PEOPLE SHOULD PITY US
June 14, 2023
“If in Christ we hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” – 1 Corinthians 15:19
Over the last week, we have looked at a question Paul raised in 1 Corinthians 15. And that question is what would it mean for those of us who are followers of Christ if Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead?
We have already looked at 6 of the 7 things Paul addresses in chapter 15. Today, we come to the last. 1 Corinthians 15:19 tells us, “If in Christ we hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Here is what that means: If this is all there is, we should be pitied by our family members and friends and coworkers and teachers and coaches and neighbors. Everyone who knows that we are “in Christ.”
What he is saying is, if Jesus is still in the tomb, our future, at best, is bleak. If we don’t have a resurrected Savior, Paul said—we should be pitied more than anyone. He was saying if Christ isn’t alive, then people should feel sorry for us because our entire purpose in life is meaningless, empty, and hopeless.
Life is a bad joke without Jesus and the only thing it leads to is a hole in the ground. I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s been almost depressing to think about this scenario where Jesus stayed dead. It is deflating and demoralizing to think about a reality where we have no hope.
The hope we stand in is because Jesus did what He said He would do. He died for us. He was buried. And He rose again. Our future is secure, and because of that, no one has to pity us. Because we know where we will spend eternity.
“If in Christ we hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” – 1 Corinthians 15:19
Over the last week, we have looked at a question Paul raised in 1 Corinthians 15. And that question is what would it mean for those of us who are followers of Christ if Jesus had not been resurrected from the dead?
We have already looked at 6 of the 7 things Paul addresses in chapter 15. Today, we come to the last. 1 Corinthians 15:19 tells us, “If in Christ we hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Here is what that means: If this is all there is, we should be pitied by our family members and friends and coworkers and teachers and coaches and neighbors. Everyone who knows that we are “in Christ.”
What he is saying is, if Jesus is still in the tomb, our future, at best, is bleak. If we don’t have a resurrected Savior, Paul said—we should be pitied more than anyone. He was saying if Christ isn’t alive, then people should feel sorry for us because our entire purpose in life is meaningless, empty, and hopeless.
Life is a bad joke without Jesus and the only thing it leads to is a hole in the ground. I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s been almost depressing to think about this scenario where Jesus stayed dead. It is deflating and demoralizing to think about a reality where we have no hope.
The hope we stand in is because Jesus did what He said He would do. He died for us. He was buried. And He rose again. Our future is secure, and because of that, no one has to pity us. Because we know where we will spend eternity.
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