Our Future Hope Series

The resurrection of Jesus is our hope for eternity. A week ago last Friday, Mr. Merle (a prominent man in our congregation) went to be with Lord. We buried his earthy remains last Thursday. There was hope in that funeral service because Jesus said:

John 14:19b … because I live, you will live also.

About the year 125 A.D. a Greek by the name of Aristeides was writing to one of his friends about the new religion, Christianity. He was trying to explain the reasons for its extraordinary success. Here is a sentence from one of his letters: “If any righteous man among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort his body with songs and thanksgiving as if he were setting out from one place to another nearby.” [1]

Christians are different from all others. We have a hope that is certain. We have a hope that is secure in Jesus. His resurrection gives us that hope. Last week we explored the theological implications if there was no resurrection from the dead. Paul said:

1 Corinthians 15:13–14 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

But this where we pick up today. “But now Christ has been raised from the dead!”

1 Corinthians 15:20–28

Neil Strait (noted Nazarene Preacher) once said, “Take from a man his wealth, and you hinder him; take from him his purpose, and you slow him down. But take from man his hope, and you stop him. He can go on without wealth, and even without purpose, for a while. But he will not go on without hope.[2]

Last week we talked about being without hope:

1 Corinthians 15:16–19 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

If the hope we have in Christ is no hope at all, Paul says we are to be pitied more than anyone. If there is no resurrection from the dead and Christ has not been raised, why not “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Nothing in this life matters anymore, we are to be pitied. Ready for the good news? The fact is our Hope is alive!

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

What a great hope we have in Jesus’ resurrection. He is the firstfruits of all who will rise. The principle of firstfruits is a well-known Old Testament term.

Leviticus 23:9–10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

The ritual of the firstfruits indicates the entire harvest is about to follow. Firstfruits were a handful of ripened grain from the harvest field before the actual harvest started. They were a pledge, a guarantee, a foretaste of what was to follow. [3]

Let’s look at this biblical example of firstfruits

1 Corinthians 15:21–22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Adam was the firstfruits of all who sinned and died.

For since by man came death and For as in Adam all die

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Adam brought sin and death to all men. He was the Firstfruits of all who sin and will die. We all were born with a sin nature; meaning we all have a tendency to sin. Sinning come naturally, we did not have to learn how to sin. Because we all sin, we all deserve death, not just death physically, but death spiritually as well.

Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death …

We were without hope. There was nothing we could do to save ourselves from our sin.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now this is our Hope:

1 Corinthians 15:21–22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.