Of the basic contours of the life of Jesus Christ, many scholars shed great doubt on the historicity of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. But what if there was a strong proof?

A sermon on the credal statement from 1 Corinthians 15:3-7

Sermon outline: I. If Christ is risen nothing else matters. II. The disciples genuinely believed in Christ’s resurrection. III. The only explanation for the church is the resurrection of Jesus Christ IV. Christ is risen indeed V. Nothing else matters

Quotes: There was indeed a resurrection. I simply cannot explain why Christianity began without it. I’ve already said there were many other Messianic or would-be messianic movements around in the first century. Routinely, they ended with the violent death of the founder. After that, what happens? The followers either all get killed as well, or if there any of them left, they have a choice. They either quit the revolution, or they find themselves another messiah. We have examples of people doing both. If Jesus had died and stayed dead, they would either have given up the movement, or they would have found another messiah. Something extraordinary happened which convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah. -NT Wright

I know on their own terms what they saw was the raised Jesus. That’s what they say and then all the historic evidence we have afterwards attest to their conviction that that’s what they saw. I’m not saying that they really did see the raised Jesus. I wasn’t there. I don’t know what they saw. But I do know as a historian that they must have seen something. -Paula Fredriksen

The crucifixion proved beyond any doubt that Jesus was not the Messiah. But then something equally dramatic happened. The disciples came to believe that he was raised from the dead. That showed them that God had showered his special favor on Jesus. That meant he was not cursed by God (as one hanging on a tree) but was the one specially blessed by God. And that is absolutely the key to the disciples’ subsequent train of thought. -Bart Ehrman

Since the beginning of my philosophical life I have followed the policy of Plato’s Socrates: We must follow the argument wherever it leads. The latest work I have seen shows that the present physical universe gives too little time for these theories of abiogenesis to get the job done. The philosophical question that has not been answered in origin-of-life studies is this: How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self-replication capabilities, and ‘coded chemistry’? Here we are not dealing with biology, but an entirely different category of problem. The evidence for the resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religion. It’s outstandingly different in quality and quantity, I think, from the evidence offered for the occurrence of most other supposedly miraculous events. -Antony Flew

Scripture text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-22 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Sermon Transcript Liturgy Bulletin

“The Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ” preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy, Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 10:00AM at New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. Come see the beautiful Finger Lakes region, and worship God with us. www.newlifeithaca.org.

Sermon music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. www.sandramccracken.com.

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