The Hope of the Resurrection

The Hope of the Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15
“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.”

Our greatest fear is our confrontation with death. We can endure many trials, but when the reality of death comes knocking on the door, it brings fear, apprehension, and hopelessness. Death robs us of our dreams, removes loved ones, and its finality leaves us with a deep sense of loss. When we are confronted with our mortality, we feel helpless. It is the ultimate adversary that we have no power to defeat. Of all the circumstances we face in life, the threat of death remains the one event we fear the most. To live with the prospect of death is to live in the realm of uncertainty and apprehension.

The apostle knew what it was like to live with the constant threat of death by his side.  This threat was not a terminal illness but the threat of execution by the hands of those who sought to stop his message.  In verse 31, Paul states, “I die daily.”  For Paul, death was not a distant cloud lurking in the future but a daily companion.  Living with this constant reality gave Paul a different perspective, pointing him to the hope that we have in Christ.

I Corinthians 15 is the most extended discourse on the reality of death and the hope of the resurrection. For Paul, the death and resurrection of Christ not only brought the forgiveness and cleansing of sin, but also served as the foundation for having the assurance of eternal life. The resurrection of Christ was more than a historical event demonstrating God’s power; it was a profoundly theological event that validated the message of Christ and the certainty of the gospel. The resurrection brought sureness to our faith. If the resurrection did not happen, then the whole message of Christ and Christianity would crumble into a heap of rubble, and we no longer have any hope of salvation. But the resurrection did happen! The stone was rolled away, and Christ stepped out of the tomb and again walked among humanity. The proof of the resurrection of Christ was affirmed by 500 witnesses who saw Jesus and testified that He was alive. Christ's resurrection and appearance to Paul changed Paul’s life as he realized the gospel was true (15:11-11).

The resurrection validates the gospel and gives us hope in the face of death.  In the resurrection of Christ, Christ demonstrated that he defeated the hold that death had upon humanity because of sin.   Instead of death being the final act that brought the end of life, it became nothing more than a doorway by which we pass to obtain what Christ has promised us.  Death was no longer the end of life; it was the gateway into heaven, where we will enjoy the inheritance that is promised to us in Christ.

The reality of the resurrection gives us hope for eternity. No longer is death to be feared. For those who have accepted Christ, physical death is just another step towards eternity and the joy that we will have in heaven. This not only changes our perspective of the future but also changes our perspective of the present. Instead of living in fear and apprehension under the shadow of death's presence, we can now live in faith, spending our life serving Christ. It reorients our focus, reminding us that this life is transitory and the things of this world are temporary. However, our life with Christ and what we accomplish for him are eternal. The resurrection changes our perspective to the eternal. Our greatest fear is no longer death but of failing to live a life that has eternal consequences. Instead of focusing our life on the present, we are to focus our life on the eternal. The things of this world are temporary, but the things of Christ are everlasting. As you live today, are you living for eternity or for the present? Are your labors for temporary gains or eternal rewards? The greatest tragedy in life is not death, it is the failure to prepare for what is eternal.