In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul recounts the Gospel message that he has received and had passed on to the church in Corinth. Central to that message was the statement that Jesus had not only died “for sin” (vs. 3) but also had been raised from the dead on the third day (vs. 4). Paul viewed this as a central part of the Christian message, going on to say in verses 12-19:
“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
He is saying here that all our hope and the entire way of living for Christians hinges on the reality of Christ’s resurrection. To put it more simply, if Christ has come back from the dead, then so will the people who believe in Him. And if Christ has come back from the dead, then we should live differently. Then Paul says simply (vs. 20):
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the basis of our hope and our way of life.
Passages: Matthew 28, Romans 8:1-17, 1 Corinthians 15
The resurrection of Jesus is the proof of our coming resurrection and the beginning of God’s future kingdom that comes in fullness at Christ’s return. Paul sums up this idea at the end of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 this way (vs. 50-57):
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our future hope is rooted in the past resurrection of Jesus, resulting in a present victory: “O death, where is your victory?”
