Why The Resurrection Matters To Our Faith

·39 min·3 clips

A pastor shares how learning he'd be a father changed everything, then asks why the resurrection matters to faith.

The episode is a Sunday sermon from Access Church in State College, PA, titled 'Why The Resurrection Matters To Our Faith.' The pastor opens by comparing life-changing moments, such as becoming a parent or receiving a cancer-free diagnosis, to how the resurrection transforms faith. He focuses on 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul addresses confusion in the Corinthian church about whether Christians' bodies will be resurrected. The pastor explains that some Greeks viewed the body as disposable, reducing salvation to a spiritual matter. Paul argues that if there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised, making Christian preaching and faith useless. The resurrection validates the Christian faith as rooted in a historical claim, not just philosophy or ethics. Without it, the cross is merely a tragic execution and Jesus's teachings lack authority. The pastor uses the 2021 Champlain Towers collapse in Miami as an analogy for a faulty foundation, stating the resurrection is Christianity's essential foundation. He cites New Testament scholar N.T. Wright, who says historians must explain the empty tomb and appearances by accepting Jesus's bodily resurrection. The pastor emphasizes that faith is based on this historical event, not feelings. Paul further states that without resurrection, faith is futile and sins remain unforgiven, likening it to an Easter egg hunt with no eggs. The resurrection secures forgiveness by confirming God accepted Jesus's sacrifice. Paul calls Jesus the 'first fruits' from Leviticus 23, meaning his resurrection guarantees believers' future resurrection. The pastor describes a pastors' retreat in Ocean City where they watch the sunrise as a metaphor for this promise. The sermon concludes with an invitation for listeners to acknowledge sin, believe in Jesus, and receive forgiveness, followed by a prayer for healing and miracles.

As heard by us

The empty tomb becomes God's confirmation that Christ's payment for sin was accepted and sufficient.

The review frames the resurrection as the truth on which Christian faith finally rests. Without it, Paul says, faith cannot save and sin still holds its claim.

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Why you'd press play

You want to know why the resurrection changes the question of whether forgiveness is really possible.

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