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By Dean Kelly

When the Apostle Paul defines the central message of the gospel he says, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Paul also states, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

The New Testament example is that Christians gathered on the first day of the week to “break bread”, the Lord’s Supper, to commemorate the death of Jesus (Acts 20:7). As with giving, it was done the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:1-2 ESV). 

The death of Christ on the cross is of extreme importance. But without the resurrection it is of no value (1 Corinthians 15). Notice Romans 1:4, “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

While we celebrate His death every first day of the week in the Lord’s Supper, the scriptures do not set a particular time to celebrate His resurrection. That does not degrade the significance of the empty grave. Again, Paul clearly shows the tremendous significance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

The angels at the tomb asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!” (Luke 24:5-6). 

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.