One of the greatest events that
this world has ever known was the Resurrection of the Lord
Jesus. This is what we celebrate on
Easter. Without the Resurrection, the
miraculous birth of the Lord Jesus, His exemplary life, His
death on the cross would have been all in vain. The apostle
Paul was very aware of the importance of the Resurrection of the Lord
when he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, for we read
in chapter 15 and from verse 14, If Christ is not risen, our
preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. It even happens
that we are false witnesses to God. since we have testified against
God that he has risen Christ while he has not risen, if the
dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise,
Christ neither is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your
faith is vain, you are still in your sins, and therefore also
those who are dead in Christ are lost. Let us take a closer
look at what the Apostle Paul says in this passage. Four things
that I emphasize. First, it says, if Christ is
not resurrected, the apostles are false witnesses. That is
to say, that the New Testament is false and useless, because
it is the apostles who wrote the New Testament. And if Christ
is not resurrected, then the New Testament is useless. Everything
the apostles say, all their preachings, all their writings are worthless. In the second place, the apostle
Paul says that if Christ is not resurrected, the faith of those
who have believed in Him is vain. He says this in verse 17. Here
is what he says. If Christ is not resurrected,
your faith is vain. Jesus, if not resurrected from
the dead, would simply be a man like the others. He would have
died like the others, he would have remained in the tomb, and
faith in Christ is useless. And then, in the third place,
the apostle Paul says that if Christ is not resurrected, those
who believe in him are still in sin. He also says this in
verse 17. If Christ is not resurrected, you are still in your sins. No forgiveness. The condemnation
of all men for their sins is certain. That would be the result
if Christ had not risen. In the fourth place, the Apostle
Paul says that if Christ has not risen, those who have died
in Christ are lost. Those who are dead in the Christian
faith, with an entire and total trust in Jesus Christ as the
only and only Savior, they are lost. For if Christ is not resurrected,
there is no hope after death. So here are the consequences
if Christ was not resurrected from the dead. But fortunately,
the apotropole does not stop there. And in verse 20, the same
chapter 15 of the first epistle of Paul to Corinthians, he affirms
without equivocation the reality of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus when he says, But now Christ is risen from the dead. He is
the beginning of those who are dead. Yes, the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus is a historical fact that no one should dispute. The eleven disciples, that is,
all except Judah who was going to hang himself, were among those
who met the risen Christ. The Gospel of Matthew tells us
this story in chapter 28 and from verse 16. I will read you
these few verses. The eleven disciples went to
Galilee on the mountain that Jesus had designated for them.
When they saw him, they adored him, but some had doubts. Jesus,
having approached him, spoke to them thus, All power has been
given to me in heaven and on earth. Come, make of all the
nations disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all
that I have prescribed you. and here I am with you every
day until the end of the world. I would like to emphasize four
things about this encounter between Jesus and his disciples and draw
lessons from it for us today. First, it is important to note
the place where his disciples met the Lord. We read in Matthew
28, verse 16, that it was on the mountain that
Jesus had designated for them. If they had gone to Judea or
Sinai, they would not have been able to meet the Lord Jesus there. One place. It was on this mountain
that He had designated for them. We too can meet the Lord Jesus
only at the place He has designated. And where is it? It is in His
Word, the Bible. Yet, there are people who look
for it everywhere else, but they look for it where it is not. They look for it, for example,
in mystical retreats, or in an atmosphere of tranquility, prayer,
or meditation, but they can't find it. There are others who
look for it in philosophy, and through human reasoning they
try to find God or the Lord Jesus. But they do not find Him. And
there are others who look for Him in meetings where there is
a lot of atmosphere, a lot of noise, a lot of singing, but
He is not there either. So where is He? He is in the Bible. This is where
He reveals Himself to men. And if you want to find the Lord,
take the Bible, read it, study it, and the Lord, if you ask
Him, will reveal Himself to you. The second thing that I emphasize
in this passage is that Christ met His disciples faithfully
to His promise. We see it again in this same
verse 16. The eleven disciples go to Galilee on the mountain
that Jesus had designated for them. And this is where they
met him. Jesus had told them, Go to this mountain and you will
meet me there. And the Lord tells us today,
Seek and you will find. If you are sincere in your search
for salvation and Jesus Christ, do not be discouraged, for it
is absolutely certain that God will reveal Himself to you and
will show you your sin, your need for Him, and the way to
salvation, for He has promised to do it for all who seek Him
in sincerity. The third thing that I emphasize
in this passage is that among those who met the Lord that day,
there were some who had doubts. We see this in verse 17. When
they saw him, they adored him, but some had doubts. Even the most faithful disciples
can have moments of doubt. Perhaps this happens to you too,
you who have already cried out to the Lord Jesus. You who are
His children because you have received Him as Lord and Savior.
Do you ever have doubts? Has this happened to the disciples? Do not be discouraged. But turn
again to the revelation that God gives us of Jesus Christ
in the Word of God, and be reassured. Let the Lord convince you in
His Word that He is truly resurrected and that He is alive today. And
whatever the problems in your life, know that the Lord is resurrected
and that He is by your side to help you, to relieve you, to
comfort you. The fourth thing that I emphasize
in this passage is that after meeting the Lord, These disciples
have been sent on a mission, and we see this in verses 18
to 20 of the passage we read earlier. Go, he says to them,
make of all the nations disciples, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them
to observe all that I have prescribed you. Those who have met the living
Christ, and who are His true children, cannot remain indifferent
to the spiritual needs of the people around them. For Christ sends them into the
world with a mission, to preach the good news, to make disciples,
and to teach them to observe all that he has prescribed us. That is the mission of every
child of God. That is the message of Easter. We rejoice that Christ
is resurrected, certainly, but we remember that He sent us as
children of God into the world with a message, the message of
repentance, of faith in Christ, and of salvation through the
work of Christ alone for all those who believe and repent. Christ is truly resurrected.
Let us say this to all those around us. The message of Easter
is certainly a message of actuality today. That Christ is risen. We do not proclaim to the world
a historical fact, quite simply, that one day in history Christ
is risen. But the fact that he is risen
and that he is alive today, and that by his Holy Spirit he is
present in the world. This is what we have tried to
announce to you today. We are always very happy to receive
letters from our listeners. If you have a problem, or if
you think we can help you, write to us and we will be very happy
to answer you. Here is the address to which
you must write. Listen to the truth, Postal Box 505 71322 Chalon-sur-Saône
It's written C-H-A-L-O-N France I repeat this address Echo of
the truth Postal Box 505 71 322, Chalon-sur-Saône, France. Jésus-Sauve, aujourd'hui. Jésus-Sauve, aujourd'hui. Cœur d'Argonne, l'autre cône,
Ouvre-la, chère parole, I have a song today