at this time verifying what Paul was writing in this letter.

Easter is about what Jesus did on the cross and the good news that this brings to each and every person. The good news, as Paul listed it here, is

#1 Christ died for our sins as predicted by the Old Testament.

#2 He was buried and physically dead. All the chemical reactions were done.

#3 on the third day as predicted by the Old Testament Jesus was resurrected.

This resurrection is new life not undead life. This is no zombie, but life restored and better than before because it is life that has overcome death. Resurrection of this kind is an event that human effort has been unable to replicate, and is accomplished by the direct intervention of a Creator who has authority to break the rules of time space.

The resurrection is key to the life giving power of Christianity. When we die that is not the end. We are eternal beings even when the physical breaks down and dies. Yet we reject the idea that the Creator has interjected himself into the affairs of men. We reject that God will require an accounting of what we have done with the life he created in us. In Paul’s day just as in our day many people rejected the idea that a resurrection is possible. We are all stuck in the physical of time space. We focus only on the closed off system and the natural laws that rule this system. Resurrection breaks those laws and is not a repeatable event to be studied and analyzed by men. Thomas one of the disciples refused to believe the testimony of his closest friends on this matter.

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:24-25 ESV

The even more amazing thing about Thomas’ refusal to believe that Jesus was alive was that Thomas had witnessed countless times that Jesus had broken the laws of nature. Blind men seeing, the sick healed, food multiplied, and Thomas had firsthand eyewitness proof that resurrection is possible. He was there when Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead.

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go”… So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:14-16a; 41-44 ESV

If it is hard for someone like Thomas to accept that the natural laws of what is possible and what is impossible can be broken then what chance do we who live in the age of science have?

The answer is that the Creator is not subject to the laws of the creation. We are all bound to the space time container yet what separates God is that as creator he is outside of the creation and is not bound as we are to the natural laws and to the forward direction of time.

In regard to the system we live in called space time Jesus put it this way…

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Revelation 21:6 ESV

The Alpha is the first letter of the Greek Alphabet and Omega is the last letter. Jesus who is God in flesh stands outside of time; he sees and interacts with the beginning and the end at the same time. It is the only way God can be all the things that make God ever present and all powerful. He is not limited to the space time container or to the natural laws that limit the creation.

If the Creator truly interacts and has plans for his creation then choose this day what you will believe. Easter is the good news that we can be given new life, a resurrection from the dead. God is calling us to serve him and he is the Creator who is worthy of our worship. If you refuse and continue in rebellion then do not think that once you die that this container of space time is all there will be. Jesus continued…

To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8 ESV

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