A Gospel Presentation
I Corinthians 15:1-11
The Resurrection is the doctrine that sets Christianity apart from all other religions. There is no denying the fact that Muhammad lived, but he died and remains dead today. Buddha once lived but he died, and that fact will never change. Joseph Smith, Charles Russell & Mary Baker Eddy all remain in their graves. After His death on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus’ body was placed in a borrowed tomb, but three days later He rose from the grave, and He lives forevermore.
Before His death, Jesus proclaimed to His disciples that He would rise from the grave and that is exactly what He did. In our selected text Paul states that the Resurrected Christ was seen by James, Peter, the rest of the Apostles, over 500 witnesses at one time and even by Paul himself.
These verses do more than describe the work of Christ and the importance of the Resurrection, they give us a clear summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In church life we hear a lot about the Gospel, but what exactly does that word mean? The word Gospel literally means "Good News". Sometimes, in order to truly appreciate "good news" you must also endure some really bad news. That is the case concerning the good news of Jesus Christ. The bad news is that many years ago in the Garden of Eden, Adam rebelled against God. This rebellion brought death, suffering and separation from God into this world. That sin has been passed down throughout the ages and each of us are guilty before God.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned
The Bible also says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That is some really bad news! Unfortunately I have some news that is even worse. The consequences of sin bring physical and spiritual death. Furthermore, because we have sinned, we deserve to be punished by spending eternity in a Lake of Fire. To make matters worse, there is absolutely nothing that we can do about our sin.
Thankfully, I do have some good news, the good news is that God has done something that we would never do. Though "the wages of sin is death", it is also true that "the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!"
God sent His only son, Jesus into this world. He lived a sinless life and suffered on our behalf. At Calvary He took our place and paid our sin debt. Jesus died on that cross, but on the third day, He rose again. Through faith in Him we can be saved from our sins and receive everlasting life and a home in Heaven.
What I have just shared with you is a simple gospel presentation. Many churches train their members how to deliver a gospel presentation. It seems that every other month there is a new program or method that is described as the "best way" to present the gospel to lost people. Whatever method you may use, the message never changes.
- In I Corinthians 15 we find a clear summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you will join me for just a little while, I want to share with you "A Gospel Presentation". The first thing I would like for you to grasp is the fact that:
I. GOD HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU
God has a message for every person here. For some God's message will be a revelation that you have never heard before. For others, God may reveal truths to you that you have heard your whole life but never really understood, and for others, this message will not be new to you, but it will serve as an important reminder.
- As we examine verses 3-4 we will see that:
A. FOR SOME GOD'S MESSAGE IS A REVELATION
v3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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,
- There are 3 main subjects revealed in this passage. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Notice first of all:
1. A REVELATION CONCERNING JESUS' DEATH
Paul says that "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures". On Thursday of Passion week Jesus and His Disciples journeyed to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that Jesus prayed in great agony. After much prayer Judas arrived and betrayed Jesus with a kiss and then Jesus was arrested.
Early Friday morning Jesus was falsely tried. He appeared before Annas, the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate. Pilate eventually gave the crowd a choice and they chose Barabbas. When asked what to do with Jesus they cried "Crucify Him!". Jesus was then scourged by a Roman soldier. After this He was sentenced to die by crucifixion. He was stripped, mocked and beaten. He was spat upon, and they plucked His beard. Someone formed a crown of thorns and jammed it into His brow. They bowed before Him and cried "hail King of the Jews". Jesus was then forced to carry His cross to the execution site. Once there they drove large spikes through His hands and feet, and He was crucified. For some 6 hours He hung there and suffered. When all things were accomplished Jesus cried "It is finished". He cried "Father, into they hands I commend my spirit". After all of this, He bowed His head and He died.
Paul doesn't just tell us that Jesus was crucified; he tells us why He was crucified. He says that "Christ died for our sins". Jesus willingly suffered for you, for me, and for the sins of the world.
The message that God has for you is that Jesus suffered and died on your behalf. He went to the Cross so that you could be delivered from the sin that has you bound. The sinless Son of God died for you.
- Not only is there a revelation concerning Jesus' death, we also see:
2. A REVELATION CONCERNING JESUS BURIAL
"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried"
After Jesus died, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear. When he did this, blood and water flowed from the side of our Savior. Shortly after this, Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Nicodemus also brought myrrh and spices and strips of linen to be used for the Lord’s burial. When they had wrapped Jesus' body in those clean linen cloths, Joseph placed Him in his own tomb that he had "had hewn out in a rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed."
Friday was a sorrowful day for the followers of the Lord Jesus. Their Savior and friend died and was buried. With their limited understanding of His prophecies concerning His resurrection, I am sure that it seemed all hope was lost for the disciples of the Lord. However what seemed like a tragic end was only one step in God’s plan of redemption.
- This passage certainly provides a revelation concerning Jesus' death and Jesus' burial, but verse 4 shows us:
3. A REVELATION CONCERING JESUS RESURRECTION
v4 he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
It was still dark on Sunday when the women arrived at the tomb and noticed that the stone had been rolled away. Mary ran to tell Peter and John that Jesus' body was missing. The theorized that Christ’s enemies had taken His body away in the night. After receiving this information, Peter and John race back to the tomb to see for themselves. As they looked into the tomb they saw that Jesus was not there.
The tomb was empty, not because the body had been taken, but because Jesus had risen. An Angel appeared to the women and said "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” – (Matthew 28:5-6)
Jesus did not simply come out of the grave; He remained on earth for 40 days. He appeared to His disciples, He was seen by 500 witnesses at one time, He then ascended with a promise that He would return. Sometime later He appeared to Saul on Damascus Road. Then some 60 years after His death He appeared to John on Patmos and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. – (Revelation 1:17-18).
I am glad to report that today, some 2,000 years later, Jesus is still alive! He is still making His presence known in the hearts and lives of people all over the world. He has a message for you and that message is called the Gospel. That Gospel reveals the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and because of His finished work, you can be saved from your sins.
- God has a message for everyone here. For some it is a revelation and for others it is a reminder.
B. FOR SOME GOD’S MESSAGE IS A REMINDER (v1-2)
Paul’s intention was to remind the Corinthians of the message they professed to believe. The saints needed to be reminded of the Gospel that had radically changed their lives. This is something we need today. It is important for us to remember where we were before Jesus saved our soul. We need to remember the hopelessness and emptiness of a life without the Savior. We should regularly pause and remember the moment that Jesus called our name, saved our soul and changed our lives eternally! Furthermore, we must never forget that all of this was made possible because Jesus died, was buried, and victoriously rose from the grave.
- God has a message for you, and as we move further into the text we will see that:
II. GOD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU
v3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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 is the opportunity that God has for you? It is the opportunity to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. You have the opportunity to be saved from your sins, delivered from God's wrath, adopted into God's family, and to receive eternal life.
Paul says in Romans 10:13 that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Jesus said in John 3:15 that God sent Him so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter where you have been, or what you have done, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God's message to you. And the gospel declares that "Christ died for us!"
- God Has A Message For You, God Has An Opportunity For You and:
III. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU
v5 He (Jesus) was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy 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; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul saw the resurrected Christ on Damascus Road and it changed him forever. Jesus didn't just save Paul, He saved him for a purpose. Jesus said to Ananias "Paul is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Jesus wanted Paul to be a witness of Him and to reach the Gentiles with the Gospel.
This is exactly what Jesus wanted for all of His Apostles and followers. After His resurrection and after spending many days with His followers the time came for Jesus to ascend to Heaven and to be seated at His rightful place beside the Father. But before leaving, Jesus had a message for the Apostles.
He said in Acts 1:8, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
For those of us who belong to Jesus, this is our mission as well. We have been called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ; this is God's plan for us. We have not seen Christ with our physical eyes, but we have seen the risen Christ with eyes of faith. Jesus expects His disciples to be His witnesses and to share the good news of His saving grace.
Those witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection could not help but to share the amazing news that Jesus had risen from the grave. The Lord used that small group of eye witnesses to turn the world upside down for the cause of Christ. We should have that same passion and desire to share the Gospel everywhere we go.
In this passage, Paul provides us with a clear and simple gospel presentation. I hope and pray that each person here has or will hear this gospel presentation and respond accordingly.
i. God Has A Message For You - Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. The things that He did, he did in order to provide you with salvation and eternal life.
ii. God Has An Opportunity For You - If you have never surrendered to Christ, you have the opportunity to be born again today.
iii. God Has A Plan For You - God did not save anyone to simply fill a church pew, God has saved us to serve Him. He wants us to be witnesses of the risen Christ everywhere we go.
The gospel is the greatest news the world has ever heard. Now that you have heard the Gospel, how will you respond? I pray that you will trust in the finished word of Jesus Christ.
Jesus sounded a warning in Mark 1:15 and that warning is true today. He said "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.". The Gospel is clear, “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, He rose again the third day according to the scriptures”. If you have never accepted this message, I pray that you will repent and believe today.
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