The Resurrection of Christ

Christ is risen!

Why is this message so important to us?

The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians:

“For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is in vain.”

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor. 15:16-17, 20 ESV)

One might ask: why exactly is Christ’s resurrection so important? And why “the firstfruits”? After all, the Old Testament records several cases of people being raised from the dead (Elijah, Elisha, the man who touched Elisha’s bones), not to mention those whom Christ Himself raised during His earthly ministry.

Yet Christ’s resurrection is fundamentally different. All the previous raisings restored people to life in this earthly world. But Christ “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19 ESV). If He had risen only to continue living on this earth, His resurrection would have been similar to the earlier ones. Instead, Christ rose for eternity. It was no longer the same body — even His closest disciples did not immediately recognize Him.

Thus, Christ revealed the mystery of the resurrection — what it will be like for believers and where we will be after death:

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 ESV)

Before Christ, Scripture contained hints about the resurrection (Dan. 12:2), but there was no such clear picture. Although the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, they did not fully understand it — including the Apostle Paul himself, who had also been a Pharisee.

Paul vividly describes our own resurrection:

“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:15-17 ESV)

Through His resurrection, Christ defeated death:

“…our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10 ESV).

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:54-55, 57 ESV)

Christ was the first to conquer death — death had no power over Him. In the same way, we who die with Christ will be raised to be with Him forever.

Before we came to faith, we were all held in slavery by the fear of death, as Scripture says:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Heb. 2:14-15 ESV)

How does this fear of death manifest itself? For some it is very obvious — for example, certain billionaires who drink children’s blood in the hope of prolonging their lives (something the Bible strictly forbids). For others it appears indirectly: they strive to get as much as possible from this world, while spiritual things remain in second place. We try to get rich, furnish our homes, travel as much as our wallet allows, and indulge in various pleasures — as if incomparably more beautiful homes and sights were not waiting for us.

Our focus should not be on this life, even if we are believers, because “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19 ESV). If we care more about earthly things, it means the sting of death is still at work in us. Instead, we should view this life from the perspective of eternity, remembering that our true home is in heaven. Unfortunately, even for believers this does not always happen:

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Phil. 3:18-19 ESV)

Such Christians will not be resurrected. Why? Because in order to be raised, one must first die — die to self, put to death the body and its desires.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24 ESV)

Paul writes about the condition for resurrection:

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Rom. 6:5-8 ESV)

About himself he says:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20 ESV)

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5 ESV)

So let us die to ourselves, that we may rise with Christ! Because without death, there is no resurrection.

Christ is risen indeed!