The cross plus the resurrection equals the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you … 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, and that he appeared to . . . (1 Cor. 15:1-8)
How 1 Corinthians 15 Defines the Gospel
Christ died for our sins.
Jesus died on the cross so our sins could be forgiven but without His resurrection, God’s power to be a victor over sin and sin’s penalty would appear uncertain.
He was buried.
Jesus was buried for three days, showing He had truly died, but the grave could not hold Him for God’s plan to reconcile the world to Himself would not be held back.
He was raised on the third day according to Scripture.
Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for our sin but He did not have to stay dead. God prophesied about His plan as additional proof of His power over sin and death.
He appeared to many people.
Jesus knew people needed help to believe. Theirs would not be a blind faith, based on hopes it was true. In addition to fulfilled prophecies, Jesus also walked among them, showed them His scars, and even ate before them in His resurrected body. God offered proof to bolster their faith and to provide eyewitness accounts for future generations.
The Cross plus the Resurrection therefore equals:
When we grasp the significance of the Gospel, which is about Jesus dying on the cross and then rising from the dead, we have the following:
- reassurance He can be trusted to do what He says
- realization He has the power to do what He says
When we truly understand what the cross plus the resurrection equals, then we will:
- recognize it as the power of God to save us
- remember it regularly as we live out our daily lives
- recalibrate everything against it
- reach out to others with it
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