Resurrection - Christ, the First Fruits

We believe that the very best attested fact in all history is the Resurrection of Christ. Historical doubts concerning the existence of Napoleon Bonaparte, or the stabbing of Julius Caesar, or the Norman Conquest, would be quite as reasonable as doubts concerning the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus! None of these matters have such witnesses as those who testify of Him—witnesses who were manifestly truthful, since they suffered for their testimony, and most of them died ignominious and painful deaths as the results of their belief. We have more and better evidence for this fact than for anything else which is written in history, either sacred or profane! Oh, how should we rejoice, we who hang our salvation wholly upon Christ, that beyond a doubt it is established that, “now is Christ risen from the dead.” 

But you may ask the question at the outset, “Why is it that the Resurrection of Christ is of so much importance?” Upon it we have said that the whole system of Christianity rests; for, “If Christ is not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; you are yet in your sins” (1 Cor 15:14, 17). The Divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His Resurrection, since the Apostle tells us in the first Chapter of Romans, at the fourth verse, that Christ was, “Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead.” It would not be unreasonable to doubt His Deity if He had not risen! Moreover, Christ’s Sovereignty also depends upon His Resurrection for Scripture affirms—“To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord, both of the dead and living” (Rom 14:9). Again, our Justification, that choice blessing of the Covenant, hangs upon Christ’s Resurrection. “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our Justification” (Rom 4:25). No, more—our very Regeneration depends upon His Resurrection, for Peter, speaking by the Holy Spirit, exclaims, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here; for, “If the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead, dwells in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you” (Rom 8:11). If Christ is not risen, then shall we not rise! But if He is risen, then they who are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall surely behold their God. It would not be difficult to enlarge this catalog. The fact is that the silver thread of Resurrection runs through all the blessings, from Regeneration onward to our eternal glory, and binds them together!

Resurrection - Christ, the First Fruits, C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon 445, April 20, 1862, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.