Happy Easter!
Christ has risen. He has risen indeed. On Easter, we are c e l e b r a t i n g t h e resurrection of our Lord. The resurrection is significant because it is not only the content of the gospel (i.e., “what is the gospel?”), but it also impacts our faith (i.e., “how should we live?”). Paul explains the gospel in 1 Cor 15:1-4 where he describes its characteristics with three relative clauses. First, it is the gospel “which you received” (v.1). The good news has been given to us before we asked for, knew or recognized. Second, it is the gospel “on which you have taken your stand” (v.1). This gospel forms the foundation of our faith, providing the source and ground of our living. And third, it is the gospel “by which you are saved” (v.2). It is not an irrelevant news, it is the good news that saved us. It shows us the only way from death to life, the only remedy from wretchedness to holiness. Paul continuously explains the content of this gospel in a rather simple way, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (vv.3-4). The gospel is not a complicated theory, it is that Christ died to pay the debt of our sins. His vicarious death made us alive, and he did not stay in the tomb, but rose again from the dead on the third day. The phrase of “according to the Scriptures” shows that these things are the fulfillment of the promise of God. Then how does this gospel exhort us to live? Paul commands the readers “to hold firmly to the word...otherwise, you have believed in vain” (v.2). It can come to us as a surprise that we can believe “in vain.” If we do not hold firmly to the gospel, if we do not hold on to Christ as our Lord and Savior, our belief might be in vain. Furthermore, Paul commands his readers to an active commandment. Paul concludes his discussion with the following exhortation, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (v.58). The gospel drives us to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Even in the midst of numerous troubles and challenges, this good news that Easter reminds us is still valid because it gives us hope that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. That God who raised Jesus from the dead will accomplish his plan of salvation. May we continue to hold firmly to this word, always giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.