Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
The resurrection of Christ is the matter of primary importance to Christians. In verse three it is the thing of first importance. Let’s look at a few of the reasons it is so important.
Paul says twice that these actions of Christ were “in accordance with the Scriptures.” The Bible speaks, from beginning to end, of the work of God in Christ to reconcile the world to himself. The Gospels record many, many ways in which Scripture was fulfilled in and around Jesus. This includes Roman centurions and their subordinates who would not have known the Scriptures but who did things which were clearly recognizable as fulfilling prophecies.
Christ died for our sins. This, not any kind of ethical teaching, was the purpose of Jesus’ work. He interfered with death itself, giving his life on behalf of sinners. The soul who sins must die, but the bible describes Jesus, as perfectly man and perfectly God, to be the one who was able to make his death a substitute for others.
Christ rose from the dead. His resurrection shows that he was not bound by sin and death. This gives credence to the Bible’s teaching that Christians will partake of the resurrection. He plans to bring us to be with him.
The very real substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian teaching. It sets it apart from every other world religion And it is delivered to you and to me for our encouragement.
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