When Jesus rose from the dead, God set in motion certain things that must take place:  the resurrection of His people, the destruction of His enemies, and the handing over of His kingdom. In this message we discuss the age to come in terms of resurrected bodies. May God whet your appetite for that day!

Teaching Notes:

The Inevitable Results of Christ’s Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20-28

1 Corinthians 15 is the Resurrection Chapter.  Paul begins the chapter by defining the gospel as the good news of the death and resurrection of Christ. Then in 15:12-19, Paul begins to do battle with a very serious error that was being taught in Corinth – namely, that there is no resurrection of the dead. What are the logical implications of that teaching? The most serious implication is that Christ has not been raised? Well, what if Jesus never rose from the dead? What would that mean?  There are 6 implications of that:

1.  Our preaching is vain

2.  We are false witnesses of God

3.  Your faith is worthless

4.  You are still in your sins

5.  Those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished

6.  We are of all men most to be pitied

Pretty devastating implications aren’t they?! But the truth is that Jesus has been raised from the dead! (vs.20).  His resurrection must bring certain other events to pass.  What are they?

1.  The resurrection of His People

2.  The destruction of His Enemies

3.  The handing over of His Kingdom

1.         The Resurrection Of His People:  15:20-23

A.   First Fruits:  Vs.20. The day after the Passover Lamb had been slain, was a holy Sabbath. The day after this Sabbath was a Special Day. It was called “First Fruits.”  The priests would take the first of the Barley that was ripened, and wave it before the Lord. The first fruits was a pledge and guarantee that a full and final harvest was inevitable. Who is Jesus the first fruits of? “Those who are asleep.” Who does this refer to? Vs.18 – “those who have fallen asleep in Christ. Notice vs.23 “Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”  The apostle Paul uses this term “first fruits” in Rom.8:23, signifying that we have received the Spirit, but this is only a pledge that there is more to come in the age to come!  Jesus’ resurrection requires ours!

B.         Adam-Christ:  Vs.21-22. In 15:45,47 Paul calls Jesus the “last Adam” and the “second man.”  There is a direct parallel between Adam and Christ. In Rom.5:14 Paul says that Adam was a type of Christ. Well, how so? In a very real sense, there have only been 2 Men who have ever lived: Adam and Christ. All other men fall underneath either of these 2. Adam and Christ were Public Persons. They were Federal Heads. In other words, they Represented a People. Their actions and the consequences were imputed to all those they represented. What did Adam do? Sinned which brought in death. All those represented by Him (which is everyone apart from Christ) inherit sin and will die physically.  But what did Christ do?  He lived a perfect righteous life. As a result He received resurrection life. All those represented by Him receive that resurrection life. But whom does Christ represent? Adam represents all those born physically. Christ represents all those born again spiritually.  Vs. 22 puts it like this, “All those who are in Adam die; all those who are in Christ will be made alive.”

C.         When Will They Be Raised?  Vs.23. At His coming. Who? “those who are Christ’s.”  vs.22 is not teaching universalism.  It is teaching Federal Headship. It is teaching that those each Person represents receive the fruits of what their Head has done.

2.         The Destruction Of His Enemies:  15:24-26

A.         Abolished All Rule, Authority, Power:  Vs. 24.  The word “abolish” can mean “reduce to inactivity, destroy, bring to naught.” If we compare Eph.1:21 and 6:12, we find that Satan and his demons are associated with “rule, authority, and power.” It is likely that Paul is saying Jesus will reduce to inactivity Satan, demons, and evil people. He is not saying that they will cease to exist. No, sadly, they will exist forever in Hell. But they will be reduced to inactivity, so that they are unable to affect or spoil God’s universe any longer.

B.         He Must Reign Until He Has Put All His Enemies Under His Feet:  When did Jesus begin to reign and how long will it last?  Acts 2:29-36. Jesus began to rain at His resurrection and ascension! He has been reigning now for 2,000 years over His Kingdom. He must continue to reign until all His enemies are under His feet. When will that be? Vs.23 – His coming. Vs.24 – Then is the End when He hands over the kingdom, having abolished all rule…  I understand this passage to teach that Christ is presently ruling and reigning from Heaven, and that He will continue to do so until He returns, at which time He will destroy all His enemies.  I know there are many who teach that after Christ returns, He will rule over an earthly kingdom for 1,000 years. However, this text teaches that when He comes again He will destroy all His enemies, not 1,000 years later.

C.         The Last Enemy Is Death:  Because a man (Adam) brought in death, another Man (Jesus) had to destroy death (15:54-57). Jesus came to reverse the Curse and the effects of the Fall, namely death.

3.         The Handing Over Of His Kingdom:  15:24, 27-28

A.         Jesus Hands Over His Kingdom Because His Work Is Accomplished:  all traces of sin, pollution, and rebellion have been removed from the universe. He has undone what the first man did. He has brought righteousness where there was sin. He has brought resurrection life where there was death. He has removed the Curse, reversed the effects of the Fall, and now His kingdom is perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So, it is time to hand it back over to the Father the way it was originally created in the first place.

B.         Jesus Hands Over His Kingdom So that God will be All in All:  vs.28. As God the Father reigns over His perfect universe again, all creation will acknowledge Him to be All in All. He is supreme! He is lovely! He is good! He is glorious! He is great! He is gracious!  Jesus’ purpose in all things is God’s glory. That should be our purpose in all things as well.

Life Application:

We need to correct our erroneous ideas of the Age to Come!  As a child I thought of Heaven, and really wasn’t all that crazy about going there. My image was of being sort of a ghost, an invisible soul floating around on clouds playing a harp. How boring! No baseball. No ice cream. No enjoyment or pleasure.  How wrong I was! We will not be invisible ghostly spirits floating around. We will be souls united to resurrected physical bodies. We will live on a New Earth in which righteousness dwells. I believe we will be able to see, hear, smell, touch and taste, but with incredibly heightened perceptions. We will be able to do all the things we do now, but with this difference. Everything we do will be absolutely holy, and absolutely for the glory of God! We will have enjoyments and pleasures that we can not conceive of now. We will enjoy the immediate presence and glory of God! His tabernacle will be among us! Read Rev.21:1-4; 9-11; 22-27; 22:1-5. Rom.8:23-25.  Oh, go ahead and long for that day! Be filled with hope. Look forward expectantly and eagerly. It is only as we have this hope that we will be fueled to endure sufferings

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