Last Sunday we learned many of the truths about the resurrection. We all saw how the Apostle Paul proved the truth of the resurrection through the testimonies of 100s of people who saw the resurrected Christ first hand. But you might be asking, “Why does of any of it matter? Why should we be so concerned about proving that the resurrection of Jesus really took place?” I’m going to try to answer that question today.
PRAYER
Whether we actually realize it or not, we live pretty good lives with all of the inventions that man has produced over the last few centuries. For instance, the Gutenberg printing press, invented in the 15th century, revolutionized being able to mass produce words and ideas on paper. The Gutenberg press can be seen in the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany today. I have an actual page that was printed from the Gutenberg press.
The invention of the battery introduced in 1800, gave us a way to store energy. Edison’s electric light (1879) changed what could be done day and night.
Inventions like these have truly transformed the ways we live and work, but they’ve been around so long and are so commonplace today, we don’t give them much thought. Just think how difficult it would be to live in 2021 without lights and batteries.
I started off with these illustrations to say that not all life changing events should be taken so much for granted or overlooked by how it changed our lives. That brings us back to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection has been a central truth of Christianity for 2,000 years. Sadly, many Christians can tell you the details about the resurrection while never thinking about the way that truth effects their daily lives. Jesus’ defeat of the power of sin and death is a game changer for our lives, now and forever. And that in itself is reason enough for me to go a little deeper into the truth and study of the resurrection.
We’re going back to 1 Corinthians 15, where we left off last week. After what Paul had witnessed in seeing Jesus’ resurrected state, he was determined to speak all of the first-hand truths about this all-important event. He says in verse 14, “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.” Paul said this, again, because of some of the Corinthians Christians who didn’t believe in the resurrection.
Paul basically says in verse 15 that if there were no resurrection, then we would be lying if we proclaimed the risen Jesus. Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought about what the resurrection means for us and for all humanity for that matter? Paul uses an analogy in verse 20 to further explain that.
Paul says, “But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” In the OT ceremony of the first fruits, the people brought their first and best portions of the harvest to give them as offerings to God. When the farmer gathered the first fruit, it was an indication that the entire harvest was soon to follow.
So, put that concept into what Paul said. He said Jesus was the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep. If He is the first fruit, then Christ’s resurrection precedes the harvest of others, when Jesus’ followers will be raised from death, too. And this is the part I like the best. None of us are going to escape death. There is a 1:1 ratio that every one of us will die. But the good part is that Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that our death isn’t the end of the story. I’ll say it again, Death is not the end.
Now, let’s be fair and look at this from the atheist’s point of view. In an atheistic view of life, death is the end of the story. It’s the finality of every individual. In their way of thinking, no matter what you thought, said, or did in this life, you end up the same as everyone else, and the same as all matter: dead or destroyed.
Nothing you have done in life has any ultimate significance since you’ll face no judgment and have no afterlife. THIS IS A SAD, HORRIFYING, AND UTTERLY HOPELESS view when looked at logically. No matter what good or evil you did, in the end, you just die and go back to dirt. If you are an atheist, that’s how and what you believe. Born, lived, die, back to dirt, the end.
In striking contrast to this view are Paul’s words in verse 21-22. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
Adam’s sin brought death to the world, but Christ’s resurrection presents a great shift. What Jesus has done for us, means that death isn’t how things have to be. Through Christ we have a way out of the mess that humanity made of life and of God’s creation.
Let’s be truthful. We as human beings make our own mess. Many blame God for the mess in their life but WE are the one’s that have made the mess. So, why does the resurrection matter? It matters because the mess we are in is sin. And sin has been in place since Adam first sinned. There’s no way out on our own. We are condemned due to sin. But Christ’s resurrection has overturned the event of our sin and its destruction in our lives. Because Christ conquered death and rose again, we have the assurance of new life, a sure hope in the things yet to come. JESUS’ RESURRECTION HAS GIVEN US NEW LIFE AND THAT’S WHY IT MATTERS.
READ 1 Corinthians 15: 23-28. Now what does all that mean? Think of the resurrection this way. It wasn’t just Anyone who was raised from the dead; it was God incarnate. Jesus’ power over death means He is the Lord of all.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus made claims to divinity. He forgave people’s sins, identified Himself as Lord of the Sabbath, knew people’s innermost thoughts, and said He was one with the Father. All of Jesus’ claims would have been meaningless had He stayed in the grave. But His resurrection was the ultimate evidence that He is who He claimed to be: He is God, He is the Messiah, and He is the Savior of mankind.
Think about everything that comes at us in life—diseases, injuries, heartbreak, financial instability, disasters and war—what is the worst thing that can happen to us? Death. Of all our enemies, death is the worst because it claims finality on our lives and on the lives of those we love.
But Jesus changed that. (v.26) “The last enemy to be abolished is death.” So, by defeating death, Jesus showed us that He truly is the Lord of all things. Over the course of Jesus’ earthly life, the disciples and others saw Him command many forces. He commanded the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee. His authority over the wind and the waves was evident.
The demons submitted to Him when He exorcised them. His authority over the demons was evident. He healed multitudes of people of their diseases and infirmities. His authority over these illnesses was evident. But Jesus’ ultimate mark of authority was when He physically rose from the dead. In that, He demonstrated that even death had finally submitted to His authority.
Why does the resurrection matter to you? It matters because you now have Someone to turn to when you pray for protection over Satan’s evil forces. You have Someone to turn to when you pray that the storms of your life be calmed. You have Someone who will listen and act on your behalf when you pray for those who are ill, or on the verge of death. If the resurrection had never happened, you would be on your own. Let’s drop down to verse 54.
Verse 54 says, “When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
Let’s face it, no one really looks forward to death. And yet the Bible assures us that it is appointed unto to man once to die.” If asked if we are afraid to die, we, as Christians might say, “No!” But in reality, there is that inkling of the fear of dying. Now, when death is inevitable, Christians know that they can take Jesus by the hand and all fear vanishes. Why is that? Because death has been swallowed up in victory.
Only God has power over death and Jesus demonstrated that power through His resurrection. The power of death has been removed by the victory gained through the death and resurrection of Christ. Why is the resurrection important to us? Before the resurrection, death was the end. That was it. But Jesus replaced all of that with life. Do you realize that everything, both in our present daily lives and our future in eternity—everything hinges on Jesus’ historical defeat of death. So, Paul can proclaim boldly.
READ 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57.
Paul is actually rephrasing the words of the OT prophets in these statements.
Isaiah 25:8 says, “When he has swallowed up death once and for all, the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove his people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Paul says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
He quoted Hosea 13:14 – “Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death? Death, where are your thorns? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight.” Paul says, “Where death is your victory? Where, death is your sting?” For Paul, death was already defeated. So, it had lost its sting.
So, what are we to do with all this assurance of life after death? What do we do NOW? READ 1 Corinthians 15:58. There are so many things in our present world and lives that pulls us away from the goodness of the One who gives us life. The 1st century Corinthian believers faced the same struggles we do today.
So, Paul encourages the Corinthians, as well as us today, to live for the things that lead to life. We are to keep our focus on Christ and the power He gives us to overcome sin. We really can turn away from temptation and pursue righteousness. And in the end, we can look forward to spending eternity in Christ’s presence. And isn’t that really why we’re here?
Paul referred to the STING of death. Bees, wasps, and other insects can puncture the skin with painful and poisonous stings. Have you ever been stung? It’s not fun, is it? I stepped on a bumble bee once barefooted. My big toe swelled up to at least 3X its normal size. It hurts. Some insect stings can even be fatal.
If death has a sting, Jesus’ resurrection has detoxified death’s stinger. Death no longer carries the dread it once held for Christians. Even though Christians still die and we mourn the loss of loved ones, Paul wrote that the victory over death is already a present reality for believers. Paul wanted all of us to know that our dead loved ones are living again because of the promise of the resurrection. Physical death will continue until the Lord returns and takes us home to heaven. However, the sting has been taken out of death. Death itself is a good as dead!
Do you see now why the resurrection matters to us? I close with this:
A boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon, when a bumblebee flew in the car window. The little boy, who was allergic to bee stings, was terrified. The father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it.
The boy grew frantic as it buzzed by him. Once again, the father reached out his hand, but this time pointed to his palm. There stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “Do you see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.”
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We don’t need to fear death anymore. Christ has taken the sting for us.
But we shouldn’t keep this good news to ourselves. Since we’re free from the bondage of sin, we should share that freedom with the rest of the world. Only Christ could have accomplished such a task as rising from the dead, and we get to be the bearers of this incredible message: that new life is found in Christ.
This is the task we have been called to do. We are called to tell others the wonderful news of life everlasting through the example shown to us by Jesus through His resurrection.
So, Paul closes this portion of his letter by assuring us that none of our work will ever be done in vain.
God said it this way in Isaiah 55:11 – “It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Will you join me in sharing this wonderful news of life everlasting through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord?
