How crucial is the Resurrection?
How crucial is the Resurrection? We cherish the birth of Jesus, his wisdom, his loving deeds, his courage in the face of a brutal death, but it is Christ’s resurrection which is absolutely crucial to Christian beliefs.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul explained that the Resurrection was the foundation of our Christian belief system. He insisted that if Christ had not been raised from the dead, then we who believe in eternal life have no hope for it at all. “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins”(1 Corinthians 15:16-17, ESV).
Finally, Paul expresses very clearly how critical the Resurrection is to our Christian hope. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied”(1 Corinthians 15:19, ESV).
