There’s an old Christmas song I’ve only heard a few times titled “If Jesus Had Not Come” by Albert C. Norton and Donald P. Hustad. The songwriters list several consequences we would face if Jesus never came to earth. Then the rousing chorus affirms:
But Jesus came! He came to earth,
And men beheld His manger birth!
The shepherds heard the angels sing,
The wise proclaimed Him Lord and King!
He died, He rose; and by His blood,
We too become the sons of God;
We preach the gospel in His name!
For Jesus came! Yes, Jesus came!
This Easter week, I’m thinking about what the consequences would be if Jesus had not been raised from the dead.
No resurrection for us. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 says Jesus was the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” If He wasn’t raised from the dead, we won’t be, either. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (verse 19).
Futile faith. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).
No meaning in life. Paul questions the worth of the dangers he endured for gospel’s sake if there is no resurrection. “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'” (1 Corinthians 15:30-32).
Death’s sting. Paul concludes his “resurrection chapter” with this: “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'” (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). But if Jesus is not risen, death’s sting is still with us.
No hope. Peter begins his epistle by saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). But if there is no resurrection, we don’t have a living hope.
No inheritance. Peter speaks of an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” which encourages us in our trials. But we’ll never receive that inheritance if there is no resurrection. (Ephesians 1 also speaks of our inheritance.)
No seeing loved ones again. When a loved one dies, or when facing our own death, one comfort is that we’ll see our loved ones again if they’ve believed on the Lord. Paul shares in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that those who have already died will be reunited with those of us who are still alive when Jesus returns. Therefore we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope.” But without that hope, we’ll be swallowed up in grief.
No comfort. After sharing the expectation that we’ll see our loved ones again after death, Paul tells us to comfort (some versions say encourage) one another with these words. Likewise, Peter says we can rejoice in our sufferings when Jesus’ glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12-14). But with no resurrection, there is no comfort.
No power. Paul prays that we may know “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:19-20). But with no resurrection, there is no resurrection power.
No intercession. Hebrews 7:25 says Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” I can’t imagine being without His prayers!
No wrongs set right. One of our comforts in a world where there are so many wrongs is that some day they will be set right. Paul preached that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). But without the resurrection, those wrongs will never be righted.
No seeing Jesus. In this life, we love and believe in Jesus, though we do not see Him (1 Peter 1:8). We look forward to that “blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession” (Titus 2: 13-14). If he’s still buried, we won’t see Him.
No motivation. Paul concludes all he says about resurrection by encouraging, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). But without resurrection, our work would be largely in vain and we’d lose our impetus to keep going.
Facing God’s wrath. Paul writes of the Thessalonians who “wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). But if Jesus was not raised from the dead, we’re not delivered.
How bleak and hopeless life would be if Jesus had not been raised from the dead.
But, thank God, He has been raised! Not only that, He is the resurrection! He told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
I love how Krissy Nordhoff and Michel Neale expressed the joy of Jesus’ resurrection in The Mercy Tree (these are some middle verses and the chorus):
May we rejoice in all Jesus accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection! Hallelujah!
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 