Resurrection Hope (Hope Church Bloomington)

Intro

I understand that you all are in a series on 1 Corinthians. This is quite the letter isn’t it? One of the things I love about studying 1 Corinthians is it reminds me that if Paul still had hope for the church in Corinth amidst all of their many severe issues, then certainly we can still have hope for our churches today right? We might chuckle, but I mean that in all seriousness.

It is an understatement to say that our churches, or the “American Evangelical Church”, whatever label you might want to use, has its problems today, right? I’m sure you’ve seen how many of the issues the Corinthian church were struggling with 2000 years ago are almost identical to the kinds of issues we face in our churches today. But Paul, because he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, was filled with love for this church, Just as Christ loved and still loves his churches today - despite the many challenges and problems we face.

Chapter 15 is one of the most important chapters in the New Testament. It was a joy to be asked to come and consider this passage with you all. I hope to make plain to you all why this passage has been especially instructive and comforting for me in just a few moments.

It is not only one of the most important chapters but it is also one of the longest sections Paul spent on any one topic. You’d be hard pressed to find any other place where Paul spent 58 verses on one central theme. Here in this chapter we see that the Apostle Paul not only makes a thorough argument for the essential nature of Christ’s resurrection - but also with it, our hope for resurrection as well. I wish we had time to cover this whole chapter. Instead we will look at the bookends, verses 1-8 and 50-58, as we consider two big headings: Resurrection Fact, and Resurrection Hope. Within each heading we’ll answer two questions as we sit under this text together.

If you have your Bibles or your apps out, I want to invite you to look at verses 1-8 now as I read them aloud for us. We’ll read verses 50-58 together when we get there.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

I. Resurrection Fact (vv. 1-8)

Alright, Resurrection Fact. The two questions we’re going to answer are, “For whom did Christ die?” and “Why should I believe in His resurrection?”

A) For whom did Christ die?

Now I don’t think I’m overselling the point in saying that Paul saved the most important point for last. As we begin this chapter we see Paul telling us things of “first importance”, that is, the core gospel message in which we stand and by which we are saved. We might pause to ask, if these matters are of first importance, why didn’t Paul say these things up front at the beginning of the letter?

Well, it appears that Paul is making a very important point here by saving these weighty matters until the end. You see, for all of the problems the church in Corinth had, the sexual immorality, the pride, the division, the distortion of spiritual gifts, the idolatry - it all came back to the same root. They had somehow lost and twisted the basic gospel message.

Paul hinted at this in verse 12, if you look just a few verses lower in your Bibles. Some persons in the church had come to say that there is no resurrection of the dead. In so doing, they had distorted the gospel entirely, and the church fell into all sorts of divisions and errors as a result.

So Paul has to take them back to the essentials. It is not new content for the church in Corinth, nor is it likely new content for most of us in this room. It is essential, however, for our life in and with Christ.

On account of our familiarity with these verses, it might be easy for us to gloss over them with a kind of apathy or hubris rather than the kind of devotion and humility that is required of those who sit under God’s Word.

So let us answer this simple question: for whom did Christ die? Before we can talk about resurrection and eternal life, we must talk about the inconvenient, if not terrifying, reality of death.

Every single person in this room is going to die. Unless Christ returns first - which he may, at any moment, and I pray often that he will - we all will have to face the reality of our own death. Every religion and philosophy has tried to explain death; it is the great universal equalizer that reminds us we are all human. The Bible’s answer to death is this: on account of sin, our world is dark, twisted, and broken. When Adam and Eve first fell into sin, death entered this world and now all life is subject to this great and horrid curse. There is no science that can save us, no fountain of youth waiting to be discovered, nor any good deeds that can prolong our life indefinitely.

Because of our sin, death waits for us all. There is nothing you or I can say or do about it to change that fact. We are, each of us, helpless to change our fate.

That’s the bad news.

But the good news is that while death might be a reality for us all, it doesn’t have to be the end of our story, nor does it have to be the terrifying shroud we fear. For while sin and death might be a reality we all face, there is something else - or someone else - we must consider, and that is a God of infinite love, grace, and mercy. This God is not absent or aloof to our sin and pain, nor does he turn his back on us when we cry out to him. Instead, because he is tender and merciful with us, he draws near to us, principally in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

For whom did Christ die? Look at verse 3: “I delivered to you as of first importance…that Christ died for” - who? - “our sins.” Beloved, this is the good news this morning and I invite you to hear it as if for the first time; Christ died for our sins. He died for us. In his own words, Jesus said that he came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). How does this work?

You see, while we might deserve death and eternal punishment for our sin, the Scriptures are clear that were we to have a substitute, a perfect substitute who could satisfy God’s perfect demands and the punishment we deserve, then we might be reconciled to God and once again walk in newness of life with him for eternity. This is why Paul could say Christ died for our sins “in accordance with the Scriptures”. There are a multitude of Scriptures in the Old Testament, which is what Paul would’ve been working with, that pointed forward to Christ’s death for his people: Daniel 9, Psalm 22, and perhaps most clearly, Isaiah 53. There we read that our Savior would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and that through his chastisement we would find peace; that though he may be led like a lamb to the slaughter, we would be accounted forgiven and righteous.

In this is love. A great love that will take an eternity for us to even begin to comprehend.

The 19th-Century abolitionist Frederick Douglass often told the story of the last time he saw his mother. In his story, we have a vivid example of experiencing what it is to be lost and helpless - and yet loved by the only one who can truly save us.

The story begins with the 8-year-old Douglass (then Bailey) living in the Wye house, under the "stern, abusive rule of the cook, Aunt Katy" (Blight, "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom"). One day, Katy had taken to her "favorite mode of punishing me" by promising to "starve the life out of me!" (Douglass, "My Bondage and My Freedom"). While all the other children enjoyed food from Katy's kitchen, Frederick was denied even the crumbs. As the night wore on, he became too hungry to sleep. He sat by the fire, brooding over his hard lot.

Then, just as all hope seemed lost, "in came my dear mother." Frederick's mother, Harriet Bailey, lived on another farm and he was rarely able to see her. But on this night, she showed herself during his greatest need. She not only came in his despair, but she brought food with her. Douglass wrote in Bondage, "“The friendless and hungry boy, in his extremest need—and when he did not dare to look for succor—found himself in the strong, protecting arms of a mother; a mother who was, at the moment more than a match for all his enemies.” He continued, “That night I learned the fact, that I was, not only a child, but somebody's child...I was victorious, and well off for the moment; prouder, on my mother's knee, than a king upon his throne.”

This brief narrative ought to break our hearts. But as we reflect on it further, can’t we see how Douglass’ lived experience points to our experience with sin and death. Apart from the love of God for us, we too are helpless, hungry, lost, and prone to despair. But when the Scriptures tell us that Christ died "for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3), we find a declaration of love to us from our Creator.

In our moment of greatest need, Christ comes to us as the bread from heaven (John 6:22-59). And, when we feed on him, trust in him, we learn that he is our brother, and that God is our father. Secure in his love, we experience what it means to be God's children, victorious, known and loved by the King who left his throne to save us.

Christ died for us.

So let me just say this before we move on. If you’re here this morning and you have acknowledged your sin before God and put your faith in Christ as your only hope, then I just want to encourage you to sit in the presence of God and feel his eternal, unchanging love for you. He loves you because he loves you, and Christ is all the proof you need of that.

If you’re here this morning and you have not put your faith in Christ, perhaps you’re just checking out Christianity or someone invited you here today, then let me just say on behalf of this church that we are glad you are here. I want to press these things a bit further with you as we answer this next question,

B) Why should I believe in His resurrection?

You see, the testimony of the Scriptures is that Christ must and did die for our sins, but also that he was buried and that he was raised as well. You cannot have one without the other. If Christ died but was not raised, then we have no hope in this world and we are still dead in our sins, for Christ did not conquer death and the grave. If he did not die but somehow bypassed physical death in order to enter some eternal spiritual reality, then we have no real hope for the redemption of our bodies, nor the redemption of this world. But because we know Christ both died and was raised, we can trust that our body and soul will be preserved, that this world will someday be restored and renewed. This is why Paul could speak of Christ’s resurrection as the “first fruits” in verse 23, for in Christ we see what is awaiting creation and all those who trust in him.

I understand these things might be hard to believe, and it might seem like I’m just up here selling you a bill of goods to make you feel better this morning. If we had the time, I would try to offer you the various evidences for the resurrection, whether the historical (as Paul briefly did here), or the philosophical (as He does later in this passage). I only have time to briefly touch on the latter, but if you want resources to consider on this please come see me after the service.

For a moment, I want you to consider the alternative - what if the resurrection were not true? If you have a Bible open, you’ll see this is exactly what Paul considered in verses 29-34. He essentially says, if the resurrection were not true, then why do I keep putting myself in danger all the time? If the dead are not raised, then why not fill ourselves with food and drink? Why not live it up? If tomorrow we die, why not just live for ourselves?

If the resurrection were not true, if there is no hope for a life outside of and beyond this one, then why not just live it up? Why not live only for ourselves?

Yuval Harari is a bestselling Atheist author and historian, and he is very blunt in his belief that the world is meaningless. In his first book, Sapiens, he argues that not only are gods and religions imaginary, but so too are morals, ethics, meaning, and purpose. Anything outside of the physical world is a part of an “imagined order” that we make up to try and live a happy and satisfied life now in the present. In his second book, Homo Deus, he carries these ideas forward and says that the great challenge of our age is to create meaning in a meaningless world. There is no great goal for your life, no purpose. You’re going nowhere except 6 feet under, destined to be forgotten within a generation, scorched by the sun once our planet’s lifecycle runs its course. And that’s it. You may try to find meaning in sacrifice, in family, in some great adventure, but its all a delusion; it’s all in our heads. So he says.

You see, the force of what I’m trying to get you to wrestle with is this, why do you live the way you live? Why do you live knowing that it is good and right to sacrifice for others, to care about injustice, or to try and make this world a better place?

Do you really believe your good desires, longings, and intuitions are all a delusion? I don’t think so. And Christ’s death and resurrection provide testimony that they are not, for they are proof to us that there is not only a life beyond this one but also a God who created us and loved us. And all the beauty and sacrificial love we cherish and long for in this life flow out of his heart and nature.

Might Christ’s death and resurrection be the answer you’re looking for; the answer to life’s riddle that has left you unsettled? One author, Sinclair Ferguson, says it this way:

“As you face life with all its trials do not lose sight of who you are and what you are for. Be clear about this and you will make progress. Forget this and you will flounder and fall. The reason? Knowing whose you are, who you are, and what you are for, settles basic issues about how you live.”

Christ’s death and resurrection testify that you belong to God, that you are made in his image, and that you live to glorify him through worship and by displaying his beauty and perfect nature to a broken, dark world.

So if you’re here this morning and you’ve never really given serious thought to these matters, don’t you at least owe it to yourself to do so? Death and resurrection, purpose and meaning, are not these subjects worthy of your consideration? Once again, on behalf of this church let me just say we are glad you’re here, and if you want to talk I’d be happy to after service, as I’m sure many people here would as well.

II. Resurrection Hope (vv. 50-58)

We’re going to make a pivot now to the end of the chapter as we briefly consider Resurrection Hope. There is so much powerful content here in this chapter and I wish we had time to give each verse our full attention. I had to trust God’s Spirit in the preparation here, and I continue to do so now, that He will impress what is most important and necessary on your hearts this morning. For time sake we aren’t going to read verses 50-58 in full, but we will look at them in turn so do keep your Bibles or bulletins open.

A) What is guaranteed in the resurrection?

Three things, briefly:

1. Death is swallowed up

In verses 50-54 Paul tells us that in our resurrection we will all be changed, and these perishable, broken, corruptible bodies will be raised in imperishable, incorruptible, glorious bodies. Then at the end of verse 54, he quotes from Isaiah 25:8, which is a part of a prophecy about God’s final victory over death. So Paul is making it clear to us that what was once prophesied long ago by Isaiah will be fulfilled on the day of Christ’s return at our resurrection. Death will be swallowed up in victory.

For those of you who have seen or read The Return of the King, do you remember when the ring finally fell into Mount Doom? The imagery is incredible, as the great eye collapses in on itself, followed by the collapse of the dark tower. Then, the ground opens up and swallows Mordor together with all the evil forces that reside there.

That is a shadow of what it will be like when Death, the last enemy, is destroyed. It will be swallowed up. What does this mean for us? It means that while the resurrection is not a consolation for suffering, or even a removal of suffering, it is a promise of the defeat of suffering. Death is the last enemy but it does not have the last word. It will be swallowed up.

2. Death loses its sting

Paul says that death will lose its sting, and then he adds what is almost a parenthetical thought - the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. If you want a full explanation of verse 56, then you need to read Romans 1 through 7, which we don’t have time to do here. But suffice it to say that the power of death, sin and the law are so closely linked that it is impossible to speak of the defeat of one without mentioning the defeat of others. Those who are set free from death will also be set free from sin, which was ushered into this world by Adam at the fall, and also from the law, which sin uses as opportunity in our life to bring about shame and condemnation.

All of this is Paul’s way of saying that death can’t really kill us. Like a scorpion whose stinger is removed - and that’s the imagery here - it can’t kill you anymore. It has no poison. It will bite, it will try to sting you, but its power is gone now. The power of death, sin and the condemnation of the law will be finally and totally removed.

3. Total victory through Jesus

When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus (John 11), what was happening there? Our English translations don’t really capture the full weight of Jesus’ emotion in this moment. Most of our translations speak of Jesus weeping, being deeply moved in his Spirit. But a better translation of his emotion here is that Jesus was outraged. He was weeping, yes, but weeping not merely with grief but also with fury. Why? Because death is outrageous. For Jesus, death is not natural but unnatural, and it is robbing his creation of life and joy.

This is a cosmic showdown between the eternal Son of God and the forces of sin and death. Some of you may have heard it said before that Jesus’ power over death is so great that had he not used Lazarus’ name then all the dead in all the earth would have broken forth from their graves. Jesus has complete and total power over the grave.

The repeated idea here in our passage is that we will have total victory over the forces of sin and death at the resurrection. Jesus displayed his power over death by raising Lazarus - and others- from the dead. He showed forth his victory over death in the resurrection, death cannot hold him. The guarantee of the resurrection is that death can no longer hold those who have faith in him.

I know we had to cover these things quickly, but I want to pause to recognize that while these truths might be powerful and amazing, grief over death and the loss of loved ones is real. And if that’s you this morning, perhaps grieving a recent loss, or the anniversary of a loss, I want you to know I sit with you on the griever’s bench, and I don’t say these things this morning merely as an intellectual exercise.

I mentioned at the beginning of this message that this passage has been a special comfort for me to meditate on. 4 weeks ago I received the call I knew would one day come, but it came much sooner than I was expecting. My father died suddenly from a massive heart attack in his home in Michigan, just 6 days before my family was scheduled to move from Maryland to Indianapolis.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind as we’ve moved our family of four to a new state and city, adjusted to a new job and living situation, and upheld previous travel and work commitments. It has been difficult to find time and space to grieve appropriately.

But when Pastor Mark asked me to come preach this text a few weeks ago, just 10 days after my father had died, I knew I wanted to say yes. I knew it would be good for me to draw deeply from the well of Christ’s love as I meditated on his resurrection.

And sure enough - it has. My Dad loved the Lord, and the Lord loved him. And while I grieve his sudden, unexpected loss and all the memories we won’t get to make together, I trust his life and soul to Christ who died and was raised for him.

So, from one who is grieving but resting in Christ’s love, I say to you, rest in Christ. He has defeated death and the grave, and we can trust our grieving hearts to him.

B) What difference does this hope make?

There’s this great quote that is attributed to the reformer Martin Luther, although he most likely didn’t say this. Still, its great theology, so we’ll run with it. The legend says that Luther was asked, “What would you do if you knew that Christ was returning tomorrow?” He simply replied, “I’d plant a tree.”

Luther or not, that’s great theology. Why? Because if you have resurrection hope, if you know that all of life and time is headed somewhere and that there is such thing as a better future, true love, true justice, then that’s going to change how you live in the here and now. It has to. If its hasn’t, then you haven’t yet grasped the full implications of resurrection hope.

Verse 58 is one of the best therefore’s in the Bible. It follows 57 amazing verses about the realities of the resurrection.

When Paul said, “Therefore…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” - he was exhorting us to see that the reality of a future resurrection has implications for present living.

A couple of years ago I read the first of three volumes that the historian Taylor Branch wrote on the public life and work of Dr. King. Some of the people who stood out most to me in that volume were the Freedom Riders. Their example deeply moved me. How can you endure bus bombings, regular beatings, threats, the murder of your friends, being drug out into the country prison and left naked in a cell for days on end? How can you be in a crowded prison cell and have the courage to deny bail for months? Do you know how these individuals passed the time in prison? Singing spirituals and preaching sermons to one another.

Are you kidding me? Where does that kind of courage and endurance come from? How do you know that such effort will ever come to mean anything? Thats Resurrection hope in action. The fictitious demon Screwtape told his young nephew Wormwood that one of the most effective ways to separate a man from God is to suggest to his mind all sorts of trivial and inconsequential things, such that when they arrive in hell the individual laments, “I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked.”

But when our hearts are captivated by resurrection hope, it produces in us a resolve for action and obedience in the present. This is the heart of our faith. Christianity isn’t just a set of ideas or rules to follow. It isn’t the road map for power and influence or a political agenda. It can give power and motivation to all of those things, but it is not principally any of those things. The Christian faith is, at its core, good news about a factual event which has happened in the world, an event because of which the world can never be the same again. And those who believe it, and live by it, will never be the same again either. That’s what 1 Corinthians 15 is all about.

Let’s pray.