Resurrection Part 2

Resurrection Part 2 1 Corinthians 15:29-58 Emmanuel Christian Church 3.24.24 INTRODUCTION: If you take away the Resurrection of Jesus- all of Christianity falls flat on its face! Ironically, Jesus’ Resurrection is the most powerfully attested fact in all human history- yet there are still those who simply choose to ignore the evidence! PROPOSITION: Resurrection, especially the Resurrection of Jesus, is SO personally important- we need to get our mind “right” on the issue! Let’s begin with a quick review on what we learned from last week… Right on the Resurrection

  • Baptism and the Resurrection are powerfully bound together. Here’s why:
  • Scripture clearly teaches in Romans 6, in our baptism we share in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
  • Scripture also clearly teaches in Acts 2 that in our baptism, we receive the two fold benefits of the forgiveness of sin and the gift of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.
  • To deny either the reality of the resurrection, or the practical benefits of Christian baptism is to deny the clear statements of God’s own word.
  • This connection between baptism and the Resurrection is exactly why Paul begins our text for today with a statement that has confused more than a few people. Let’s look at it together: 1 Corinthians 15:29 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? On the surface, this appears to be advocating something very strange to our ears- the idea of someone being baptized on behalf of a dead person so as to provide the deceased with some kind of spiritual benefit beyond the grave. Is that what’s being talked about here? The Mormon church would tell you “Absolutely!” , because they do indeed practice what’s called “Proxy baptism for the dead.” But what is the primary focus of this passage- baptism, or the reality of the Resurrection? Obviously, this entire text is focused on the reality of the Resurrection. I believe that Paul is using one of the Corinthian’s own mistaken and confused doctrines to argue against another of their confused doctrines- the idea that there is no resurrection! Here are three reasons why Paul’s question isn’t an affirmation of some strange new doctrine:
  • First, there is no Biblical or historical reference for such a practice in the first-century church.
  • Second, the Scripture teaches from beginning to end that each individual is personally responsible for his faith and obedience to God- no one can perform those actions for another person.
  • Finally, the Scripture clearly teaches there is only One Mediator between God and man- Jesus Christ. No human can stand in the place of Jesus between God and man. As Jesus Himself said- “No one comes to the Father except by me.” So, that being said, let me give you what I believe is Paul’s bottom line argument here: “If people are buried with Christ in Christian baptism so that they might share in the resurrection of Christ- why in the world would any Christian deny the Resurrection of Jesus?” Paul continues on with his argument against the foolishness of denying the Resurrection by making several more points. In effect, he asks and answers the simple question: “Why would I take a life-threatening stand for the Resurrection if it were not TRUE?” 1 Corinthians 15:30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day — I mean that, brothers — just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” If the Resurrection isn’t true, it would be foolish to say that it is!
  • It’s a position that flies in the face of common experience.
  • In Paul’s day it was a controversial position that was completely rejected by half of the Jews. (Saducees vs. Pharisees)
  • When Paul brought the subject up, it usually ended in riot or a fistfight! APPLICATION: Paul’s argument goes like this: “If there is no such thing as the Resurrection, it makes no sense to live like a Christian! Instead of following Jesus, a reasonable person would follow their own lustful, selfish desires for the few miserable years they have on planet earth! Paul wraps up his argument for the Resurrection by saying… 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God — I say this to your shame. APPLICATION: Far from being an illogical position taken only by faith, believing in the Resurrection makes complete sense if one thing is indisputably true: Jesus Himself rose from the dead. Personally coming to grips with that one question is the most important thing you will ever do. We are left with two… Resurrection Questions: 1 Corinthians 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” How are the dead raised?
  • By the same power with which Christ Himself was raised by God the Father.
  • Paul actually gets around to answering this question in his second letter to the Corinthians: 2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.
  • With what kind of body do they come?
  • It will be DIFFERENT. (vs. 36-41) 1 Corinthians 15:36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
  • Like a “dead” kernel of corn, compared to a living corn plant!
  • Already, there are different kinds of bodies: Humans, animals, birds and fish. And in the case of the heavens themselves, there are the Sun, moon and stars! TRANSITION: So, we’re left wondering- “Is different better?” OH my! Listen on! It will be “IMPERISHABLE”. (vs. 42-53) 1 Corinthians 15:42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 1Corinthians 15:50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. CONTRAST: Now, vs. then…
  • Dishonor, Glory
  • Weakness, Power
  • Natural, Spiritual (Dust vs. Spirit)
  • Jesus had a tangible, touchable Resurrection body that looked just like ours, could eat just like ours- but could walk through walls!
  • Your old body of flesh and blood isn’t able to make the trip into eternity (and REALLY, would you want it to?)!
  • When? At the final return of Christ!
  • How? In the blink of an eye!
  • What then? ->->->->-> CONCLUSION: The Resurrection will be the death of death! 1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. No more death and disease! No more defeat and failure! No more sting of pain! No more being on the losing side! So, Don’t GIVE UP! Don’t STOP TRYING! Don’t stop WORKING for the Lord! And if you’ve never made the switch from death to life- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?