For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures…” vss. 3-4
1 Corinthians 15:1-6
Paul has had a lot to say to the Corinthians and the nature of their life together. He’s told them the kinds of things that they should be focusing on instead of bickering and engaging in power struggles. And now he completes his message by coming back to the core of the gospel, the death and the resurrection of Christ Jesus. This was the focus in 55 CE and it’s still the central message today for all who are in Christ. Two things have always gnawed away at the human heart: we worry about the past and we’re anxious about the future. And those are the two issues at the center of the good news. It really isn’t that complicated! Jesus died and Jesus rose again. However we understand his crucifixion, it has always been connected to God’s love and unconditional forgiveness. We don’t have to carry a burden of sin or guilt one step further than we already have! And even if resurrection remains a mystery, it means that life persists beyond the grave. And so we have it: forgiveness and hope, the answers to the deepest human needs. And in the presence of those two great gifts, faith brings us perfect peace, the greatest gift of all.
Thought for the Day: Why is peace the greatest gift?
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