Jump Start # 332

1 Cor 15:22-23 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

  Resurrection. That is defining moment in the Bible. Without the resurrection, Christ fails, Christianity fails. That is the theme of this chapter in Corinthians. You cannot have faith without a resurrected Christ. Paul shows that. Paul proves that. Paul makes application based upon that.

  The curse of Adam’s sin, was death. All die. Even Methuselah, who lived to be 969 years old, died. Other than, Enoch and Elijah, who were taken up to Heaven by God, every one died. But the blessing in Christ is that all will be resurrected. John 5:28-29 says, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”  Do you notice that all are being raised. The good and the evil. It’s not just the good who live on. Nothing is said about coming back in some reincarnated form, or another life. That doesn’t happen.

  So this reminds us that death is not the end of the journey. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. Dying may not put one out of their misery because we live on and we will be raised some day.

  Paul tells us that Christ is the “first fruits.” We are getting into the garden season. We don’t go to all the work of a garden just to get one piece of fruit per plant. That wouldn’t be worth it. The first tomato, means there are more to come. The first melon, more are on the way. Christ, the first resurrected, means more are on the way. There were others resurrected before Jesus, but they all had to die again. Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son, Dorcus—they were all raised, but they all had to die again. Not Jesus.

  Jesus was the first raised, who never died after that. He is the first fruits. This reminds us that when we leave a loved one in the cemetery, someday, they will be raised. We know that because Jesus was raised.

  Paul gives us a time marker for this event, the grand resurrection, “at His coming.” This is when all this takes place. Not before. Not in different stages. But at His coming. At His coming, things will be different. The world will come to an end, the kingdom will be given to the Father and the resurrection will take place.

  There are all kinds of questions folks have about resurrection. What will we look like? Will a person have to have their glasses, hearing aids and so forth? Will I look young, old? Paul addresses some of those thoughts in this Corinthian chapter. He borrows an illustration from nature to explain it. A seed is put into the ground. After a while, a plant comes up—maybe wheat, maybe a flower. The plant doesn’t look like the seed. It’s beautiful. Paul’s point is that we now are like the seed. We’ll die. We’ll be buried. We’ll be raised a glorious state when Jesus comes. Don’t need to worry about that. Everything God does is wonderful.

  Now the thought of all of us being raised may be not pleasant for some. It means our soul will continue on. Suicide is not the end of the road. Those who have chosen to live apart from Christ and ignore God’s way, the thought of resurrection isn’t comforting. It means forever without God. A popular movement today denies Hell. Jesus didn’t. In fact, He linked Heaven and Hell together in the same sentence. If there is no Hell, there is no Heaven. If there is a Heaven, then there is a Hell.

  Why would God make a Hell? He needs a place for people who don’t want Him. They haven’t listened to Him, followed Him, nor chosen Him. All will be raised. Those that don’t want God now, won’t have Him later. Hell’s just the place.

  There was a phrase in our verse today that caught my attention. It says, “those who are Christ’s…” Those who belong to Jesus. Those who have included God in their life. Those who have followed. Those who have obeyed. Those who have chosen God. Those are Christ’s. For those, the resurrection is an incredible concept. Can’t wait! It means Heaven!

  Are you Christ’s? Best get busy getting there…time is running out for all of us. There is a great day coming…a great day coming…

Roger