In 1981 there was a devastating flood in central China. During the flood, an ancient pagoda collapsed at Famen Temple. A few years later, archaeologists were digging through the rubble when they made a startling discovery. Sealed in a miniature stone casket, they found what they believed to be part of one of the Buddha's fingers! It is now touring Taiwan, and was on display for a while at a mountain-top monastery. The finger was housed in a miniature golden pagoda as thousands came to pay homage to it. They burned incense and placed flowers all around the relic. One visitor said, "I was born more than 2000 years after the Buddha, but I feel moved and touched to have seen the finger!" Some said they felt as though the Buddha was actually sitting in front of them.

How tragic. How utterly empty. People sitting in front of a piece of dismembered, mummified flesh, feeling as though it was something special. Could the finger of the Buddha help them? Could it reach out and touch them? Could it heal them? Could it raise them from the dead?

Christians would react quite differently if someone claimed to have a preserved finger of Jesus. They would not revere it at all. In fact, if someone could find a finger of Jesus, it would literally destroy the Christian faith! The whole Christian faith rests on the fact that there is no such finger to be found! There is no finger, no hand, no body - because Jesus rose from the dead and his body is gone and his tomb is empty! We are celebrating the fact that Christians believe in an empty tomb. There are no relics because Jesus was bodily resurrected from the grave! We aren't here to have a memorial service for a great religious teacher who lived 2000 years ago. We're here to celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is alive and reigning as the King of kings. When the women arrived at Jesus' tomb on Easter morning, the angel said, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."

1. The first thing that we need to understand is that if there had been no resurrection, Death would have won, and the life of Christ would have been exterminated. If Christ had not been raised, He would have no power over death. We would have no hope of life beyond the grave. We would not be able to say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God." If death had conquered Jesus Christ, it would mean He could not conquer death for us. Everything rests on this, for the Bible says, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." This is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Jesus Christ is just another dead religious teacher. But because of the resurrection, He is Lord of all! He has conquered death, sin, and hell! He said, "Because I live, you also will live."

2. The second thing we need to understand is that without the resurrection, Darkness would have won, and the light of Christ would have been extinguished. How dark the world would be without the hope of life after death! Even at the funerals of people who didn't believe in Christ, didn't believe in his forgiveness, and had no use for Him, people still talk about them being in heaven. They may reject Jesus, but they want to believe there is something more. They want to believe that their loved ones continue to live in some way. The resurrection of Christ brings the light of hope into the world! Without the resurrection, we would not talk about heaven because there would be no life after death! The Bible says, "If only for this life, we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." If Christ is not alive, then the light of the world has gone out. He who said, "I am the light of the world" would've been extinguished. If Christ's light had been extinguished, the light in your heart would have gone out as well. There would be no light in the world or in your life! The hope of eternal life and heaven would be gone.

We would be like the three buddies who were discussing death. One of them asked the others: "What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?" He said, "I would like them to say about me, "He was a great humanitarian who cared about his community." The second guy said, "I want them to say, 'He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow.'" The third guy said, "I want them to say, 'Look, he's moving!'" With no hope of heaven, that is what all of us would want them to say!

The Bible says, "But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Pet.3:13) Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! He has opened the grave! He is alive at this moment! He is here! Our text says: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Later in this chapter, Paul writes: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (I Cor.15:51-55)

3. The third thing we need to understand is that without the resurrection, Evil would have won and the sacrifice of Christ would have been worthless! Jesus died for the sins of the world. But if sin killed Him, and He was not able to rise from the dead, sin would have won. Evil would have conquered good and killed God. And we would still have to live with our guilt and with our sins. We would have to face the fact that we failed God. Verse 17 of our text says, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." Later in the chapter it is explained this way: "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor.15:56-57).

Toward the close of Andrew Lloyd Webber's play, Jesus Christ, Superstar, there is a very moving scene of the crucifixion. The agony of the cross and its terrible tragedy are powerfully acted out, but as you sit there watching the dying Christ on the video, waiting for the next scene, instead you see the film credits begin to roll. It is a crucifixion without a resurrection. It is Jesus with no Easter. It is a tragedy in the fullest sense of the word. God comes to save the world, but He cannot do it in the end. There is a cross, but no empty tomb. That is the world's view. But the cross is not the end of the story. The Bible says, "After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Heb.1:3) He did that by rising from the grave and ascending to heaven. Within the truth of the resurrection is the promise of the forgiveness of all of our sins, and our own resurrection and triumph over death. Our text concludes, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

Have you ever heard of the comic strip called B.C.? Last year, this is what B.C. had in its cartoon during Holy Week: Two women are sitting on a small hill. One is reading the Bible and says, "Oh my goodness…says here…Jesus descended into hell!" The other is shocked and says, "You're kidding!" Then the woman with the Bible says, "Oh, no…not to stay! He just dropped in to cancel our reservations!" There is more truth in that cartoon than in a library full of books!

If the resurrection is not true, then death, darkness, and evil have won. But we are here today to celebrate that Jesus Christ is alive! And what this means is: 1. The life of Christ won and death was defeated. 2. The light of Christ won and darkness was vanquished. 3. The sacrifice of Christ won and evil and sin in our lives were conquered! The death of Jesus Christ was not the death of Christianity, because Jesus Christ rose from death and the grave and triumphed over them. It was not the end, it was the beginning of life for you and me!

There used to be a strange tradition in the Greek Orthodox Church. The day after Easter was devoted to telling jokes. Laughing covered that whole part of the world. People saved up their best jokes for that special day. The reason was because they believed they were imitating God, because Easter's resurrection was God's way of pulling a cosmic joke on the devil. The devil had tricked mankind into killing God's Son. For three days He laid in the grip of death. It looked like it was over. The devil was smug. He thought he had the last word. But God set the world to laughing as Jesus Christ rose from the grave and became victorious over the devil, sin, and the grave! God had the last, best word in the end!

Perhaps a good way to celebrate this would be to tell some good jokes around the dinner table this week. Celebrate the fact that God has pulled the biggest upset in history and we are the winners! Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes; He arose a Victor From the dark domain And He lives forever With his saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! Amen.

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