The greatest event of all history up to this time is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the heart of the Christian message. In fact, without the resurrection there is no Christian message. It all revolves around the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is not a philosophy or a theory, but a fact of history. Either it is a fact, or it is of no consequence whatsoever. If it is just a theory or a philosophy, it has no power to help humanity. But thank God, it is a fact of history.
“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)
The Gospel is based not on something subjective or emotional, but on simple, vital, historical facts—events that have actually taken place in human history and are attested by many reliable witnesses. Paul states for us the Gospel that he preached—the Gospel that is essential to believe for salvation. It centres, first of all, in the person of Christ. Second, it centres in three great historical facts that relate to Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, there is no Gospel. The Gospel is not a set of human opinions, and it is not a system of theology or philosophy. It is a set of facts that is rooted in history.
What are the three central facts concerning Jesus Christ which make up the Gospel? First, He died. Second, He was buried. And third, He rose again the third day. You need to imprint them on your mind and on your heart in a way that you will never be able to forget, because Paul, in writing to the Corinthian Christians, says, “These are the facts by which you are saved—unless you believed in vain.” Paul is saying that if, at any time, they should get away from these basic facts into some kind of religious theories, fantasies, or subjective experiences, then they would have believed in vain. So, take this opportunity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to indelibly imprint on your heart and mind these three key central facts that make up the Gospel: Christ died, He was buried, and He rose again the third day.
