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.
We all, all of mankind, are “in Adam,” and Adam is the firstfruits of all who will sin and die.
But by one Man, the God-man Jesus Christ, all who are “in Christ” shall be made alive. Notice here a very important distinction, Everyone who has ever lived are “in Adam.” But not everyone are “in Christ” – as will be illustrated in a moment.
Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
From the beginnings of the universe; the One who is both first and last, beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, and who, because of His atoning work, is the Firstborn among many brethren, and the Firstfruits of the resurrection. Jesus is first in all things.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
Everything will be done in order: Jesus will rise first – and He has done just that about 2000 years ago.
David Jeremiah once made this comment. “There is no other religion anywhere in the world that offers an empty tomb as its salvation. There is no other religion that has people lined up for hours in Jerusalem or elsewhere, to look at the empty place where their leader is no longer.
Many pilgrims still go to Jerusalem to see the place where He no longer is. Many go just to view a tomb that is empty. Here’s the Hope: "after that those who are Christ’s at His coming" - We are next. At least those of us who belong to Him. When will that be? At His coming.
John 14:2–3 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Jesus will receive us Himself, at that time of His coming.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
In short we call this the rapture. This our future hope. And that time is drawing closer every minute.
Revelation 20:5–6 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
The first resurrection began with Jesus on that first Easter morning and will end with us when we join Jesus. In a sense, the first resurrection has already started. The first resurrection will be in several stages according to the Scriptures. Jesus, the rapture, at his coming, and at the end of the millennium, the save saved who died during the millennium.
At the end of the time, will be the second resurrection, that of the condemned, those who do not belong to Christ.
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
Some are resurrected to life in the first resurrection, all others, the condemned dead will rise in the last resurrection to judgment and torment. It's Heaven or hell. This is a fact mentioned throughout the Bible.
1 Corinthians 15:24–25 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
All enemies of Jesus will be placed under his feet. In ancient times, a conquering leader will show superiority and dominance over an enemy by literally placing his foot on the head of the enemy leaders. The Psalms have prophesized this:
Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Jesus will reign till one day all the enemies of God has been destroyed. Jesus will one day give all back to God when all creation is made right again. The book of Revelation tell us that Christ will rule on earth for 1000 years, we call the millennium. At the end of that time we read that Satan will cast into the lake of fire. But that is not the last enemy.
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
This is clear in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Hades, in this context, means the grave. Along with Death and the Grave, will be all those who are not “in Christ,” those who do not belong to Him.
Revelation 20:14–15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life will be the subject of my messages after Resurrection day and the question will be asked, “Is your name in the book?”
1 Corinthians 15:27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
Paul is quoting from Psalms 8:6. All thing under the feet of Jesus, obviously excludes God the Father, for Jesus has submitted Himself subject to God.
1 Corinthians 15:28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
God will be all in all at the end of time and all creation will be restored back to the way it was originally.
Our future hope as believers in Jesus is wrapped up in the resurrection of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus rose from the dead, and He is the firstfruits of those who will come later. I’m not a big fan of paraphrased Bibles but I like the way The Message says it:
1 Corinthians 15:20 [THE MESSAGE] But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
That is our hope. But it will happen in God’s timing:
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
That is our question this morning, are you part of those who are Christ’s? Do you belong to Jesus? If you do not belong to Christ, you are without hope, for all eternity, whether you realize it or not.
At the end of the day, when all is said and done, it is all about Jesus. Jesus is not a hope, He is our only hope.
[1] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 309. —J. G. Gilkey
[2] www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/our-resurrection-hope-the-best-is-yet-to-come-mark-opperman-sermon-on-easter-resurrection-119821.asp?page=0
[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1806.
