Christ Has Been Raised

Introduction

Everything in your natural self, and everything in this sinful world screams that life is all about today. The secular world will just tell you that your life is about your happiness. If it makes you happy, do it regardless of anything else.
Every advertisement you see on a billboard, on your TV, and in a magazine seizes on that impulse. This car, this new outfit, and this pornographic experience can make you feel good. So, get it! Seize the day.
It works. People chase the next great thrill or glory or peace of mind or simply belonging. And many people seemingly get what they want. There’s many people around you who are happy with their lives. Life is good, and they don’t need anyone or anything.
But maybe your chase hasn’t work out so well. Life is dull, disappointing, dark, and lonely. It’s crushing. Because if this is all there is, and happiness is your aim, nothing is more depressing than a stinky life. So, many people boast in their life while others are crushed by theirs, all because they believe life is all about today.
But the Easter story shouts that all of it is a lie. Christ arose! His resurrection changes everything (read). This is a nerdy, complicated passage. We could talk for hours about its complexities. But it is also extremely practical. Because Jesus lives, your future and the entire world’s future is headed toward something much bigger than anything happening today. It crushes the one who boasts in his good life, and it offers hope to the despairing. Wherever you find yourself, Jesus’ resurrection means you must live today for life after death. Paul drives you to this conclusion by 4 steps in God’s plan. The first step, the one we celebrate today and the one that drives the others is that…

I.  Christ arose (v. 20).

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15 to a church that was stained by Greek dualism. The dualists taught that spirit is good, and everything material is evil. So, the bodily resurrection seemed like absolute nonsense. Most Greeks believed in the afterlife, but it was a purely spiritual existence—no bodies, no food, no remnants of the material world.
But the Bible teaches that God created a good material world, but sin destroyed it. So, God is not working to rescue us from this world. Instead, God will restore us and to restore our world to its original perfection. That’s what our passage is about. This great hope begins with Christ’s resurrection.
Verse 20 says, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead.” That’s what we celebrate today. Imagine being one of the women who visited Jesus’ tomb to tend to his dead body. They weren’t looking for a resurrection. But the angel said “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen” (Luke 24:5–6). It’s a great story.
And it’s important you know that it is also a true story. But Paul knew some would doubt, so notice what he says in vv. 3–8. Many people want you to believe that the gospel is just another fanciful religious tale, but the life, death, and resurrection are unlike any other religious story.
Jesus lived in real time, and he did everything in public with thousands of eyewitnesses. He left behind 4 near accounts of his life that have every mark of historical credibility. These things happened. Don’t listen to people who dismiss the Gospels. They are the ones believing a fairy tale.
Paul was himself an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ. He says to you with absolute certainty, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead.” Believe him. We celebrate a historical fact. Jesus is alive!
And this fact changes everything. Since this is a true story it is also a powerful story. Today is not just about remembering a great moment in history. No, our text is about the mighty effects of the resurrection.
The most important effect is what the resurrection means for your sin (vv. 3–4, 16–19). Jesus died to pay for sin. You’ll never appreciate the Easter story until you deal honestly with the fact that you are a sinner, and your sin demands justice. You are not a good person who occasionally falls short. No, Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, not even one.”
That’s the bad news, but the good news is, “Christ died for our sins.” He took the punishment you deserve. That’s great news because the Bible says you could never pay your penalty with anything short of eternal damnation.
You can’t do enough good deeds to pay even a fraction of your debt. Thousands of years in purgatory could not wash away your sins. So, Jesus did for you what you could never do for yourself. He paid your debt in full. We saw on Friday, that he declared, “It is finished.”
Your sin debt can be entirely covered by the blood of Christ if you will simply confess your sin and put your faith wholly in Christ’s death and resurrection. You can receive him right now. Tell the Lord that you are sinner. Tell him you believe Jesus died and rose again and that you want salvation through Christ. The Bible promises you will be saved. Please come to Jesus for salvation.
So, the first step in God’s plan is that Christ arose. That’s our focus today. There’s no point in looking for Jesus among the dead because he’s not dead. He is alive! But why does that even matter? Paul explains in the rest of our text. The 2nd step in God’s plan…

II.  Christians will rise at Jesus’ coming.

Verses 21, 22 point out a sobering reality. All descendants of Adam (that’s all of us) will die. God made a perfect world without any sin or death. But Adam rebelled and ate the forbidden fruit. Since he was the head of all humanity, his sin brought a curse on God’s perfect creation which spread to all people including you. You were not born a clean slate, free to make your own path. You were born a sinner destined for death.
Death is your worst enemy. You can’t escape it, and death has a sobering finality to it. When a loved one dies, they are gone. So, Hebrews 2:15 compares the fear of death to a cruel slave master. It looms over everything. You dread losing the people you love, and when they die, it is devastating. Many of you know that pain all too well.
That fear also drives the indulgence I mentioned in my introduction. If death destroys everything, I must seize every moment I have. And if I can’t, it’s crushing. It’s a tragic, hopeless game.
But praise the Lord that God did something about it. When he raised Jesus, v. 20 says Jesus became the “first fruits of those who are asleep.” First fruits are a symbol of what is to come. Growing up on the farm it was always exciting to pull the combine into the field at the beginning of harvest and see the first grain fall into the hopper. It makes you excited for what is to come.
Similarly, all of us are probably missing at least one Christian who has gone to be with the Lord. And your own death creeps nearer every day. But Jesus is the “first fruits of those who are asleep.” Easter gives strong assurance that that those who die in Christ will rise. Jesus is just the beginning of a mighty resurrection harvest.
Verses 21–23 explain how God will do it. The first man, Adam, brought death to all humanity. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that through the incarnation, by becoming a man, Jesus became the head a new humanity. By a man, Jesus, came resurrection, so that “in Christ all will be made alive.”
I must be clear that our text is not teaching universalism, that all people will eventually make it to heaven. No, v. 23 says the only people who will be resurrected to salvation are “those who are Christ’s.” That implies that many people do not belong to Christ. You must be born again. You must be saved by faith to belong to Christ and be saved from eternal death.
Otherwise, tragically, Revelation 20:13–15 say you will participate in a very severe, different resurrection, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
You don’t want to participate in that resurrection. Please be saved. Become one of Christ’s so that you can partake of a radically different and wonderful resurrection.
This glorious resurrection will happen “at His coming.” Verses 51–52 tell us more (read). 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 add, “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. 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.”
Christian, you’ve had some great days you’ll never forget. But when you meet Jesus in the air, it will be your very best day. 1 John 3:2 says you will see Jesus as he is, and you will be like him—perfect in holiness in a glorified body without any tarnish of sin. And you will “always be with the Lord.” We will live in unimaginable glory and blessing forever and ever.
I began by noting that most people live as if this world is all there is. We run here and there, we meditate all day long on this passion or that fear, and we stake our lives on pleasure and respect.
But the resurrection changes everything. Someday, you will stand before the Lord with heaven or hell in the balance. You will live forever either under God’s judgment or under his greatest blessing. Compared to eternity the greatest highs and the worst lows of this world are a miniscule smidge.
So, do not be deceived by the lies of this age. Do not leave without knowing that you belong to Christ. Then live for the day that you see Christ. And if you miss a departed saint, or you are fearful of your own death, be encouraged by God’s promise. “In Christ all will be made alive.” Death is not the end for Christians. It is not a final goodbye. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” But our resurrection is not the end of the story. Verses 23 –24 tell us about a 3rd step in God’s plan (read).

III.  Christ will conquer sin and restore all creation.

This is very important. So often we think that that the biblical story is all about redeeming sinners. And sometimes, the world accuses Christianity of not caring about natural disasters, human suffering, and injustice.
But it’s a ridiculous lie. But God is doing more than redeeming sinners. He is building the kingdom of God. He is redeeming all creation. God cares about every sorrow. He cares about cancer and disease, every injustice, all the violence, and every natural disaster. The resurrection declares God’s intent to fix all of it.
Look at how v. 24 describes the 3rd and 4th step in God’s plan (v. 24). Christ will “abolish all…” He’s talking about demonic powers and all the misery they bring. Christ will “abolish/obliterate” all of it. Then he will hand over his perfect kingdom to the Father. God cares, and God will fix it all.
Paul goes on to explain in more detail (v. 25). Paul quotes Psalm 110:1. David prophesied about Messiah, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”
Jesus has begun to fulfill David’s words. After he rose from the dead, he ascended to the Father’s right hand. He reigns. But Jesus allows his enemies to continue their cruelty. You know that because you endure the curse of sin every day of your life.
But that’s not the end of the story. Verse 27 says, “He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under His feet (Jesus).” Paul quotes another Davidic psalm. Psalm 8:6 references the dominion mandate God gave Adam in Genesis 1. God’s plan from the beginning was that mankind would be a benevolent king over a good world.
But the curse ruined creation, and it ruined humanity. This world is a mess. So, the Father decreed that Jesus would become a sovereign man. Again, v. 27 says, “He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under His feet (Jesus).” Then Paul adds a little clarification that the only exception to Jesus’ sovereign authority is the Father himself (v. 27b). Jesus is Lord.
And as the Lord, the Father has decreed that he must lead humanity to fix the mess Adam made. Christ will crush every foe and humiliate them by making them his footrest.
Every miracle Jesus performed declares that God cares about injustice, poverty, hunger, death, and natural disaster and that Jesus will fix it all. Then he died. He rose again, and he ascended to the Father’s right hand where he is waiting to put his enemies under his feet. Someday, Christ will return and finish the process.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems…He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS’” (Rev 19:11–16).
I can’t wait to follow King Jesus into battle on a white horse! It’s going to be the most lopsided battle of all time. Jesus will crush every foe, and “He will rule them with a rod of iron.” No evil power will resist.
Do you ever get tired of greedy, power-hungry politicians? What about insurance companies that won’t pay up, or technicians who do shoddy work? Someday, Jesus will say, “No more.” He will end all injustice and greed and all the suffering and violence that comes with it.
Then Jesus will restore the creation itself. There will be no more extreme weather, earthquakes, violent animals, or harmful diseases. Christ will restore all of creation to its original perfection. In fact, it will be better than the Garden of Eden.
Finally, v. 26 says, “The last enemy…” That is amazing to ponder. When I was a kid, I would get anxious when I thought about eternity. It scared me because I couldn’t comprehend it. I still don’t. Death is such a normal part of our world that we can’t imagine life without it. It’s a cruel dictator.
But all who are in Christ will someday live in a world with no death or fear of death. Can you imagine how liberating that will be? “There will no longer be any death; (and because of that) there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Rev 21:4). It’s unimaginable. Finally, the 4th step is…

IV.  The Father will reign in glory and peace (v. 28).

Once Jesus has fixed all that is broken, he will give it all over to the Father. Everything will be right once again. We will go on forever and ever in God’s eternal joy.

Conclusion

I began by describing how most of the world lives as if this world is all there is. Maybe that includes you, at least functionally. You are consumed with the pressures, the passions, and the pains of temporal life. Please see that Easter changes everything. Your life today is only a smidge of your eternal existence. James 4:14 says, “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
So, nothing is more important than knowing that Christ has forgiven your sins and that you are ready to meet the Lord. There is nothing you could gain in this world which would be worth finding yourself on the wrong side of Jesus’ sword someday. Please be saved.
You can do that right now. It’s not complicated. Confess that Jesus is the Lord. Tell the Lord that you have sinned against him and repent. Then put your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for your salvation. John 3:16 promises, “Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” You will become a child of God, and you can look forward to spending all eternity in the perfect world Jesus will create. Please receive him today.  
Then Christian, as you look back on the resurrection, look forward to what is to come. The resurrection is only the beginning of God’s glorious plan to deliver you into a glorious new world. So, don’t stress over this life and don’t invest in this life. Hope in God. Focus on eternity. Jesus’ resurrection means you must live today for life after death.