Every pastor preaches on the resurrection at Easter. Most preach the same sermon they preached last year, or a variation of it. The congregation has heard the empty tomb, the folded grave clothes, the appearance to Mary Magdalene. They know the story. The challenge is not to tell them something they do not know. It is to help them encounter something they have not yet fully believed.
Why the Resurrection Deserves More Than One Sermon Per Year
The resurrection is not an Easter topic. It is the foundation of the entire Christian life. Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 15 is that the resurrection of Jesus is the basis for Christian ethics, Christian hope, Christian witness, and Christian endurance. A congregation that only hears about the resurrection at Easter is a congregation that is missing the foundation of everything else they believe.
Preach on the resurrection at least three times per year: at Easter, at a funeral, and at least once in the normal course of your preaching through Scripture. The congregation that hears about the resurrection regularly will live differently than the congregation that only hears about it once a year.
1 Corinthians 15 connects the resurrection to ethics, hope, witness, and endurance
minimum: Easter, a funeral, and once in normal preaching
the resurrection is rich enough to approach from many different directions
Fresh Angles on the Resurrection
The historical evidence
The resurrection is the most historically attested miracle in the ancient world. The empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances to hundreds of people, the transformation of the disciples from frightened fugitives to bold witnesses willing to die for what they claimed to have seen. Preach the historical case for the resurrection. The congregation member who has never heard the historical argument will be strengthened in their faith. The skeptic who has never heard it may be surprised.
The resurrection and suffering
Romans 8:18-25 connects the resurrection to the suffering of the present age. The resurrection is not just about what happened to Jesus. It is about what will happen to creation, to our bodies, to everything that is broken. Preach the resurrection as the answer to suffering, not as a theological abstraction.
The resurrection and ethics
1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The resurrection is the basis for Christian ethics. Because Jesus rose from the dead, what we do in this life matters eternally. Preach the resurrection as the foundation for how we live, not just what we believe.
The resurrection and fear
Hebrews 2:14-15: Jesus destroyed the power of death and freed those who were enslaved by the fear of death. The resurrection is the answer to the most fundamental human fear. Preach it to the person who is afraid of death, afraid of suffering, afraid of the future.
The resurrection appearances
Each resurrection appearance in the Gospels is a distinct encounter with the risen Jesus. Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:11-18). The disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Thomas (John 20:24-29). The disciples at the Sea of Galilee (John 21). Each appearance reveals something different about the risen Jesus and about what the resurrection means. Preach through the appearances one by one.
Not the congregation that knows the facts about the resurrection. The congregation that has genuinely encountered the risen Jesus in the preaching of the Word, in prayer, in community, in the breaking of bread. Preach the resurrection as an encounter, not just as an argument.
At Easter. At a funeral. And once in the normal course of your preaching through Scripture. The congregation that hears about the resurrection regularly will have a faith that is more robust, more hopeful, and more transformative than the congregation that only hears about it once a year.