JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD- AND IS ALIVE FOREVER. 1 CORINTH   15

Rising from the dead was critical for the gospel of God‘s Son.    Paul wrote, ‘I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. ‘

Notice the ascendancy of the Bible. ‘And that he was buried. And that he rose again the third day according to the scripture. That shows the compelling, unchallengeable sovereignty of the living Word.’ v4   And that He was seen by a host of   eye-witnesses.

Paul reminded them that he had faithfully presented the gospel, which they received , which had buttressed their lives, leading them to salvation in Christ, which they treasured unless they had made light of their faith. V2 ’Unless you have believed in vain’ stresses the danger of shallowness or frivolity.    It distresses God’s servants to see this superficiality.

Observers identified their risen Lord.   Peter, as a prominent leader,   was mentioned first, then the twelve ( that is the apostles after Judas’ defection ).    500 plus men, who   saw and heard their Lord in Galilee,   proved undeniable evidence; of whom the greater part remained to Paul’s writing, some of whom had died and entered heaven.   James was next,   the half-brother of the Lord, undeniable proof from one who had grown up with Him during His boyhood, home life   and manhood: and the apostles had known the risen Lord, the major qualification for the title ‘apostle‘.

Scripture shows that our Lord revealed Himself in His risen body on 10 separate occasions.   

Paul was the final witness called to support the resurrection of our Lord.   ‘I saw HIM’ when He overpowered me on the   Damascus road‘, he asserted.   Then Paul’s extraordinary new birth, ‘one born out of due time’ in the Greek   means   one born from a miscarriage.   Paul’s   supernatural   conversion gripped him.    In medicine some fragile lives were rescued after an abortion and were abandoned to perish.    Paul contended he was not worthy to be called an apostle, because he persecuted the church of God.   Acts showed how he dragged many saints to prison, and took the lives of many, approving Stephen’s barbaric stoning. Then he appealed to the grace of God that ‘I am that I am by that same grace‘; claiming he labored more abundantly than they all; yet the pervasive grace of God surrounded Paul.   His resurrection resourced vigorous testimony.

Holy Trinity Anglican church honored the passing of   surgeon Ken Cabrera when the Rector read this memorable chapter. With a packed church, the medical profession was uniquely privileged as this glorious chapter was illumined . Operating theatres closed to honor a well-loved surgeon,   whose life was cut short.   A faithful verse by verse study gripped the hearers. I confirmed this with a senior surgeon, who had grasped Paul’s   description of the risen Lord.   The Holy Spirit majored on His conquest of death.

God showed His openness in vv 12-19, when Paul discussed whether Christ had been truly raised from the dead.   He argued, ‘If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ is not risen from the dead,’ v12   If so, our preaching and our faith are empty. The Message says they are ’all smoke and mirrors and we are telling bare-faced lies.’   He adds. ‘it is all fabrications.‘   While it is vigorous language, it is justifiable.   He takes the possibility further, ’What is the position of the saints who died trusting Christ and his resurrection ?   V18. My beloved father and   mother, son Philip and granddaughter Christi Joy are awaiting the resurrection of our beloved Lord: and many dearest friends.   Paul adds that if hope fills only these passing years, how do we shape for eternity, which is beyond all time.   God’s word thoroughly responds to these conjectures.

Paul emphasized that Christ, the Messiah, has been raised from the dead.   No more conjecture!

He is the first-fruits of a glorious harvest when the graves and the seas shall release the bodies of saints who have waited the resurrection call. Death came about by the rebellion of the first man, Adam, and our union by nature with him, while resurrection was realised by the second man, our Lord Jesus., and our union with Him. ( ANT )   Hence, ‘As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.‘ v22   ‘Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father when he puts to an end ( that is , when death and grave are rendered inoperative ), abolishing every rule, authority and power.’ Christ’s conquest of death and the grave entitled Him ’to reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.’ V25 Our lord is the Conqueror. Bow at his feet.

Putting the record straight, Paul added that ’The last enemy to be destroyed is death,’ hence the forceful truth in the Revelation 20, that ‘there shall be no more death.‘   Then we glimpse into heaven‘s mystery in the submission of the Son to the Father, ‘When all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him, who put all things under Him.’ V28

In their perfect oneness, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do not strive, wrangle   or compete.  

Paul questioned the baptism for the dead, enacted in the early church where believers had died before they could be immersed in their Lord. Why do it if Christ has not risen from the dead?

The apostle told how his life was imperilled hourly in standing for His Lord.   Paul was stoned , dragged out of the city and left for dead. Acts 14 When the solicitous disciples knelt alongside, this dear man of God arose and went with them.   Probably, the Lord raised him from the dead in that moment.   Paul added, ‘Why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?’ Today, many of Christ’s noblest men and women endure hatred, scorn, persecution and imprisonment for their beloved Lord. They appreciate Paul’s enquiry for the dead.   ‘I die daily’ showed Paul’s contempt for suffering.   V31 It links with his word ‘I am crucified with Christ.’   We must learn this response.

Paul recalled his vicious infighting with men at Ephesus as though wrestling with wild beasts. V32   The alternative is the way of the world, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’ He sternly added, ‘Do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits.‘ Paul stirred us with his ’Awake to righteousness, and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of God.   I speak this to your shame.’ v34    Paul honestly contends for resurrection.

Then Paul discusses the body we shall wear when we are raised from the dead.    Our frailty is obvious, when we question God’s Omnipotence, by asking, ’How are the dead raised up; and with what body do they come?’ Paul rebuked the questioner, ‘ Foolish ones, what you sow is not made alive except it dies And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere seed perhaps corn or some other seed.’   Then the germinal truth, ‘God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.   God chose the resurrection body of His beloved Son, which likeness we shall share. His next description of varying flesh of creatures   grips me medically. ‘All flesh is not the same flesh, for there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish and another of birds.’ v39   Microscopic and biochemical evidence confirm   immense differences in the protein of each of these His creation.   God’s eternal word stands.

Paul advances to discuss God’s heavenly and earthly creation, claiming   ‘There are celestial ( heavenly ) bodies and terrestrial ( earthly ) bodies.: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.’ God has given dignity and honour to   his workmanship, whether in the heaven or on earth. ‘There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.’ v41 Our national observatory at Parkes has its satellite viewing point, where the stars are observed in their ordered migration.   They confirm the ordered design of Scripture given almost 2,000 years ago.  

Then crushingly, ‘So also is the resurrection of the dead.   The body is sown in corruption, ( shame, vileness, reproach)   it is raised in incorruption ( purity, perpetuity, immortality ). ‘ It is sown in dishonor ( ignominy, shame, disgrace ) , it is raised in glory.   It is sown in weakness, ( infirmity, disease ) it is raised in power.   It is sown a natural body ( associated with breath ), it is raised a spiritual body.   There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.’ The great chasm exists between the sowing and the raising to new life.   The Bible is crucial.   God’s Spirit distinguished the extremes of sowing the evil, corrupt body and reaping the perfected, risen one.

The logical Paul differentiated between man as a created being and His life-imparting Creator. ‘So it is written, the first man became a living being( an individual personality).   The last Adam became a life-giving spirit ( restoring the dead to life.) ‘However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural and afterwards the spiritual. He explains, the first man was of the earth made of dust ( that is,   from inorganic metals or being earthly-minded ) , the second Man is the Lord ( Kurios ) from heaven.’ (v47)   It is logical that ‘As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.’v48

This promise stirs me deeply, ‘As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall ( and let us ) also b ear the image of the heavenly Man.’   While I never knew my father, his photo is on my desk.   I am a perfect likeness of   him , even as our son is of me. Infinitely more, we shall carry the likeness of the eternal SON , not only in the risen body but also   the hidden character of the Holy One. We Christians are deeply privileged: and our lips should praise HIM.

Paul unveils the rapture when the risen Christ shall seize ( called the rapture ) His blood-bought children and whisk us away to glory. I have renamed a favorite rose, ‘rapture” because it is eminent . We must proclaim this truth unceasingly. ‘Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.’ He releases a secret appearing, ‘Behold I tell you a mystery ( a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding). We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ Some will still be alive, while the vast majority will have died on earth or in the ocean.   This is the secret hope of the Lord’s people, to be snatched up in the air rather than go home to heaven via death. He decides.

’In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet( quivering or quavering as the notes are   emitted. )   For the trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible , ( free and immune from decay) and we shall be changed. ( transformed ) These supernatural events , sounding the trumpet effectively around the world, the resurrection of the thousands of millions of believers with a resurrection body-just like the risen lord are breath-taking!  My grandfather could not imagine this universal seeing and hearing, but satellite viewing of television has enabled this -   how much more when the Lord of glory is empowered to claim his own redeemed.   I’m so glad I am His.

Paul triumphantly states, ‘This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality.’ He climaxes with,’ When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written ( in psalm 56:8) , O death, where is your sting?   O hades ( the place of departed spirits ) where is your victory?’

Christ has removed the venom or sting from death,( as a snake whose venom was milked at the cross )   and has defeated all the forces of the after life.   My beloved Gwenda and I after 65 years as husband and wife calmly await heaven’s call,   knowing that our mighty Saviour has won the victory-   Do you personally trust   that same glorious Lord Jesus for your salvation?  

 Boldly, Paul adds, ‘The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.’ Thanksgiving rightly   follows: ‘Thanks be to God , Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,’ prevailing,   all-powerful, and   overcoming.   The resurrection is summarized in the glorious challenge,   ‘Therefore,   my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.’

 The resurrection of our Lord Jesus is indispensable to the gospel.   A courageous missionary from China Inland Mission later became principal of a discipleship Training School, receiving two of the finest students from each country in South East Asia.   He told often of pushing his bicycle for hours, speaking of Christ and His death on the cross. He returned that evening exhausted with the long ride and constant teaching.   No one responded. The Lord gently rebuked him; while he had spoken of the substitutionary death of our Lord-he had not told the Chinese villagers of His resurrection.    He returned the following day- telling the marvelous news of the risen Christ, conqueror of death and the grave.   The entire village turned to the Lord.  

                 Let us couple the death of our dear Lord and His triumphant rising from the dead.   

                           Let us fearlessly teach Christ’s resurrection as an act of our God.