Csi And The Resurrection

2. Paul establishes this by comparing Jesus to Adam. He says, "So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life."

a. Paul is stating that just as death is inevitable because of Adam, the resurrection is also inevitable because of the resurrection of Christ (Fee, 751).

b. Because of Adam’s sin everyone was cut off from the blessings of the Garden of Eden and all in some way inherit the corruption of sin (Horton, I & II Corinthians: A Logion Press Commentary).

c. The resurrection of Jesus is significant for us also because He died and rose again as a man, a human being (Gk. anthropou), having identified himself with humankind.

d. This was necessary because death came into the human race through the sin of a man, a human being.

3. Paul then goes on to explain how all this will happen. He says, "But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power."

a. God will set in motion a series of events that have to do with resurrection and the destruction of death (Fee, 753).

b. When Jesus returns he will then raise up all who have died in him.

c. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NLT)

For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

d. At the end, Christ will do two things (1) he will hand of the kingdom to God, and (2) he will bring to an end all dominion, authority, and power (Fee, 752).

4. Next, Paul says, "For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death."

a. The word "must" (Gk. dei, v. 25) indicates purpose. Christ must reign so that His enemies may be destroyed.

b. This implies He will "fulfill all of God’s purposes in creation and redemption.

c. He will right all wrongs. Martyrs and others who were condemned unjustly in this life will be vindicated and blessed" (Horton, I & II Corinthians: A Logion Press Commentary).

d. Then the victory of the cross and resurrection will be complete!

B. Resurrection Power

1. Illustration: Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope, shares this story: “In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, ‘Shake me off; I sill have wings.’” “Because of Christ’s resurrection, every Christian can look all experiences, even death, in the face and confidently say, ‘Shake me off; I still have wings. I’ll live anyway.” [--Wayne A. Lamb in 100 Meditations on Hope. Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no.4].