If Christ
had Not Been Raised from Death - Lutheran Service Book #486
1 Corinthians 15:12-26; Job 19:25
If Christ had Not Been Raise from Death
Our Faith would be in vain,
Our preaching but a waste of breath,
Our sin and guilt remain.
But now the Lord is ris’n indeed
He rules in earth and heav’n.
His Gospel meets a world of need –
In Christ we are forgiv’n.
If Christ is not raised everything we stand for, everything
live for, everything we hold as important to our faith is for nothing. The
reality of our faith, the standard of confession of faith is based on the
physical resurrection of Jesus Christ and His appearances to His disciples.
Explain away Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and the Christian faith forfeited,
it is lost, it is surrendered away.
In Lent we place our focus on Jesus’ passion, His
suffering and death. Yet we can never exclude the resurrection. It is always connected
to Jesus death on the cross. You can’t talk about the death of the man Jesus
without speaking of His resurrection. The two go hand in hand. Jesus’ gift of
life gives meaning to His death. It’s what makes us Easter people.
O
God of grace and mercy, we give thanks for Your loving kindness shown to us,
and to all Your servants, who having finished their course in faith now rest
from their labors. Grant that we also may be faithful unto death, and receive
the crown of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[1]
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