In Matt 7:24-27, Jesus concludes his famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ with an illustration about wise and foolish builders, reminding us that foundations are absolutely crucial to successful building. Paul reminds us of this in 1 Cor 3:10-15, telling us that the only reliable foundation on which to build is Jesus Himself (‘no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ 1 Cor 3:11) In 1 Cor 15, he is at pains to ensure we know ‘the essential message, the central story you now base your life upon.’ (1 Cor 15:1, The Voice) All of this reminds us that it’s crucial to get a good start, but it’s also vital to build well and to finish well.
Starting well is a topic covered by Paul in Gal 3:1-9; our Christian journey begins when, by faith, we accept that God in Christ has done everything that is necessary for our salvation. Our sins have separated us from God (Is 59:2) and created a chasm between us which we cannot bridge on our own, but Christ has become sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:20-21). Paul reminds us of this central fact: ‘Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor 15:3, see also 1 Tim 1:15, Eph 2:8-9). Many have disputed this death, asserting that Christ merely ‘swooned’ on the cross, but the reminder that Jesus not only died but was buried (1 Cor 15:4) in a tomb which was guarded by Roman soldiers refutes this notion of ‘appearing’ to die which many declare to be the ‘explanation’ for the resurrection.
Death is an uncomfortable topic for many of us, shielded as we are from its ugliness and reality in a way completely unlike our predecessors. But even the most naïve of us realises that death is final and irrevocable. The Christian message, however, shows us life beyond the grave because of the hope of resurrection. Paul says Christ ‘was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor 15:4) and backs up this startling, amazing assertion with the evidence that he appeared to eye-witnesses, most of whom could, at the time of writing, be called on to back up his story. Such a crowd of witnesses (over 500 people) – none of whom were predisposed to believe in physical resurrection having witnessed the agony of crucifixion – again shows us the reliability of the evidence for the resurrection.
These are the ‘core facts’ which Paul gives as the building blocks for faith. Phil Robertson says, ‘Basically, I don’t ever move too far past the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus… It all comes down to that, really, when you get right down to it.’ He goes on to say, ‘So it’s not complex. Jesus removed our sins and guarantees we can be raised from the dead.’
We have a responsibility to know the facts and pass these facts on to others.
- We have sinned against a holy and righteous God (Rom 3:23).
- The penalty for our sin is eternal separation from Him (Rom 6:23).
- Yet God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins (Rom 5:8). He then demonstrated that He was God by rising from the dead (Rom 1:3-4).
- Today, He asks us to trust in His person and work (Rom 3:21-26; John 3:16).
As the meerkats say, ‘Simples!’
