What Does Christ’s Resurrection Mean for Us

Hook

You know how we play games like dodgeball, spout, nerf wars, capture the flag, or the game on Wednesday (Four Empires). They all have something in common. What do you think that is?

In these games you can get “out”, either by getting hit with a ball, a nerf bullet, or getting tagged. Nobody really wants to to get out, because then you can’t play the game for a little bit. But to keep the games fun and interesting, usually, there’s a way for the people who got “out” to get back in. In dodgeball it’s if someone on your team catches the ball. In sprout, it’s when the person who hit you gets out themselves, it capture the flag or Four Empires, its when someone comes to rescue you.

So when you play these games, even if you get out there’s a hope that you’ll get back in eventually. And so you can afford to play a little more risky, take some chances, and not get discouraged when you get out. If you knew you couldn’t play again, you might be tempted to only ever guard yourself, and not try to go on the offensive. And that wouldn’t be fun for anyone if we were all playing defense and no offense.

That’s what makes these kinds of games fun to play over and over again. The hope that even when you get out, you’ll get another chance later.

And that’s what the hope of eternal life does for us. Because we know that there will be a day when we are given new life in Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid of “getting out” or dying. We don’t have to spend our entire lives defending ourselves as if the hope is in this life alone. No, we are promised a life in the future. We can get back “in” to the game and this time its for good! Knowing that should change how we “play” the game of this life right now.

So let’s look at the catechism question for this morning.

Question 50

What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us?

Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death.

The whole basis of this question shows that Christ’s resurrection has meaning. That means it has relevance. It’s not just some historical fact you have to believe. It’s a truth that has meaning for your life and changes you.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:12–22 ESV

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. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Unpacking Scripture

Connection made between Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection

Paul ties the two together in this passage. In other words, the resurrection of Christ is proof that there will be a future resurrection. And if (hypothetically) Christ hasn’t been raised, then there’s no reason to think that the rest of us will be raised from the dead either.

Christ’s Resurrection means our faith isn’t pointless. And it means that we are rescued from our sins.

Christ’s resurrection gives us a future hope

Without a future hope, what’s the point? Everything in this life is temporary.

Unpacking the Catechism

New Life Here and Now

Our old self has died and we’ve been given a new identity in Christ. Drastic life change. A life that is different from the rest of the world. A life that isn’t bound to the hopelessness and brokenness of the world but has hope and freedom from sin.

Everlasting Life to Come

We are promised everlasting life in the age to come. We won’t be confined to just the here and now. Otherwise what’s the point. We don’t know how long we could live. We could all die in the next minute and that would be the end of it forever. Does that sound hopeful? NO of course not. But we can be filled with hope because there is a life to come. So even if this one get’s cut short, even if this one isn’t all we hoped it would be, there’s a better one coming. And it will be better forever.

Why It Matters

Reunion with Loved Ones

How many of you have been at a sleepover with a friend or cousin before and they fell asleep way before you?

How many of you have been the first one to wake up at a sleepover and you’re just waiting for your friend or cousin to wake up?

In those moments when the friend is asleep, it kinda puts a stop to the fun and you’re just looking forward to when they’re awake again. And you know they’ll wake up, so you can wait with patient hope that in the morning it will be fun again. and you’ll get to enjoy the time together.

I think that’s a helpful picture to have in mind when it comes to loved ones who were Christians and have died.

We will be reunited with our believing loved ones who have died before us. There’s hope for the next life and our ability to see them again.

That is why Paul, in this passage, calls the death of a believer “falling asleep” because one day they will “wake up” and be reunited with us again. We can look forward to the resurrection as that day when we’re all together again and enjoying the pleasures of eternal life together with Jesus.

Hope in Facing Sin

We don’t have to deal with being dead in our sins and helpless. We’ve been given a new life, not tied to the slavery of sin but able to walk in freedom.

Our Priorities in this Life

There is a world to come, and it’s in our best interest to think of it and prioritize it because it will last forever, as opposed to this temporary world.

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Motivation for Evangelism

There is a very real danger for those who do not know Christ. There will be a resurrection for them too. But rather than the blessedness of eternal life, they will experience the pain and horrors of eternal death. This should motivate us towards evangelism.

Illustration of stopping my friend Wesley from running right over a snake

Growing up in North Carolina, we had a neighbor kid move in about two houses down from us who’s name was Wesley. He was two years younger than I was, so my brother Daulton’s age, and we would play together all the time. Now Wesley was not the most coordinated kid ever. Daulton and I remember one time when we had a bike ramp in our front yard and we would take turns jumping our bikes off of it. Wesley brought his bike over and it ended up disastrous on more than one occasion. Once he took the jump but came off of his bike seat, and landed with his body halfway folded over the handlebars. Another time he stayed on the bike, but after he landed he lost control and plowed right into the neighbor’s fence. He got hurt a lot doing the things we would do in North Carolina. Like I said, not a super coordinated guy.

We all went to the same elementary school so we would carpool in the mornings. One year, I was in fifth grade and he was in third grade, and both of our classrooms were actually temporary trailers on the edge of the campus that backed up to the forest. We could get there by taking a little trail in between the main building and the woods. On this particular day we were running late, so we got dropped off as we usually did but then he and I were running along this path to get to our classrooms. Now, not to brag but I was definitely way faster than him, so I was ahead. And as I’m booking it to class I see a long, straight, black thing laying across the path, and it was definitely a snake. We had snakes on our elementary school campus all the time, but I had to stop in my tracks to not step on it. But here comes Wesley behind me and he’s not slowing down. It happened so fast I didn’t have time to get the words out, so all I could do to keep him from stepping on this snake was to reach my arm out and block him. Well he hit pretty hard, and I essentially clotheslined him. At first he was mad at me, but then I showed him the snake he almost stepped on. We have venomous snakes in North Carolina, and I still don’t know if it was one of those. But the point is, I knew in that moment I had to act fast because he couldn’t see the danger that he was running right into.

And guys, it’s the same for the people who don’t know Jesus. Your friends and family and neighbors and teammate who don’t know Jesus, they’re running full steam ahead and they’re in danger. They’re in danger of the consequences of their sinfulness and their rejection of God. We need to recognize that if they don’t come to know Jesus, they will experience the pains and horrors of eternal death. We’ve been graciously saved from that by God, as someone shared the good news with us. Now it’s our turn to share the good news with others in hopes that they will come to know Jesus and will be among those with whom we will share eternal life when we die.

Conclusion

We are all going to be resurrected in the end. For those who are not yet believers, this is not a happy resurrection.

But for those of us who are believers, it’s a wonderful thing!

We will be reunited with our loved ones

We will live in peace and security forever.

And there are benefits to the resurrection in this life as well.

First, we are given new spiritual life right now, which means we can have hope in fighting against sin

Second, we are able to know that our work for the kingdom of God isn’t pointless. It’s building something that will last forever. It will be the most rewarding work you could ever do.

Let’s pray.