Why Easter? Pt. 3

 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:20-25 ESV).

 

We must also understand that Easter is that time we declare Christ’s resurrection guarantees ours. The resurrection is important because of its connection between Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection. Our reading today see the Apostle Paul declare: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v. 20). That means the resurrection is viewed as one great harvest, and Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits, the first stage of the resurrection that guarantees our resurrection.

 

The Apostle Paul also wrote the following: “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).  Our resurrection will be owing to our union with Christ, who was raised. If he wasn’t, we won’t be. And, he wrote: “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:14). So, Christ’s resurrection is important because ours depends on his. If he wasn’t raised, we won’t be either.

 

There have been so many times throughout my own ministry when this core belief was the only word of hope that I could offer to family and friends of those who had experienced the pain of grief. In my own life, at the death of parents and siblings, I am not troubled because I know the empty tomb is the guarantee that death is once for all defeated. There is not sting in death, only brief separation (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:55). Death died that early morning when the earth shook and the rock rolled away for Jesus to stroll out of the tomb!