How did Jesus Christ conquer death? What obstacles did He have to remove? What is God’s will for us in light of the certain resurrection of our bodies? These are some of the questions we address in this message.
Teaching Notes:
The Swallowing Up Of Death
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Intro:
Someone has written,
“There is a preacher of the old school but he speaks as boldly as ever. He is not popular, though the world is his parish and he travels every part of the globe and speaks in every language. He visits the poor, calls upon the rich, preaches to people of every religion and no religion, and the subject of his sermon is always the same. He is an eloquent preacher, often stirring feelings which no other preacher could, and bringing tears to eyes that ever weep. His arguments none are able to refute, nor is there any heart that has remained unmoved by the force of his appeals. He shatters life with his message. Most people hate him; everyone fears him. His name? Death. Every tombstone is his pulpit, every newspaper prints his text, and someday every one of you will be his sermon.”
Death is the Great Equalizer. All men will die. Even Jesus Christ died. There have only been 2 exceptions to this rule in the history of the world: Enoch and Elijah. Unless you live to see the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, you will face death one day.
Death is our Great Last Enemy (1Cor.15:26). But Christ will conquer this enemy! It will be the last enemy that He will conquer, but He will conquer it!
How will Christ destroy death? Our text tells us that it will be by a Great Change (1Cor.15:51,52). This Great Change will destroy our Great Enemy. This morning as we work our way through this passage, we’re going to meditate first on The Great Change, then on the Effect of the Great Change, and finally on Paul’s Exhortation based on The Great Change.
1. The Great Change: (1Cor.15:50-53)
A. Why The Need For This Great Change? Vs.50 “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” “Flesh and blood” refer to the kind of bodies we have presently.
Perishable: this means that our present bodies decay, wear out and run down. Just like vegetables, they eventually “go bad.”
Mortal: (vs.53) This means that our present bodies die. Taken together this means that the bodies we live in now decay, wear out, run down, go bad, and eventually will die. Notice the word must. Our present bodies must go through this Great Change from mortality to immortality, from perishable to imperishable. They would not be able to survive in the eternal world in their present state. This hope is expressed by Benjamin Franklin in the epitaph he wrote for himself inscribed on his tombstone in Philadelphia: “Here lies the body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here food for worms. But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author.”
B. Who Will Participate In This Great Change? Vs.51.
Mystery: this refers to something that was previously unknown, but has now been revealed. In the OT, no one had any idea what would happen to living saints when Christ returned.
We will not all sleep: there will be many who will be alive when Christ returns, who have not died in Him.
But we will all be changed: all, in this context means all believers. All believers will be changed when Christ returns. But what about nonbelievers. Will they be resurrected? Acts 24:15; Jn.5:28-29. Evidently, just as believers will need a different kind of body to enjoy the glories of God and His eternal kingdom, so too unbelievers will need a different kind of body that is capable of enduring an eternity of punishment and wrath.
C. When Will This Great Change Take Place? Vs.52.
In a moment: This change is not going to be a process that takes place over time. It will take place instantaneously. Moment is “atomos” in Greek from which we get the word “atom.” It refers to that which cannot be divided, the smallest conceivable measure of time.
Twinkling of the eye: the eye can move much faster than any other visible part of our bodies. In the time it takes your eyes to blink this change will take place.
At the last Trumpet: notice this is the “last” trumpet. In the book of Revelation there are 7 trumpets. Let’s read about the 7th trumpet: Rev.11:15-18. Notice that at this 7th trumpet both wrath and destruction come to God’s enemies, and rewards are given to His bond-servants. When does that happen? At Christ’s 2nd coming – Mt.25:31-46. 1Cor.15:23-26. Notice that when Christ comes 1) those who are His are made alive; 2) Christ hands over the kingdom to the Father; 3) Death is abolished. Paul is talking about the same thing here. Vs.52 refers to His coming and the rapture of living saints. Vs.54-56 describe the swallowing up of death. Now, if death is forever destroyed at Christ’s 2nd coming, then Premillennialism cannot be true, because it teaches that humans will be born and die during a 1,000 period of time on earth after Christ returns. If death is destroyed at Christ’s 2nd coming, then the only options we have left are Postmillennialism or Amillennialism.
2. The Effect Of This Great Change: (1Cor.15:54-57). Death is swallowed up in victory! It’s almost as if Paul is taunting this great monster – Death (vs.55). But how will death be swallowed up? Vs.57 tells us that Paul thanked God who has given us the victory over death through Jesus Christ. But how did Christ grant us victory over death? The answer lies in vs.56 in the 2 words: “sin” and “law”.
A. The sting of death is sin: death would have no horrors for us if it were not for sin. Sin is what brings about death. The wages of sin is death. When we sin it is as if a great Scorpion stings us, and injects its fatal poison into our bloodstream, and then it is only a matter of time until we die. Death is damnation and hell and gnashing of teeth and outer darkness because of sin. Because of sin, death is punishment. It is God’s final sentence banishing us from Himself and joy into eternal misery.
B. The power of sin is the law: This punishment of God would have no binding power and authority if there were no law that commands us what to do and threatens God’s curse if we disobey. So, sin is what makes death terrifying, and the law is what gives that terror such force. Rom.4:15.
C. What has God done to swallow up death? The answer lies in vs.56-57. God has done something through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has dealt with sin and the law. Christ bore our sin, absorbed its punishment, and canceled the certificate of debt against us. He also perfectly obeyed God’s law, thereby fulfilling it and satisfying its just demands against us. In His obedience to the Law we have His Active Obedience. In His obedience unto death bearing our sin, we have His Passive Obedience. We need both to stand before God righteous. Because Christ has done this, we have the VICTORY! Thank God for that victory! He has wrought it – not you! Rev.20:14
3. The Exhortation Based on This Great Change: (1Cor.15:58)
A. Be Steadfast: 1. fixed in direction; 2. firm in purpose; 3. Unwavering; 4. firmly established. The word means being settled and firmly situated. In regards to the truth of the gospel and its implications for living they must be fixed, firm, unwavering, and firmly established. They must not waver back and forth, but put their hand to the plow and not look back.
B. Immovable: this word refers to being totally immobile and motionless. Paul is talking about being immovable in reference to the false teachers in Corinth who were teaching that there was no resurrection (1Cor.15:12).
C. Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord: If we are eternal beings, who are going to be raised from the dead in glorified bodies to enjoy God and His kingdom forever, then it only makes sense to spend and be spent in seeking to advance His glory and His kingdom now! Getting focused on this world and its trinkets and toys and glitz and glamor makes no sense at all! Abounding: this means overflow with this work, do lots and lots of it, fill your hours and days with things that count for Christ. Work, work, work while it is day. Night is coming when no man can work! Rest, recreation and leisure are important, not as ends in themselves, but in order to rejuvenate us for the work of the Lord. When they become ends in themselves, they become idols.
Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord: Why would Paul even say that? Why would they even wonder whether their work might be in vain? 1Cor.15:14,17. These false teachers were causing them to doubt whether their faith and works were all in vain. Paul screams, NO, they are important, and valuable and eternal. Don’t slow down. Don’t stop. Speed up! Abound in these works until the coming of Jesus Christ!
Life Application:
· Thank and praise God for giving you the victory over sin, the law and death!
· Refuse to allow yourself to be knocked off course – be steadfast and immovable!
· Abound in the work of the Lord! Give yourself to it with holy zeal!
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