I CORINTHIANS 15.3-4: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, (ESV)
The message of the Gospel, the “Good News”, includes within it the message that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third after His crucifixion. Chapter 15 begins with the Apostle Paul setting forth the content of the Gospel of Jesus. This opening paragraph is frequently entitled, “The Resurrection of Christ” in bible translations, and this chapter teaches about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and what this fact means to us.
The Apostle Paul outlines the Gospel with three main points, the first and last of which are founded expressly upon Old Testament scriptures.
First of all, the Good News of Jesus is that He died for our sins. This is referred to as the substitutionary atonement. Jesus died in exchange for us. Christ’s death was in exchange for our sins. The death of Jesus by way of suffering is in keeping with Isaiah 53, which painfully describes the suffering that was appointed for Jesus as the Messiah. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV)
Secondly, Jesus was buried in a tomb. All four Gospel accounts describe the careful burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man, secured the authority from Pilate to take the body of Jesus and bury Him in a tomb cut from rock. The Gospel of John describes in some detail how soldiers were authorized by Pilate to secure the tomb, because of the Jewish leaders’ erroneous anticipation that the followers of Jesus would attempt to steal Jesus’ body from the tomb.
Lastly, Jesus was raised from the dead, in accordance with Old Testament scripture. This is in keeping with Psalm 16.10, which says, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” (NASB). This verse was included in Peter’s first sermon in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, as recorded in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. God made a promise to Jesus through the writing and prophecy of King David in Psalm 16, that He would not let the body of Jesus decay in the grave.
This promise of no decay in the tomb meant that God the Father would in fact raise Jesus from the dead. Not merely a spiritual resurrection, as some assert. But a full and complete bodily resurrection.