Have you ever played the tower building game called Jenga? I’m not sure why it’s called Jenga, but the objective of the game is to remove a block from the tower and place it at the top of the tower without the tower falling down. The player who causes the tower to fall is the loser. Possibly, it’s called Jenga because that is something like the sound the player makes when the tower starts to fall. Jennnnn—gaaaaaa! It’s the perfect game for little 8 year old future structural engineers—who it seems always end up being my opponent whenever I’ve played the game. I’m not very good at it, so, basically, I hate the game!

At some point, the tower is going to lose its support and will come tumbling down. In one set of instructions for the game, it says, "Do not remove blocks from the bottom two layers or the tower will fall down." Obviously, those layers are the foundation for the tower. Remove them and the tower, indeed, will fall down.

I believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ is like that. It is the foundation for our faith. Remove it…and the entire tower of our faith comes tumbling down.

I didn’t come to that conclusion on my own. The apostle Paul leads me to believe that. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, in this greatest of discourses on the resurrection that is chapter 15 of First Corinthians, that is the conclusion he leads me to draw. To be sure, the issue for the Corinthians was not so much the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but rather, whether that meant resurrection for Jesus’ followers. In a portion of chapter 15 not read this morning, verses 13 through 20a, Paul writes this: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all others. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…" (1 Cor 15:13-20a, TNIV). Take away the foundation of the resurrection, says Paul, and our faith is useless, futile and pitiful.

William Barclay, in his classic commentary on the New Testament, says this about Paul’s words in First Corinthians. "Paul insisted that if the Resurrection of Jesus was not a fact then the whole Christian message was based on a lie, that those who had died believing in it had died trusting in a delusion, that without it the greatest values in life have no guarantee. ‘Take away the Resurrection,’ said Paul, ‘and you destroy both the foundation and the fabric of the Christian faith.’"

We are reminded, first of all, in this section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, that the good news of the resurrection is foundational to our faith…and it is true. Testified to by hundreds of eyewitnesses who would then put their own lives on the line for it—and who would do that for what they know to be a lie—the resurrection of Jesus Christ and, consequently, of his followers is the foundation upon which we build our Christian faith.

It is foundational because it fills us with hope—both for this life and the next.

First for the life to come, the resurrection fills us with hope because we know that this life is not all there is. Paul says, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all others." We indeed have hope in this life through faith in Christ, but our hope in Christ is also in the life that is to come. Using the analogy of a seed, Paul tells us that our perishable bodies will be sown like a seed and then raised imperishable, our mortal bodies to be given up for an immortal one. Because of the resurrection, death does not have the final word. Death does not gain the victory. Rather, we have been given the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Filled with such a hope, knowing that our future is assured, we view death very differently than those who do not have this hope in Christ. We know that death is not the end of the story.

In the same way, the hope that we have in Jesus Christ through His resurrection brings a different perspective on life in the present. To begin with, the knowledge that this life is not all there is to life lessens the sting of trials and difficulties. They are not removed entirely, but their sting is lessened with the knowledge of the life to come. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, puts it this way: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God," (Romans 8:18, 21 NIV). The disciple of Jesus Christ is not given a free pass from difficulties and suffering in this life—they will come—but they are seen and endured in a different light…the light of the resurrection.

So, the foundational truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ leading to resurrection life for his disciples brings us assurance about our future and perseverance to our present. It also brings the possibility of reconciliation in our relationships. The first act of reconciliation in the resurrection was God making possible for reconciliation between ourselves and Him. The unholiness of sin separates us from a Holy God. Jesus’ death paid the penalty for our sin, his resurrection brought victory over sin and made it possible to be reconciled with a Holy God. The first step in this drama of reconciliation was God’s. God did not demand vengeance over the wrongs done to Him. God did not wait for us to make the first move, for us to bring some kind of peace offering that would salve His wounds and, perhaps…if the offering was good enough, make it possible for reconciliation. No, God made the first move. Out of His great love for us and His desire for there to be reconciliation between us and Him, God made the first move, reaching out to us through Jesus Christ. God gave us the example to follow, the standard to reach for in seeking reconciliation in the other relationships of our lives—make the first move.

One of the most moving and memorable moments in my life occurred at a pastors’ conference I attended in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference was hosted by Promise Keepers as a part of their commitment to support pastors in their ministries. In the early years of Promise Keepers, their conferences for men would include a moment of affirmation for the pastors attending the conference. They’d ask all the pastors to come down to the stadium field while the rest of the men would cheer and applaud. It was, I suppose, Bill McCartney operating out of the football coach and team spirit concept in him. And, while it may sound a bit hokey, I can tell you it brought chills up and down my spine at the conference where I experienced it. Anyway, Promise Keepers hosted a conference in Atlanta entirely for pastors. The structure was somewhat like their other conferences—speakers addressing the topics around the Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper. One major focus in Promise Keepers has been for reconciliation of the races. At all of their conferences, the subject of race relationships and the promise of "reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity" are addressed and this conference was no different. Except that on the day and time the subject was addressed, the president of Promise Keepers, Randy Phillips, addressed this group of pastors who filled the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. He began by saying the leadership for the conference felt led to go a different direction for that topic. Rather than our speaker addressing the topic of the need for reconciliation between the races, the leadership felt led to have a reconciliation moment. And he proceeded to speak for the whites—for European Americans—offering repentance for anything we have done as a race to diminish or oppress others. He cited some obvious examples—the sinful past of slavery in America and elsewhere, and the slow movement toward civil rights for all—and he asked for forgiveness for any residue of prejudice that remained and hurt others. He was followed by a man of Spanish-American ancestry who also repented of actions taken by Spaniards that oppressed others. I remember him mentioning the conquistadors who moved through Mexico and the southwest reigning terror upon all they came across. He was followed by a man of Asian descent who also repented and asked for forgiveness for any acts that oppressed others. He spoke of the imperialistic goals of Japan as one example. Then an African-American spoke. He did not speak to issues of oppression perpetrated upon his race. Rather, he spoke to his own culpability—and the culpability of his race—in the separation of races. He spoke of anger and hatred that had hindered the possibility for reconciliation between the races and asked for forgiveness. None of the speakers spoke against another race and the hurt that race had inflicted upon them. Rather, each speaker spoke of his own race and acknowledged their role in the separation and conflict that exists between races. Each speaker "made the first move" for reconciliation by holding out the olive branch of repentance. All of that was followed by one of those "affirmation" moments Promise Keepers is so known for. The pastors in attendance who would be considered of "minority" status—I believe our African American speaker at that point referred to those of a "darker hue" and those of a "lighter hue." Those of a "darker hue" where invited to come down to the field while those of us of a "lighter hue" remained at our seats, but standing, offering our applause and our cheers. I had the serendipitous privilege of being at a seat that was on the aisle. As pastors of a "darker hue" came walking, running by, there were high fives all around. There was laughter and tears, and I remember several passing me by saying something like, "Glory Lord! I never thought I’d live to see the day!" It was, as I mentioned, a moving and memorable moment…a Holy Spirit moment. What made it possible, please note, was that no one took an "us versus them" attitude. No one said, "Well, they must make the first move, then I’ll consider it." Each representative of their race made the first move of reaching out by recognizing their own failings in race relationships.

Resurrection makes that possible. We have no right, in the resurrection story, to claim an injustice perpetrated against us and demand reparations be made. Rather, it is God—the One who has been wronged—who first reaches out to us for reconciliation through the resurrection. Following his example, we are to do likewise. Friends, don’t hang onto a wrong committed against you, reviewing it over and over in your mind until a hard bitterness sets in. Don’t hunker down in your righteous indignation and refuse to budge until the other makes the first move. As far as it is possible with you, open the door to reconciliation. They might not walk through that door, but you have made reconciliation possible by making the first move.

That is what the new life of resurrection does for us. Resurrection assures our future, death does not have the final say over us. Resurrection provides a perspective on the trials and sufferings of the present that helps us persevere and endure. And resurrection sets an example before us to strip away our pride and our bitterness, our demand for vengeance and retribution, and make instead the first move for reconciliation in our relationships. That is the foundation upon which we stand! Thanks be to God, we don’t have to live with the anger…or the fear anymore! He has given us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ!