We are just a few weeks from Easter,
and so that's the purpose of spending some time in 1 Corinthians 15,
to be able to understand the resurrection,
to be able to better see how the resurrection applies to our lives today.
And so if you've been around the church for any amount of time,
if you're a Christian, you certainly know the gospel in a nutshell
that can be presented in 10 seconds or less, right?
Christ came to earth. He lived a perfect life.
He was crucified, dead, and buried.
He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven.
In order to save us from our sins.
And we look forward to His return when He'll establish this eternal kingdom
where we will live forever with Him in paradise.
This is common speak for anyone who has spent any time in the church, right?
But one thing I think we need to recognize,
for those who haven't spent any time in the church,
for those who aren't believers,
just how crazy this language sounds to an outsider.
Because we live in this increasingly secular society
where biblical literacy is really a thing of the past.
What may have been commonplace to understand,
have some sort of knowledge of the gospel,
is completely lost in our society today.
And so my former minister from the States,
he shared this story before where he knew of this young woman
who had grown up as a Hindu.
Then she dabbled in a few other religions
before eventually coming to true faith in Christ.
And he talked about her conversion experience
and the confusion she went through as she was exploring the gospel.
And she actually wrote about this,
and he shared one time what her experience was like exploring Christianity.
And so this is a few things,
a little excerpt of what she said.
She said,
Christians claim that Jesus was the Son of God
and all this stuff about the Trinity,
which really I had no idea what they were talking about.
They claim this resurrection which made no sense to me,
not that I didn't believe that Jesus could rise from the dead if He were God,
but I had no idea what possible relevance this could have to me
since I didn't understand about the fall or sin or the final resurrection.
I assumed they were all myths
with no more relevant deep meaning than maybe a fairy tale,
except maybe metaphorical spiritual meaning.
I wasn't even interested because I never understood
what importance that event should have to me.
No Christian ever explained this to me.
They would just say crazy stuff like,
I'm washed by the blood of the Lamb and now I'm saved.
Jesus died for your sins.
Don't you want to be saved?
And then they would paint portraits of hell
that made zero sense to me.
It's just as though someone came up to me and said,
my red balloon popped and then candy canes fell out of the sky.
Your rabbit is winking at me.
Doesn't all this make you want to buy a new Nissan?
I'm not exaggerating.
This nutshell gospel message makes absolutely no sense to a non-Christian.
No meaningful sense anyways.
You just have no idea what they're so excited about.
So Jesus rose from the dead.
Big whoop.
Good for him.
So what?
I think it's safe to say that this mirrors the sentiment of many in our society.
Maybe even some in this church that have been around Christianity
but still don't understand what the resurrection means
and how it applies to us.
And so that's what I want us to accomplish tonight
is to be able to answer the question, so what?
To be able to bridge this gap between just spouting mere Christian jargon
to having a true understanding of the resurrection,
how it applies to our lives.
And so I really want to focus on two questions then
that I think this passage answers for us tonight.
What is the importance of the resurrection
and what are the implications of the resurrection?
And so let's look at that first point.
What is the importance of the resurrection?
Starting in verse 20,
Paul has just finished making this hypothetical argument
in the first part of chapter 15.
What if Christ didn't raise from the dead?
And he says if this is true, he didn't raise from the dead,
then all our preaching, all our faith is in vain
and we should be pitied above all else.
But in verse 20 he changes his argument.
He pushes away any lingering doubt
and he says Jesus has indeed risen from the dead.
And he uses interesting language here.
He refers to Jesus as the first fruits.
Now this may not have much significance to us nowadays,
but to a Jewish audience back then,
talking about first fruits would have great significance,
especially in an Old Testament context.
Because when you think of first fruits,
this would have been the portion of the crops
that from a harvest time
that would have been dedicated to the Lord,
that would have been sacrificed as an offering to him.
This was the first fruits offering.
This was the feast of Pentecost.
And so the effect of this offering of these first fruits
was really twofold.
One, it pointed back.
And two, it pointed forward.
And so think about it.
If you were an Israelite
and you had finally entered the promised land,
you're farming your vineyard.
Harvest time comes for the very first time
and you're able to clip this large cluster of grapes from the vine.
Think about the significance that this would have to you.
You would have remembered your parents
wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
You would have remembered your grandparents
and great-grandparents
who would have suffered as slaves in Egypt
for hundreds of years.
You would have recalled your own experience
crossing the Jordan River,
conquering the people of Canaan,
setting up your own house and farm,
ones that you did not build or grow,
and now you have the opportunity
to harvest these grapes for the first time.
It would point to you as a promise,
as a fulfillment of a promise,
a promise that wasn't just made to Joshua
or even to Moses,
but a promise that dates back much farther
to a man named Abram,
who God came to and made a promise,
this covenant,
a promise to him that says
that your offspring, to your offspring,
I will give this land.
And so these first fruits offered as a sacrifice
point back to the promise
that God has made to his people.
But they also point forward.
These grapes are only the beginning of a harvest.
They point to the assurance of the harvest to come,
that God has provided
and he will continue to provide for his people.
And so when we think of first fruits,
they wouldn't make any sense,
they wouldn't have any purpose
if a harvest wasn't to follow behind it.
There's no sense of celebrating
a cluster of grapes
or a bundle of wheat
if it wasn't going to be followed
by countless more.
And so when Christ is called the first fruits,
we see both of these aspects
in this name.
His resurrection,
it first points back
to a covenant promise,
one that dates back
to the time of creation,
the time of Adam and Eve,
when sin entered the world,
when they disobeyed God,
and we see the beginning of original sin.
We see then that God didn't abandon them,
he very well could have,
but he was faithful to them.
He promised that he would restore
this broken relationship,
that he would send a rescuer,
someone to redeem them from their sins.
And so this was a promise
that's been repeated through the Bible.
It was a promise that was repeated
to Abraham and to Moses and to David,
a promise to establish this eternal kingdom
where all nations would be blessed.
And now it finds fulfillment in Jesus
and in his resurrection.
And so also then,
that Christ as a first fruits,
his resurrection,
it points us forward
because it's a representation
of the things that will happen
in the future.
It's a guarantee of this whole harvest
that is to come.
So his resurrection
is an opportunity for us
to identify with Christ
because as Christ has risen,
we too will rise.
And so I think it's an important point
to make here
because when we think about
Christ's resurrection
and our resurrection,
we may want to think about this
as two separate events.
But I think it's more accurate
to recognize this as one event
in two episodes.
Because when we think of first fruits,
first fruits are not separate
from the harvest.
They don't point to another harvest
in the future.
They point to the harvest
that is happening right now.
Christ has rose
and therefore we will rise.
This is the same event
in two different episodes.
And so Paul goes on
to explain this further
in verse 21 and 22.
For since death came through a man,
the resurrection of the dead
comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die,
so in Christ all will be made alive.
And so again,
Paul is making this connection
between Adam and Christ.
It's the same argument
that he makes in many
of his other letters.
If you were to turn to Romans
chapter 5, verse 19,
he says this,
For as by one man's disobedience
the many were made sinners,
and so by one man's obedience
the many will be made righteous.
And so we see that
through Adam came death.
Through Christ comes life.
And so Christ comes
as a second Adam,
as a final Adam,
to fulfill the law
that Adam could not.
And so Christ comes,
he rescues his people
through his obedience,
whereas Adam came
and brought about destruction
because of his disobedience.
And so then it's important
to think about
who this all is.
If all are in Adam
or all in Christ,
well, who is this all?
Are they talking about
the same people?
If we think about all
in the first sense,
that all are in Adam,
this is a universal statement.
All are sinful
because of Adam.
All are deserving of death.
Romans 3, 23,
For all have sinned
and fallen short
of the glory of God.
But the second Adam,
or second all,
it's a different all.
It's not talking about all men.
It's talking about
God's elect.
Those who have received Christ
by grace through faith.
to them only
will receive this eternal life.
Will they experience
the resurrection of the dead?
Jonathan Edwards,
the Puritan minister,
he put it this way.
He said,
We are all in Adam by nature
and in Christ by faith.
And so Paul then goes on
in verses 23 through 28
to discuss the order
in which this resurrection happens.
He says,
But each in turn,
Christ, the firstfruits,
then when he comes,
those who belong to him,
and then the end will come.
It's a very simple order.
Maybe you have orders of things
in your own life.
In our home,
on a school morning,
we have some very simple orders,
some directions the kids
are to follow.
They come down
after getting dressed,
out of bed,
they have breakfast,
they're supposed to put
their dishes in the dishwasher,
supposed to pack their snack,
brush their teeth.
It's a very simple order.
It's the same one every day,
every week.
It doesn't change,
and you would be amazed
at how often
this order goes awry.
When we see in this passage,
this is a very simple order,
but it's an order
that is not thwarted here.
Christ is raised,
and those that belong to him
are also raised.
And then the end comes.
And it's interesting here,
there's no class distinction
among God's people.
There's no hierarchy of Christians.
Christ is raised.
We are raised.
Christ.
And when it references
this order here,
when it says each in turn,
or this order,
it's really a military term.
It's meant to illustrate
this definite plan
that a military leader
would have
in bringing their army
and walking into battle.
Christ is leading his army
to victory over death.
And so what does this mean?
I want to pause
because it still seems like
there can be a little bit
of misunderstanding
or even jargon involved
in what we're talking about here.
Paul goes on to explain this
later in chapter 15.
We're not going to cover it all tonight.
But we know that
when Christ was raised,
he ascended into heaven
and he promised to return.
And we are now waiting
for his return.
And so during this time,
when believers die,
our souls will be present
with the Lord,
our bodies will be in the grave.
That's what Paul's talking about,
as though we have fallen asleep.
But when he returns,
our bodies will be raised.
It says in verse 42 through 44,
it will be raised imperishable,
glorious, and powerful
to be reunited with our souls.
And so it's important to recognize
that we are created
as embodied souls.
Our souls and our bodies
are meant to be united,
just in the same way
that Christ's soul
and Christ's body
is eternally united.
I think some of us
may have the misconception
that when Christ rose from the dead
and ascended into heaven,
he did so in some sort
of bodiless form.
No, Jesus will forever have
a real and resurrected body,
and so will we.
And it says,
when this happens,
when we are raised,
then the end will come.
In our book,
The Last Battle,
when Aslan returns,
returns,
there's this doorway
in a stable
that separates
old Narnia
from the new Narnia.
And it says that
Aslan stood in this doorway
and he raised his head
and roared,
now it is time.
Then louder,
time.
Then so loud
that it could have shaken
the stars,
time.
And at his word,
as the children
are looking on
through the doorway,
the stars began
to fall out of the sky.
The true Narnians
enter through this door
while those rebels
are turned away
into judgment.
It describes
these dragons
and lizards
that then began
destroying the land
until all vegetation
is gone.
And then these creatures
themselves,
they lay down
and they die,
their bodies shrivel
and they turn to bones.
And then it describes
this huge wave
coming over
and covering the land
and it says
at last the sun
is squeezed
like an orange
until there is
total darkness.
Now obviously
this is an imaginative
portrayal
of the end times
but this is
pointing to
what Paul describes here.
Christ's resurrection
is really twofold
in the fact that
it ensures
eternal victory
for his people
but also
judgment
and defeat
for his enemies.
And so we see this
in verse 25
he says
he must reign
until
he has put
all his enemies
under his feet.
This verse is implying
that Christ
is reigning now.
We think about
his coming resurrection
and we know
Christ will reign
in the future
but Christ
is reigning now
it says
and will continue
to reign
until all his enemies
are destroyed
and he delivers
the kingdom
to God the Father.
and so we see
this kingdom
was inaugurated
it began
at his resurrection
and it will be
consummated
it will be fully
fulfilled
when he returns.
And so we see
just how
the totality
of his reign
in these few verses
because we see
Paul repeat himself
over and over again.
In verse 24
he says
he will destroy
all dominion
authority
and power.
Verse 25
he will put
all his enemies
under his feet.
A couple of times
in verse 27
he has put
everything under
his feet
God will put
everything under
Christ.
Verse 28
when he has done
this meaning
put everything
under his feet
then the son
himself will be
made subject
to him
who put
everything
under him.
It's almost
as if like
we want to
pump the brakes
and just say
Paul we get it
we understand
what you're
saying here
but what Paul
is actually doing
he's combining
two texts here
he's combining
Psalm 8
with Psalm 110
we sang
Psalm 108
just a second
ago
and it's a psalm
that reminds us
of the calling
that God gave
to man at creation
to have authority
over the earth
to rule over the earth
but the fact of the matter
is that
that man lost
this calling
Adam lost
this calling
at the fall
but now it's a calling
that has been completed
and accomplished
by Christ
and so when we think
about all these
sinful authorities
and sinful powers
that are still
present in this world
it's right to consider
things like
political powers
and social powers
and other religious powers
and spiritual powers
which hold this world
captive.
If you're around
on Wednesday
and can attend
the missions night
we're going to be hearing
from a friend of mine
who's been a missionary
in Ukraine
for over 20 years
who's going to be
giving us an update
about the war
in Ukraine
it would certainly
be right
for us to pray
that evil
be defeated
in Ukraine
but in addition
to thinking about
earthly kingdoms
and things that are
external to us
I think it's really
important when we
think about these
kingdoms that will be
conquered
to recognize
internal
personal kingdoms
these autonomous
kingdoms
where we ourselves
harbor sin
and rebellion
because it's this
sinful morality
within us
that will also
be destroyed
the desire
to wander
from God
the desire
to turn
to our own ways
to seek
our own glory
this too
will be destroyed
and this is what
will allow us
to live in perfect
union with Christ
but I think
the phrase
that really sticks out
here is actually
verse 26
because it's the only
phrase in this
passage that doesn't
begin with any sort
of conjunction
there's no buts
or ands
or fors
it stands
on its own
the last enemy
to be destroyed
is death
so lest you think
that anything
will escape
the wrath of God
even death
will be destroyed
and so this is
good news for us
right
when we look
around us
and we think
about the effects
of sin
disease
cancer
mental illness
financial hardship
broken families
loss of friendship
war
we don't want
these things
to just be
lessened
we pray
we don't pray
just for
for less death
we pray for it
to be destroyed
we want it gone
sin and all
its defect
effects
we want it
destroyed forever
and that's what's
promised in this
passage here
and so the end
of this order then
the end of this
order of events
it concludes with
Christ presenting
this kingdom
to the father
that God may be
all in all
and so we see
the resurrection
of Christ
the resurrection
of his people
the judgment
of his enemies
the assembly
of God's people
it all leads
to one point
the glory
of God
this is the
importance
of the resurrection
Christ rose
from the dead
that we may
rise as well
that he may
establish his
eternal kingdom
in order that
God receive
the glory
forever
and so this
leads us to
our second point
that's the
importance
of the resurrection
what are its
implications
to us
today
as we lead
our lives
well we turn
to verse 29
and quite honestly
it kind of gets
off to a weird
start
he says
now if there is
no resurrection
what will those
do who are
baptized for the
dead
if the dead
are not raised
at all
why are people
baptized for them
there's a lot
of ink that's
been spilled
on this passage
there's a question
about whether
Paul is he
actually referring
to some sort
of vicarious
baptism where
people are
being baptized
for people
that have
already died
is Paul
using this
language
in not quite
a literal sense
and saying
that well
it's referring
to the dead
he's actually
meaning Christians
who are still
suffer death
and decay
and baptism
is of no
importance
there's lots
of explanations
or attempts
at making
explanations
that I read
I don't know
if there's one
that I can
cling to
I think I'm
going to go
out on a limb
and say
I just don't
know
but I think
where we can
focus in
is actually
in verse 30
through 33
because he
says
and as for
us
why do we
endanger
ourselves
every hour
I face
death
every day
yes
just as
surely
as I boast
about you
in Christ
Jesus
our Lord
if I fought
wild beasts
in Ephesus
with no more
than human
hopes
what have I
gained
if the dead
are not raised
let us eat
and drink
for tomorrow
we die
and so I think
there's really
two main
implications
we see
in this passage
implications
of the
resurrection
the first
is that it
keeps us
focused
Paul speaks
of this
hardship
that he's
endured
for the sake
of the gospel
he's even
calling his
enemies
his opponents
in Ephesus
wild beasts
we certainly
know
throughout
his letters
in the
new testament
how he
has suffered
and been
imprisoned
and shipwrecked
for the sake
of the gospel
but this
isn't unique
for Paul
if we were
to jump
to the book
of Hebrews
in chapter
11
which recounts
this account
of faithful
men
throughout
the history
this redemptive
history
we see
the fate
of these
faithful men
they're mocked
they're flogged
they're in prison
stoned
sawed in two
killed by the
sword
naked
destitute
afflicted
mistreated
homeless
now certainly
I don't think
that any of us
will suffer
for our faith
in the same
way
but certainly
our faith
brings with it
certain struggles
of various kinds
we may feel
like you've been
mocked or ridiculed
for your faith
you may constantly
feel like an
outsider
maybe you have
been rejected
by your family
or friends
maybe you just
feel like you
always have a
target on your
back
certainly it
would be easier
for us to
just say
let's eat
and drink
and be merry
and not worry
about the future
but Paul's
charge here
is to remain
focused
to be willing
to endure
because we know
that this is going
to be temporary
because our focus
is pointed ahead
I don't know
if any of you
have heard of
the marshmallow
test before
this was a test
that was developed
a psychology
experiment
I got that right
psychology experiment
back in the
1960s
and it goes
you may have
even seen
these videos
on YouTube
they still do
it all the time
a child is given
a big marshmallow
and sat down
on a table
and says
look you can
eat this marshmallow
now
or if you wait
for me to come
back into the room
after a certain
amount of time
and you haven't
eaten it
I'll give you
a second one
and so they
leave the child
in the room
the child is
videotaped
and you watch
this internal
struggle that the
child faces
some of them
give up right away
want the marshmallow
stuff it in their
mouth
and don't get
a second one
others
they see the
struggle
they try to
pinch at it
they smell it
they see if
they want to
get it
and some
then eventually
give in
and then you
have some
who are
resilient
they resist
temptation
they don't
eat the
marshmallow
and are
rewarded with
a second one
it's ultimately
this experiment
in delayed
gratification
and so that's
essentially what
Paul is urging
these believers
in the New Testament
to do here
if we turn to
the book of
Philippians
listen to these
verses from
Philippians 3
starting in
verse 7
he says
but whatever
gain I had
I counted as
loss for the
sake of Christ
indeed I count
everything as
loss because of
the surpassing
worth of knowing
Christ Jesus
my Lord
for his sake
I have suffered
the loss of
all things
and count them
as rubbish
in order that
I may gain
Christ
and be found
in him
not having a
righteousness of
my own
that comes from
the law
but that which
comes through
faith in
Christ
the righteousness
from God
that depends
on faith
that I may
know him
and the power
of his resurrection
and may share
in his sufferings
becoming like
him in death
that by any
means possible
I may obtain
the resurrection
from the dead
Paul is
specifically
linking here
his suffering
with the knowledge
of the resurrection
and so just in
the same way
that we identify
with Christ
in his resurrection
we also ought
to identify
with Christ
in his suffering
because Christ
suffered
we too
should endure
suffering
and because
Christ rose
we can anticipate
the blessing
of the life
to come
and so then
the second
implication
I think this
passage shows
us
one is to
stay focused
and two
having proper
understanding
of the resurrection
keeps us
pure
verse 33
do not be misled
bad company
corrupts good
character
come back to
your senses
as you ought
and stop sinning
for there are
some who are
ignorant of God
and I say this
to your shame
and so notice
the chain of logic
that Paul is
presenting here
those who are
ignorant of God
are going to
deny the resurrection
if you deny
the resurrection
then you essentially
serve a dead God
if you serve a dead God
you have no reason
to follow him
and if you have no
reason to follow him
live however you want
like an unbeliever
Paul says
don't live
like an unbeliever
wrong theology
leads to bad morals
if we think
like an unbeliever
inevitably
we will begin
to act
like an unbeliever
and so instead
Paul urges us
to come back
to our senses
in the Greek here
it literally means
to wake up sober
wake up from your drunkenness
it's words
that seem to be echoed
by Isaiah
in Isaiah 52
where he says
awake
and put on your strength
oh Zion
put on your beautiful garments
oh Jerusalem
the holy city
shake yourself
from the dust
and arise
be seated
oh Jerusalem
loose the bonds
from your neck
oh captive daughter
of Zion
this chapter
in 52
it's an introduction
to a prophecy
of Christ's coming
and so Isaiah
is saying here
purify yourselves
because the salvation
of the Lord
is at hand
this is what Paul
has been spending
his entire book
this letter
to the Corinthian church
doing
warning the church
to guard yourselves
about the immorality
that's creeping
into the church
keep the truth
of the resurrection
in your hearts
that it may have
deep effect
in your life
and so he concludes
his whole letter
in verse 56
excuse me 58
therefore
so keeping in mind
that the resurrection
is real
therefore
my dear brothers
and sisters
stand firm
let nothing move you
always give yourselves
fully to the work
of the Lord
because you know
that your labor
and the Lord
is not in vain
and so we wait
for Easter
to roll around
every year
on the church calendar
I think it's important
for us to remember
the reality is
that we constantly
live
in the season
of Easter
for Easter
again it's this
one event
in two episodes
we look back
to the joy
of the resurrection
of Christ
and we also look forward
with hope
at our own
resurrection
so as we live
in this period
of the already
and the not yet
Paul urges us
to remain faithful
to our calling
as we long
for Christ's return
let's pray together
God we thank you
for the season
of Easter
and to know
that it's not a season
that comes around
once every spring
but it is a season
in which we live
recognizing the resurrection
of Christ
and also the resurrection
to come
our own resurrection
that is brought
by Christ's return
and so may that
give us great joy
may it give us
great hope
in the future
may that motivate us
now in how we live
God we thank you
for the sacrifice
of your son
we thank you
that you reign
now and will reign
eternally
we thank you
that you promise
to destroy
all dominion
and authority
and power
and even death
itself
we thank you
that we
can be
your children
and so may we
live from a position
of victory
may we always live
in light
of the cross
and in light
of an empty grave
we pray all these
things in Jesus name
amen
and now
since we are
without a musician
we're going to do
a call
little audible
here
we are going
to close
by singing
the doxology
together
so if you don't
know it
look it up
real fast
if you need to
if you know it
then you can stand
and we'll sing
the doxology
together
praise God
from whom
all blessings
flow
praise him
all creatures
here below
praise him
above ye
heavenly hosts
praise father
son
and holy
ghost
amen
and now receive
this good word
this benediction
from the lord
and now
may the god
of peace
who through the
blood of the
eternal covenant
brought back
from the dead
our lord jesus
that great shepherd
of the sheep
equip you
with every
good thing
to complete
his will
and may he
work in us
what is pleasing
to him
through jesus christ
to him be glory
forever
and ever
amen