The Forgotten Psalm (6)

Week 6 — "Until Every Enemy Bows"

Series: The Forgotten Psalm: Recovering the Reigning Christ of Psalm 110 Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:22–28 (LSB) Big Idea: Christ’s reign is active and advancing—He will reign until every enemy is placed under His feet.

Recap & Introduction

We’ve been walking through The Forgotten Psalm—Psalm 110—not just as a poetic prophecy, but as the spine of New Testament theology. Week by week, we’ve seen how this single psalm shaped the earliest preaching, grounded the Church’s boldness, and unveiled the truth that Christ is not waiting to reign—He reigns now.

In Week 1, we heard Jesus ask the Pharisees, “Whose Son is the Christ?” and then quote Psalm 110:1 to silence them. He wasn’t just claiming Davidic lineage—He was claiming Davidic lordship.

In Week 2, we watched Jesus on trial before the Sanhedrin declare, “From now on, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power.” In that moment, bound and beaten, He didn’t plead—He proclaimed His coronation.

In Week 3, we followed the risen Christ as He ascended to where He was before—to the right hand of the Father, fulfilling Psalm 110’s enthronement language.

In Week 4, we stood in Jerusalem with Peter at Pentecost, as he declared that Jesus had been raised, exalted, and seated at the right hand of God—“therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ.”

Last week in Week 5, we heard from Hebrews 1 how the Father Himself crowns the Son with Scripture—declaring Him to be the radiance of His glory, higher than angels, eternal on the throne, and seated until His enemies are made a footstool.

And now today, in Week 6, we come to Paul.

Writing to a church tempted to forget the resurrection and misunderstand the Kingdom, Paul brings Psalm 110 back to the center—

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

This is not just a future hope—it’s a present reality with a final destination. The King reigns now, and He reigns until. Not a passive throne. Not a distant crown. But a mission in motion.

So with that, let us now hear the word of God.

Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:22–28 (LSB)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Context & Background

Paul is writing to a divided and distracted church in Corinth—a congregation torn by factions, scandals, and confusion over the most foundational truths. Among their many errors, some were even denying the resurrection altogether. Paul doesn’t begin with gentle correction—he thunders with clarity. If there is no resurrection, then our preaching is in vain. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. But Christ has been raised. And not only raised—enthroned.

So in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gives a sweeping vision of redemptive history—from Adam’s fall to Christ’s final victory. But the centerpiece is not simply that Jesus lives. It’s that Jesus reigns. This isn’t just theological; it’s political, cosmic, and confrontational.

This passage is not merely eschatological—it’s regal. It rips back the veil between heaven and earth and shows us the unseen throne-room reality. The world sees chaos, decline, and defeat—but Paul sees a mission in motion: the active reign of Christ subduing every enemy, step by step, age by age, until nothing stands but the Kingdom of God.

And at the heart of it all is Psalm 110.

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

This is the mission of the Messiah—and the moment we are living in.

Exposition

Christ the Firstfruits (vv.22–23)

Paul begins with the resurrection of Christ, calling it the "firstfruits." In Old Testament Israel, the firstfruits offering wasn’t just the beginning of the harvest—it was the guarantee that more was coming. So it is with Christ. Just as all humanity shares in Adam’s death, all who are in Christ share in His resurrection. His rising was not isolated—it was representative. It was not just for Him, but for all who belong to Him. This resurrection life is not delayed until heaven—it begins now and is consummated in the age to come.

The Order of Resurrection (v.24a)

There is a divine sequence: Christ, then those who are His, then the end. This is not chaos—it’s Kingdom order. Paul envisions redemptive history not as static doctrine, but as unfolding movement. The phrase "then comes the end" signals not destruction but transition—the handoff of a fully subdued Kingdom to the Father. This is when the mission of Psalm 110 is complete: every enemy underfoot, every power dethroned, every rival silenced.

This Kingdom vision runs completely opposite to much of modern evangelical expectation. Today, we often hear of a sudden evacuation of the Church, the rise of global chaos, and then Christ returning to clean up the mess. But Paul preaches the reverse The Word of God preaches the reverse: Christ reigns now, subduing all enemies until the end.(See the Psalms) The Kingdom does not come in crisis, but in conquest—through the long advance of the reigning Christ.

(Side note: What does this conquest look like? It is not domination through carnal power, but transformation through covenant order. It looks like families gathered in worship under Christ’s rule. Fathers leading with conviction. Mothers shaping generations with the Word. Children raised in truth and reverence. It looks like self-disciplined believers pressing back darkness through their vocation, education, and civic engagement. It’s churches equipping saints to live faithfully in every sphere—from the home to the halls of legislation. It’s the aroma of the Kingdom saturating culture until it’s no longer ignored.)

Not only is resurrection guaranteed, but its purpose is to advance the reign of the Son until He turns it back to the Father in victory.

The Reign of Subjection (vv.24b–25)

“For He must reign…” This is present tense, active authority. Jesus is not waiting to rule; He is ruling now. And that rule has an objective: to abolish all rule, authority, and power opposed to God. This is Psalm 110 again: the Father saying, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool.”

And if that seems bold coming from Paul, remember—it was declared first by Jesus Himself. In Matthew 28:18, the risen Christ says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Not some authority. Not later authority. All authority—now. Don’t just take Paul’s word for it—take the King’s.

The enemies are being subdued—not instantly, but inevitably. It’s a reign of subjection—a long obedience of dominion through Word and Spirit, not through worldly weapons, but through a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

The Final Enemy: Death (v.26)

Death is the last enemy. Not Satan, not suffering—death. It is the great curse from Adam, the tyrant of humanity, the shadow that haunts every kingdom. But even death will not stand. The resurrection of Christ is the first blow. The resurrection of His people is the final one.

(And here we must pause and ask—how do you kill death? The answer: resurrection. Death is not undone by denial, distraction, or delay. It is only defeated when life emerges from the grave.)

This tells us something powerful: the reign of Christ includes not just spiritual realities but physical ones. He reigns over graveyards. He speaks into the dust. He calls bodies out of tombs. And He will not stop reigning until death itself is cast into the lake of fire. The King’s victory will be total.

The Glorious Goal: God All in All (vv.27–28)

This is the endgame—not simply that Christ reigns, but that through His reign, God is all in all. The Son’s mission has a finish line, and it’s not merely the defeat of enemies—it is the unveiling of the fullness of God in everything, everywhere. When the last enemy falls, when the final chain is broken, when death itself lies in ruins, the Son doesn’t cling to power—He hands the Kingdom back to the Father. Not as one who relinquishes rule, but as one who has finished the race set before Him.This is not surrender—it is celebration. The triumphant King returns the keys of the Kingdom to the Father with nail-scarred hands. Every rebel force has been subdued. Every dark dominion undone. It’s the restoration of Eden, only greater—the Garden has become a City. The veil is torn, the temple is fulfilled, and God now dwells with His people, not symbolically or sacramentally, but completely.Picture it: no enemy left to fight. No serpent left to crush. No death left to fear. The sea of glass is no longer disturbed. The Lamb reigns and the Father shines through Him. Every shadow has fled. And all of creation rings with the echo of divine order restored.This is cosmic unity, covenant fulfillment, and the full manifestation of God’s glory. The throne of Christ doesn’t diminish the Father—it magnifies Him. And the Kingdom handed back is not the end of rule but the perfection of it. God will dwell with His people, unopposed, unthreatened, and unrivaled—forever and ever. Amen.

Six Application Points

Live like the King reigns now. Stop waiting for permission to obey Christ boldly. The throne is occupied. Act accordingly.

Resist passive eschatology. You were not saved to spectate but to serve in the reign of Christ. Engage the battle.

Reform your vision of victory. Don’t look for domination through worldly power. Seek transformation through covenant faithfulness.

Invest in resurrection work. Sow seeds in your home, community, and church that expect future glory. Resurrection begins with roots.

Don’t fear death—it’s on a timer. The last enemy will fall. Christ has already broken its grip.

Long for the glory of God to be all in all. Your life is not about personal fulfillment—it’s about participating in a Kingdom that magnifies the Father.

Gospel Call & Invitation

The reign of Christ is not a theory—it is a reality. And that reign demands a response.

He has risen. He is reigning. And He will reign until every enemy bows. The only question is: will you bow willingly, or will you be placed beneath His feet in judgment?

If you are still living in rebellion—repent. The Greek word is metanoeō, which means to change one’s mind and direction—to turn from sin and turn to God. It is not just sorrow—it is surrender. If you have lived passively in the Kingdom—rise and follow. The King is not coming to begin His reign—He reigns now. The time for neutrality is over.

Christ is risen. Christ is reigning. Come, bow to the King—and rise to walk in resurrection life.