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Evidences of Christ’s Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
The bodily resurrection of Christ is one of the most pivotal doctrines of the Christian faith. It’s the doctrine on which Christianity stands. If you take away the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection, there’s no Christianity. If you say that Christ didn’t rise from the dead, there’s no reason to believe all his other teachings. There’s no reason to believe the gospel. Because the resurrection is intrinsic to the gospel. The argument goes like this – “Every man is a sinner. Sin leads to death. Christ came to save men from death by dying for their sins. When there’s no sin, there’s no death. Christ had no sin, so he conquered death and was resurrected. Those whose sins have been removed by Christ will also one day be resurrected from the dead.” It’s logical. But if Christ didn’t resurrect, then he has no power over death and sin. If he has no power over death and sin, then our sins aren’t forgiven. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” This is logical deduction.
But despite that biblical logic, there are many who call themselves Christians who don’t believe in Christ’s resurrection. They’re not Christians, but liberals who’ve accepted the theories of the world. One states that Christ never really died – he fainted and was presumed dead. So when he came to, it seemed like he resurrected. Another states that the disciples made up the whole thing – it was a conspiracy. Christ was still dead, but they stole the body. Another says that Christ didn’t resurrect physically, but if you believe in him, he’s resurrected in your heart. We often think such liberalism is a modern phenomenon. It isn’t. It was also present in Paul’s time. There were those in the church who believed in pagan ideas. As such, they denied Christ’s resurrection and the bodily resurrection of believers. So Paul had to tell them that Christ’s resurrection of Christ was true and historical, backed by testimony. Similarly, we know that Christ resurrected from the dead by faith. But our faith is based on 2 evidences, which we will explore today. Firstly, Christ’s resurrection is evidenced by Scripture and eyewitnesses. Secondly, Christ’s resurrection is evidenced by changed lives of the believers.
Firstly, Christ’s resurrection is evidenced by Scripture and eyewitnesses. The Corinthians were being influenced by pagan teaching. Remember? They looked up to the wise and philosophical of the world. And since the Greeks didn’t believe in bodily resurrection, this influenced the church. Even in Christ’s time, the Sadducees in Israel - the ruling class which included the High Priest’s family - had been influenced. And they didn’t believe in physical resurrection. This was a common theme in the gospels. So this idea was being tossed around in church and caused many to doubt the resurrection. So Paul had to assure them that what he taught them, what they’d received, and believed in, and stood on; was the good news that led them to trust Christ for salvation. And the resurrection doctrine was part of that gospel. Not only I believe in God the Father, almighty maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son our Lord - but I believe in the resurrection. They needed to believe the Scriptures - that prophecies were fulfilled.
He said in verse 1-2 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved.” And it wasn’t something he had invented; whatever he had taught them, he had also received. Verse 3 makes that clear – “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received.” And Paul didn’t receive it from a man, but he received it from Jesus Christ himself. He said in Galatians 1:12 that he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ himself. And what he received, he delivered. He preached it. That was his aim. Hence, there was nothing original in what he preached. Spurgeon said, “The preacher does not make the gospel. If he makes it, it is not worth your having. Originality in preaching, if it be originality in the statement of doctrine, is falsehood. We are not makers and inventors; we are repeaters, we tell the message we have received.”
The content of his message is seen in verse 3-4 - “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” What’s the content? Christ died for sins, he was buried, and he resurrected. The phrase “according to the Scriptures” is mentioned twice. It says that Christ’s work was planned from all eternity and had been prophesied. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 speak about his death - that he’d be beaten and pierced. Other verses refer to his resurrection, like Psalm 16:10, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Very clearly, Christ wouldn’t remain in the grave or decay; this referred to his resurrection. And just as Jonah was in the fish’s belly for 3 days, our Lord was in the grave for 3 days. He even prophesied in Matthew 16:21 that he’d rise on the third day. That’s exactly what happened. Now why did Paul bring this up? Firstly, it makes it clear Christ’s death and resurrection were spoken of hundreds of years before his birth. And secondly, it makes clear the Scriptures were remarkably fulfilled. They were evidence.
There was a university professor, Peter Stoner, who calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. Firstly, he calculated the probability of a man being born in Bethlehem, as Micah 5:2 predicted. According to his calculations, he concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was 1 in 300,000. Then he took the other prophecies concerning his birth, death, and resurrection – about 8 of them and concluded that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was 1 in 10^17. That’s 1 with 17 zeros behind it. Here’s how he illustrated it. If you take that number in 50 cent coins and placed all of them on the ground, it would cover an area the size of France 60 cm deep. Blindfold a man and ask him to find one specific coin. The chance of him doing it is 1 in 10^17. 1.7 sextillion! The fact that the resurrection fulfilled the Scriptures is an evidence of its truth.
But Paul gives another evidence for the truth of the resurrection. Eyewitnesses saw. And in verses 5-8, he said that Christ appeared to different people – Cephas, the other twelve, over 500 brethren, some of whom were still living at the time of the writing of 1 Corinthians, James, all the apostles, and Paul himself. So the message wasn’t original to Paul – all these people would’ve taught the same thing because they were witnesses. Eyewitness testimony is one of the means that the court uses to verify truth. 2 or 3 witnesses, like 2 or 3 tongue speakers or prophets we saw last week. Let’s see to whom Christ appeared. We see in verse 5 that the Lord made a special appearance to Peter. This is alluded to in Luke 24:34. Then he appeared to the twelve. This was probably the first meeting in the upper room. Of course, there weren’t twelve, because Judas had killed himself and Thomas wasn’t there, but the name “Twelve” is used as a figurative title to talk about the special circle of disciples Jesus had. Then the Lord met with over 500 brethren at one time. And even though some had already died, many of them were still alive at that time. And this was a great testimony of the truth of the resurrection. Don’t ask me, ask those who saw for themselves! They know he rose from the dead. I like watching historical documentaries - there will always be eyewitnesses interviewed. In the Nuremberg Trials there were 403 open sessions and over 100 witness accounts. And the result was a verdict. This is the same here. If we can believe anything in history, we can believe the reliable and confirmed testimonies of many eyewitnesses.
Of course, theological liberals would say he fainted, and he was revived. Just imagine being beaten, whipped with Roman cat of nine tails, crucified for 6 hours, embalmed, and buried in an airless tomb for 3 days - if you could be revived from that, you surely couldn’t walk around and talk to people. Some others say that the disciples made the whole thing up. After all, they were his supporters. But we learn in verse 7 that he also appeared to James and Paul. Now, this is significant. Both these men were NOT initial supporters of Christ. James was his half-brother, and what we learn in the gospels is that his brothers were hostile. John 7:3-5 states clearly his brothers chased him away because they didn’t believe him. Yet James became a prominent church leader - and gave his life for the gospel. It must’ve meant that what he saw, changed him completely. Same with Paul. He was a persecutor turned martyr. Why would they give their lives for a lie? The fact that there was a complete change showed the resurrection of Christ was true. And the fact that the apostles went through so much persecution showed the truth of the resurrection. They saw.
And they were changed. That’s the second point - Christ’s resurrection is evidenced by changed lives of the believers. While the fulfillment of prophecy and eyewitnesses testimonies are strong, so are the changed lives of believers. What kinds of changes? Sin will be recognized. And this is remarkable because people don’t want to acknowledge sin. John 3:20 says, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” But those who are changed will acknowledge. Blessed are they that mourn for their poverty of spirit and come meekly to Christ, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Isaiah cried - woe is me, for I am an unclean man dwelling in the midst of an unclean people. Peter cried - depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man. And we see the same with Paul himself. He says in verse 9 that he was the least of the apostles - not even worthy to be called an apostle. Why? Because he persecuted the church. Paul remembered how he sinned against Christ. In another passage, 1 Timothy 1:15, he called himself the chief of sinners. There, he admitted that he used to be a “blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
What did Paul do? He began life as a Pharisee. And when Christians were preaching the gospel in Damascus, Paul got arrest warrants from the high priest. It was so he could coerce them back to Jerusalem to stand trial as heretics. Paul was also present during Stephen’s stoning. In fact, he approved of it and instigated his execution. In Acts 26:11, Paul described how extreme he was – “And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.” Paul was so cruel in his persecution that he succeeded in causing Christians to blaspheme. Sometimes the torture was so horrific and they so weak, that not a few in their weakness publicly denounced Christ. They blasphemed him. Remember Peter who denied Christ thrice? Even Thomas Cranmer initially denied the gospel.
But yet, when the risen Christ appeared to Paul, his life changed. What kind of change? Not just an admission of sin, but a total transformation of character. From being chief persecutor to chief promoter. Paul may have been a sinful mess when Christ found him, but Christ didn’t leave him that way. Because of God’s mercy and grace Paul became a great missionary, preacher, and theologian. We see in verse 10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul labored more than the others. People value output in work - and Paul attributed his great output to the grace of God. One can’t receive God’s grace without being changed by it. The post-Christ Paul was so different from the pre-Christ Paul. He was a forgiven, cleansed, loved, and loving man. And what Paul was, wasn’t out of his own abilities or efforts. It was purely out of God’s grace. That’s why he says in verse 10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” Out of his union with Christ, through the grace shown to him, he put off the old man and put on the new man. He loved Christ so much that he obeyed the Lord Jesus.
There’s a wonderful story concerning this verse told of John Newton - that once notorious slave trader. A few years before John Newton died, a friend was having breakfast with him. Their custom was to read from the Bible after the meal. Because Newton’s eyes were growing dim, his friend would read, then Newton would comment briefly on the passage. That day the selection was from 1 Corinthians 15. When the words “by the grace of God I am what I am” were read, Newton was silent for several minutes. Then he said, “I am not what I ought to be. How imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be, although I abhor that which is evil and would cleave to what is good. I am not what I hope to be, but soon I shall put off mortality, and with it all sin. Though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was: a slave to sin and Satan. I can heartily join with the apostle and acknowledge that by the grace of God I am what I am!” Dear brethren, this is an evidence of grace in our hearts. This is evidence that Christ has resurrected. It’s a changed life. It’s a life that rejoices in what God has done, and sorrows in what we lack in. At the end of his life, John Newton said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”
A Christian confesses the resurrection. But it’s more than just reciting the Apostles’ Creed. A true confession possesses Christ and all the benefits of his salvation. It pursues after true godliness. Verses 1-2 say, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” What’s Paul saying? He was warning them - you say you’ve heard, received, and believe the gospel. But do you really? By the gospel you’re saved - IF you continue to believe it, unless your faith is a false one. But how were they living? Self-gratification, litigation, fornication, factions, insubordination, competition, superstition, dissension, etc.
Beloved, how do we apply this? Paul said they believed the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection that led to salvation. A salvation that would affect their lives. But had they believed falsely? According to the passage, we must also ask that. Do you persevere in the gospel, letting the resurrection affect your entire life? Are you transformed? Or have you, like they imbibed a pagan worldview? If you believe that you’ll live bodily in the new heavens and new earth, it affects your thinking and life. It affects your views on sex - how you have it. It affects your views on food - how much to eat. It affects your views on body image - your satisfaction in how God made you. But we’re weak - so we must be transformed by the teaching of Christ’s resurrection. Similarly, it should guard our minds against pagan ideas like evolution - that we’re just animals; or neo-marxism - like critical race theory; or psychology - I can’t change because I have a diagnosis; or woke ideology - what I feel I am is what I am. But the gospel informs us that we’re not just a biological body, but we possess a spirit; in Christ, we’re all one people - who’ve sinned against each other, but more so God who redeemed us; and though we have deep emotional struggles, we’re not without hope - we can change as new creatures in Christ; and the Word assures us that God has created us in his image - male and female, but sin has broken us - but Christ’s resurrected body assures us we can be the men and women that God made us to be. But some of us are soft on the gospel. We’re affected by paganism. But if you proclaim the gospel - its power to transform, how have you let it transform you? How have you loved the kingdom? How’s your prayer life? How’re you growing in love for spiritual things? How’ve you been serving in Christ’s kingdom? Has your faith in Christ and his resurrection transformed you? Or have you believed in vain?
Christ’s resurrection proves he lived a righteous life. And that life is ours. He gives us power to live righteously with a transformed mind. Yes, we’re not what we ought to be, nor what we wish to be, or what we hope to be - but we’re not what we once were. We can abhor evil and cleave to good; and one day because Christ has resurrected, we will put off mortality with all its sin. So let us come to Christ for help as we struggle with sin, the devil, and the world. Let us be assured that our struggle will not be in vain - we’ll rise up to a perfect life because Christ resurrected.
1. The Resurrection Is Evidenced by Eyewitnesses and Scripture
A. Prophecy fulfilled
B. Eyewitnesses saw
2. The Resurrection Is Evidenced by Changed Lives of the Believers.
A. Sin recognized
B. Character transformed
- Am I certain I’m a Christian? Do I believe the gospel and has the knowledge of Christ resurrection led to a holy life? Reflect on John 5:25; 2 Tim 1:12; and 1 John 5:9-13. How do these verses relate to assurance of salvation?
- How do I view my past and present sins (15:9)? Like the apostle Paul, do I see my sin for what it really is? How am I struggling well, knowing my own future resurrection?
- Do I work hard for the Lord (15:10)? What would those who know me say? How can I labor more efficiently for Christ? Where can I serve Him more effectively?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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