Ultimate Victory: The Defeat of Death

I Cor. 15:26-28

Summary: In this passage, Paul highlights the ultimate victory over death as the last enemy to be destroyed, affirming the sovereignty of Christ as He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after all enemies are defeated.

Application: This sermon can help Christians find hope and assurance in the resurrection and power of Christ, reinforcing the belief that our struggles are temporary and that the ultimate victory is assured.

Teaching: The teaching focuses on the power of Christ's resurrection and His authority over death, illustrating that believers can live boldly knowing that they are part of a victorious kingdom.

How this passage could point to Christ: This theme connects to the broader narrative of Scripture where Christ is the conquering King who triumphs over sin and death, emphasizing His role as the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption throughout history.

Welcome to Resurrection Sunday here at MVBC. We are absolutely delighted to have you and your family joining us today. We would love the opportunity to connect with you. Our greeters will be at the welcome center and at the entrances to get better acquainted with you. They will also have a nice gift for you. Please be sure to see them as you leave today.

Have you ever considered the ironies we have in our world? The most shoplifted book in America is the Bible. A very popular meal on many restaurant menus is Sweet and Sour. Walt Disney was fired when he was young because they said he lacked creativity. James Earl Jones who had one of the iconic voices in our day suffered from stuttering when he was in school. Q-tips are usually bought to clean the inside of your ears, but sold in boxes that warn people” “Do not insert in the ear canal.” In 2002, a tree was planted in a park in Los Angeles in memory of Beatles guitarist George Harrison. The tree later died after being infested by beetles.

Here is one of the great ironies in the Bible. We think of death as a loss. We think of a death as a defeat. Satan thought He could kill Christ and end His reign over the world so he could be God.

Isaiah 14:13–14 KJV 1900

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Death could not defeat Him and the tomb could not hold Him. This is the reason we celebrate His resurrection. His resurrection is His glorification.

While this week is traditionally called Holy Week or Passion Weak with a somber tone, Christ was glorified when He arose. Some things in our lives can be sad and most difficult, but it can turn out to be a victory.

Jesus is victorious over the cross. The entire chapter of I Cor. 15 focuses on the full guarantee of the resurrection. Without His resurrection, we would have no hope and our faith would be empty. The resurrection is not just a theory, it is a fact of history. It is the truth in the Bible.

There are three marks of the victory by Jesus in these verses. This gives us hope and assurance in the resurrection and power of God. This gives us hope for today and a reason to celebrate.

Mark 1 . . .

1. Conquered the enemy of Death

1 Corinthians 15:26

Death is a constant reminder of our weakness. Death is that enemy which stalks us. It is an ever-present reality.

We don’t have to fear, because Jesus conquered death. Even though He literally died on the cross, He literally arose. He gave up His life, He arose victorious three day later conquering death.

His defeat of death assures us that our destiny is not in defeat but in the resurrection of Christ. Believers celebrate the awesome promise and power of the resurrection. This means death is either our passage to heaven or to hell.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27

Hebrews 9:27 KJV 1900

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

When you know Jesus Christ as Your Savior, you can be assured that through Christ you also have victory over death.

Ah, Lord Jesus! I never knew Your love till I understood the meaning of Your death. The Death Of Christ For His People, Volume 46, Sermon #2656

Charles Spurgeon

The death of Jesus was not a proposition for sinners but a plan of salvation.

John Blanchard

What does it mean to know Christ? What does it mean to have a relationship with Him? What does it mean to know you are a Christian?

It is not being baptized, being religious or religion, it is not church membership, it is not being good or trying to be good.

To know Christ means we admit we are sinners. We are broken over our sins. We turn from our sins and turn unto Christ as our only hope for forgiveness. We call upon Him to be our personal Savior. Romans 10:13 tell us we call upon name of the Lord. There is no other name only His name and Him alone.

The moment we receive Him, we are given victory in Christ.

Mark 2. . .

2. Defeated the sin of humanity

1 Corinthians 15:27

Romans 5:19 KJV 1900

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden into sin, the penalty of sin was passed onto all of humanity. We have this sin nature we struggle with daily.

The penalty for sin is death but Christ took that penalty on Himself when He went to the cross. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know what they do.” As He hung on the cross paying for the penalty of my sin, He was asking for God to forgive.

He paid the debt for all of humanity. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the penalty He paid for our sins is applied to our life. YOU can be forgiven through Jesus. By one man’s disobedience (Adam), but by one man’s obedience, righteousness is applied.

Verse 27 teaches that His power to defeat not only the grave, but also sin in our lives. He conquers all things and put all things under Him.

we don’t have to live in sin or for sin.

This means that day, His death on the cross was not a defeat but a victory as He arose from the dead.

Without the resurrection, there is no reason to suppose that Jesus’ crucifixion dealt with sins, or with sin. But, with the resurrection, the divine victory over sin(s), and hence over death, is assured.

N. T. Wright

We can recognize Jesus as our Savior and King because He has power over all realms in our lives and there is nothing outside of His control.

Christian, you can trust Him in your fears, in your anxieties, and your challenges that come in your lives. We see life through the lens of Jesus’s triumphant victory over sin gives us the reason we can overcome sin in our lives. You don’t have to live a defeated life. You don’t have to strive in life, you can thrive in life through Christ.

You may have come here today with struggles and heartaches and disappointments in life, this is a reminder that Jesus’s death on the cross assures you victory over sin and over the struggles you have.

Did you hear about the man whose daughter came to him.

One day, my young daughter asked me, "Dad, why do you always have to vacuum the house?" I joked, "Because if I don't, the dirt will think it’s winning!" Just like my vacuuming battles against dirt, Jesus defeats sin, reminding us that we have a choice to engage in the fight and rejoice in the victory He has already achieved for us!

Sin has been defeated by Jesus and the resurrection is our guarantee.

3. Defeated the grave

1 Corinthians 15:28

Since death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him. On my first trip to Israel, the experience of going to the place where Jesus was buried brought tears to my eyes. While there is no absolute certainty it was the exact place, all the descriptions in Scripture pointed to this place. It is called the Garden Tomb. (picture) When Nathan my son and I walked into that tomb, we noticed it was empty. He arose.

Two pictures

There were no bones, nothing left, it was totally empty. The tomb could not hold Him.

What happened on that day will find the ultimate completion in the glory of the Father.

John 17:4–5 KJV 1900

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

This transaction of the death, the burial, and resurrection was victorious. At the end of the chapter Paul reminds believers

1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV 1900

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate His resurrection in our service, can you celebrate Him in your heart? The way you celebrate Him is when you know Him. Do you know Him today? Are you absolutely sure that Jesus is your Savior? If not, will you let someone show you? Will you open your heart to Jesus?

Christian, how is your Christian life? Are you walking with Him and letting Him lead your life? If not, will you take your hands off the steering wheel of your life, and let Jesus take over?