Carnival on Easter Sunday
“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14,19
For the past few years, we have hosted college students at our house for an annual Easter BBQ. Students hang out, I make slow-smoked BBQ, and we enjoy an afternoon together. For Christians, Easter is a great time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with our friends but it’s easy to let the day slip away without really dwelling on exactly how the resurrection of Jesus impacts our lives.
In this passage, Paul says something incredible. He basically says, the resurrection means EVERYTHING. Notice what he says in these verses.
He says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Being a minister, this passage means that if Christ is still dead then my profession is just a big waste of time.
Even more than that, Paul says that if Christ has not been raised from the dead then everyone who claims to be a Christian is just wasting their time and the world is to pity them for being so foolish. But, Christ HAS been raised from the dead and this gives Christians great hope. 1st Corinthians 15 is a marvelous chapter in the Bible because it lists all of the benefits of Christ’s resurrection and it is worth your time to read.
This should change the way Christians view Easter Sunday. I love the 4th of July at camp because it is always a great way to celebrate our independence as Americans.
But, I wish we could have a carnival on Easter Sunday because it means that because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection we have been set free from the fear of sin and death. Now, THAT is a reason to celebrate!