Preaching the Resurrection

I heard three Easter sermons this week, one in person and the other two electonically. Of the three two were a bit disappointing. Rather than talking about the significance of Christ's resurrection, they made us the center of the story. Why is that? Are we tired of proclaiming the work of Christ in his resurrection? Are they afraid of intellectualizing the event? Or have they bought into the "me" culture of American Christianity where what an event means to me is more important than the objective nature of the event?

The resurrection of Jesus is an historical event. It's primary meaning is the message of Jesus' victory over death. The resurrection is a theological event and statement about Jesus. As the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 1, "we preach Christ crucified." Paul also said "we do not preach ourselves." To preach or emphasize our own experience is not the preaching of Christ. To preach Christ is not merely to talk about the Resurrected Lord but to preach the resurrection. How can we do less than the Apostles?

Of course, the resurrection has much to do with us. It is the guarantee of our resurrection, it is the basis of the whole Christian life. Those who believe in Christ and trust in his saving work are already resurrected to new life. But we can only talk about that in the context of preaching Christ's resurrection.