1 Corinthians 15: 12-22

The Risen Christ, Our Hope? (1 Thess. 4:1318)?Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up-if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.?The Last Enemy Destroyed?But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

All of us are made alive physically (thank you Captain Obvious), but we are not all made alive spiritually:

Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,?Some to everlasting life,?Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 5:28-29 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to condemnation.

Revelation 20:4-6 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Easter is the clarion call to all souls to become right with the Lord, so that all made be well with you and your soul. I greatly enjoy Cadbury mini eggs, but I love Christ for obtaining for me the victory over Satan, Sin, and so often my Selfishness! One must choose to repent and be made alive spiritually in the risen Christ:

John 3:16-20 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.?”He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

1 Timothy 2:4 “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

Do not be deceived, one day all will bow before the risen Lord and for those who have accepted Him as Savior live in this great hope. Elpizo means to expect or confide. Our hope as Christians is to expect with a great desire. The construction is to hope in someone. Today we proclaim, “Christ is risen He has risen indeed!” This is where our trust and confidence must be placed, in the Risen Lord, maker of Heaven and Earth. What better hope can you possibly have, or place in someone?

2 Corinthians 1:10 “who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,”

It is the Risen Christ who alone is our only Hope!