Crescent Springs Presbyterian
25 April 2004
HIGH STAKES
1 Corinthians 15:17-19
Dr. Billy Graham once told Time magazine, “If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right
at the Resurrection, because that is the heart of Christianity.” Billy is right, of course. Take away the
resurrection of Jesus and Christianity falls like a house of cards. And let me be clear: by
“resurrection” I don’t mean the continuing presence of Jesus in our memories or some inward renewal
experienced by the disciples. I use “resurrection” in accord with the long and ancient apostolic belief
that on Easter morning Jesus got up from the dead in a literal physical resurrection from the dead. The
risen Lord was not simply a spirit or an apparition or a bit of wishful thinking by Simon Peter and the
others. Jesus rose in a transformed body, but it was nevertheless a bodily resurrection that left the
tomb empty. In bodily form, the resurrected Christ conversed with his disciples, ate with them, and
invited them to touch him.
Although Christianity embraces a bewildering range of beliefs, the resurrection of Jesus is one of a
handful of indispensable doctrines. To deny the resurrection of Jesus is to utterly reject the teachings
and the faith handed on from the first apostles.
Long before Time magazine quoted Billy Graham, the apostle Paul also insisted that Christianity
stands or falls upon the truth of the Easter resurrection of Jesus. Somehow the Corinthian Christians
had become fearful that believers who died before Jesus’ return at the end of time might not be raised
from dead. If you’ve ever stood by the grave of a loved one, you can probably sympathize with their
fears. What if death is the end? What if our loved ones are simply snuffed out like a candle flame—
gone forever?
Paul doesn’t rebuke the Corinthians for their fears and doubts, nor does he try to “prove” the
resurrection of the dead in some detailed argument. He points these fearful believers back to the
empty tomb and he says, “Remember that God raised his Son. Everything hinges on that.”
Then for a few verses, just to make his point Paul argues the contrary case. What if Jesus has not
been raised from the dead? What then? Four conclusions follow.
1) If Jesus is not risen from the dead, our faith is futile. The word futile means “useless, empty,
vain, of no value.” The Christian faith without the resurrection is an exercise in futility. If Jesus did not
rise from the dead, it’s not true and we are wasting our time believing it.
2) If Jesus is not risen from the dead, we are still in our sins. A man dead in the tomb cannot
possibly save people who are dead in their sins. Paul says, “No resurrection, no forgiveness!” We are
eternally lost if Christ is still in the tomb.
3) If Jesus is not risen from the dead, we will never see our loved ones again. “Then those who
have died in Christ have perished,” (1 Corinthians15:18 NRSV). Death has won the final battle if
Christ did not rise. Then our worst fears are realized as we lay our loved ones to rest, and we will
never see them again.
4) If Jesus is not risen from the dead, we Christians should be pitied. “If only for this life only we
have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied,” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NRSV).
Sometimes well-meaning people say, “Even if Christianity isn’t true, it’s still the best way to live.” The
proper theological term for that is Baloney. If it’s not true, why would anyone want to believe it or
live it? I don’t want to spend my days deluded. Life is too fleeting to console ourselves with clever
fables. If Jesus did not rise, then our prayers are empty, our preaching is in vain, our missionary work
is useless, and the church itself is a danger because it stands for something that is not true. If Jesus is
still in the grave, then we’re just talking nonsense on Sunday morning. That’s what Paul told the
Corinthians, and he’s right!
It all hangs on that little word “if.” If Jesus did not rise… But what if he did? What difference does
it make? Having stated the negative, Paul now triumphantly asserts the positive
truth: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died,” (1
Corinthians 15:20 NRSV).
With that truth before us, we can simply reverse all of Paul’s previous points. Now that Christ is
risen, our faith has meaning. We have forgiveness. We will see our loved ones who died in Christ.
We can be certain about our own future. The resurrection of Jesus means hope for the hopeless, and
a light in the darkest corners of life. Heaven is real and death is humbled and broken enemy. We still
die, but we don’t stay dead forever. There is good news from the graveyard because Jesus has come
back from the dead.
This belief lies at the core of Christianity. This belief will allow no indifference or hedging. This
belief demands acceptance or rejection. It reminds me of those world poker tournaments that I see
on TV once in a while. I’m not a poker player, but those high-stakes games are a fascinating. The
pots are huge, maybe a million dollars worth of poker chips in the middle of the table. They play a
game called “No Limit Texas Hold-’em,” and sometimes there comes a defining moment that
separates the winners from the losers.
You never know when that moment will come because it’s up to the individual players.
There is a moment when a player says two words—”All in.” That means he thinks he’s got the best
hand, so he takes his chips and pushes them to the middle of the table. He flips his cards over so
everyone can see them, and then he stands up. Going “all in” means that you are risking everything
you’ve got on just one hand. If you win, you win it all. If you lose, you lose it all. You’ve got to
believe that your cards will beat the other cards. Then you’ve got to risk everything in order to win.
And you don’t know whether you’ve won or lost until you’ve gone “all in.”
Why does Christianity remind me of a high-stakes poker tournament? Because if you want a place
at the table, sooner or later you’ve got to take the chance. You’ve got to push all your chips into the
pile and risk everything on the belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. You’ve got to lay your
cards out for the world to see and be willing to say, “This is where I make my stand, here beside the
empty tomb.” Every Christian must at some point go “all in” betting everything on Easter, letting the
whole pot ride on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Can we know for sure that we’re making the right choice? Frankly, no. That’s why Paul says we
are saved by grace through faith. Faith is not knowing; faith is believing. Faith is conviction. Faith is
going “all in,” risking it all, without knowing.
Long ago I decided that was a risk I’m willing to take. I hope you’ve made the same decision. If
you haven’t, it’s not too late. It’s not too late to stand up and say, “I believe Jesus rose from the
dead, and I want to join the winning side. I’m ready to stake my life and my future on this truth: My
Lord and Savior came out of the tomb and conquered death. He is alive today and forever!”
Arnold Toynbee, the eminent British historian, once said, “If the body of one Jew, Jesus of
Nazareth, can be produced, then Christianity will crumble into a lifeless religion.” Toynbee was right.
But I’m betting that’s not going to happen. I’m betting that Christianity is unique among all the world
religions.I’m betting there has never been anyone else like Jesus.
Go to the tombs of the founders of the great religions and call the roll:
Mohammed? “Here!”
Buddha? “Here!”
Confucius? “Here!”
Moses? “Here!”
Jesus?
Jesus?
No answer.
Because he is not there. His tomb is empty. He is risen, just as he said. At least, that’s what we’re
betting on. No straddling the fence on this one. Either you believe or you don’t. Either you’re in or
you’re not. And no way to know if we’re right until after we’re committed.
The stakes are high. But just between us, I think it’s a safe bet. That nail-scarred hand reaching
out to you and me? That’s the winning hand!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Thanks for ideas from Pastor Ray Pritchard