Paschal greeting

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 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... But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 20-22)

 

"Alleluia! Christ is risen!" "He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!" This call and response has been proclaimed far and wide among Christians in various languages going all the way back to the earliest years of the Church. It is known as the "Paschal Greeting" (Easter Greeting).

If you ask most people what image they most closely associate with Christianity chances are they will say the image of the cross or the crucifix (the cross with the body of Christ hanging on it). There is good reason for this. The true message of Christianity must be focused on the preaching of "Christ and Him crucified," for the forgiveness of our sins.

 

But as important as Christ's sacrifice is for our forgiveness and salvation, it would all mean nothing if Christ had not actually and truly conquered death and hell for us. It is just as the passage from 1 Corinthians 15 says. "But if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." Simply put, Christ's death upon the cross means nothing without His resurrection. After all, His resurrection means our future resurrection as well! That is why the people of God joyfully proclaim, "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" and their fellow believers exclaim in jubilant reply, "He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!"

 

The Christian message of forgiveness, life, and salvation hang upon the cross, but it hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We call the primary message of Christianity "The Gospel." The word "gospel" means "good news." But what is this good news? Well before we answer that we must realize that the good news of the Gospel is the response to bad news. The worst news anybody can get is that they are going to die, or someone they love dearly has died or will soon die. There are many other types of bad news in this broken world, but none is as bad as the bad news of death.

 

God's Word reveals that death entered our world as the result of sin; the sin of Adam specifically. That is why 1 Corinthians 15 says, "in Adam all die." Like a deadly hereditary virus, we were all born with the infection of sin. That sin brings with it the bad news of death.

 

More than that, our sin brings us the eternal judgment of condemnation. We do not deserve to be in the eternal presence of our Holy God.

 

But God in His abundant love for us, determined to love us from before creation. Though Adam had infected all of humanity with sin and the curse of death, God had already devised a remedy for our sin. He would forgive our sins through Christ Jesus our Savior. He who once formed us from the dust of the earth, would redeem us again from the dust of death and the grave. The eternal condemnation that we have each deserved through our own unholiness and sin, has been replaced by the word of pardon - the cleansing of our souls and the forgiveness of our sins on account of Christ. We are given this precious gift through faith in His worthy once-for-all sacrifice upon the cross.

 

The crucifixion and death of Christ is the means of our pardon, but the resurrection of Christ is the proof that His sacrifice was, indeed, fully sufficient; He has truly conquered death and hell for us. Moreover, it shows us that the forgiveness He has earned for us results in the undoing of the curse of sin for us as well. Again simply put, if the result of sin is death and eternal condemnation, then the forgiveness of sin must undo death and reverse our condemnation.

 

That, my friends, is THE Good News. As the beautiful Easter hymn, Alleluia! Jesus is Risen! puts it, "Jesus is risen and we shall arise: Give God the glory! Alleluia!"

 

This is why the first Christians chose to gather on "the first day of the week." Because Sunday is the day of Christ's resurrection. Every Sunday is a little Easter. Every Sunday is a day to rejoice in the resurrection of Christ Jesus our Savior from sin, death and hell. Every Sunday is a day of Good News proclamation. "Alleluia! Christ is risen!" "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!"