For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, 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 15:16-26 NIV)
There’s a man who’s been making a very bold claim. Have you ever heard of Dave Asprey? He’s a successful entrepreneur who’s boldly claiming he’s going to live to be 180 years old. He’s sure it’s possible. Want to know some of his secrets? Here you go: Put two tablespoons of butter in your coffee every morning, but eat no grains or cereal. Take as cold of showers as possible. Up for that? Oh, and spend over $1 million just on your personal health and take 100 supplements every day. And live in Canada, of course. Got it? Dave’s committed to doing everything possible to make it to 180. He’s well on his way: He just turned 45. Already a quarter of the way there!
I hope he makes it. But even if he does, I think he’s going to be disappointed. Know why? 180 years still won’t seem long enough. No matter when it happens, death always leaves us wanting more. The Bible says, “God has set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Deep down, we don’t want to live to be 180. We want to live forever. Have you ever been to a funeral of a loved one and said, “I am so glad they’re gone. They lived way too long.” I don’t think so. Whether you live to be 50 or 100, death always seems to come too soon. In the end, death always wins. But that doesn’t keep us from trying, right? Cold showers. Buttered coffee. Canada…
There’s an assumption ingrained in all that trying to avoid death: This life is all there is. That’s Dave’s assumption: You only live once. That’s why you better live as long as you can! You better enjoy life as much as you can right now. That’s not a new idea. Already 2,000 years ago, people in Corinth were saying: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32). Sound familiar? That’s the attitude of our world: This life is all there is. You only live once—YOLO. So party it up. Do what you want to do. Today, the apostle Paul says, “Okay, let’s test that out. Here’s the first conclusion: ‘If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.’” If this life is all there is, if people don’t rise, then Jesus wasn’t raised either.
So? What difference does it make if some guy was or wasn’t raised from the dead 2,000 years ago? Here’s why it matters: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” If people don’t rise from the dead, then Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. And if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then he didn’t succeed in doing the one thing we most need a Savior to do—take away our sins! In fact, if Jesus is still dead, then you and I are still dead in our sins. Guilty. Hopeless. You can have all the faith you want, but if it’s in a dead guy, it’s futile. Useless. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
This is a big deal, because here would be the result: “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.” If you die with your sins, what happens? You’re lost. If you die without your sins forgiven, you go to hell. Because that’s what we deserve. The Bible calls it the “second death” (Revelation 20:14). The lake of burning fire. The first death is bad enough. You don’t want to see the second one! But if Jesus didn’t rise, all who die are lost to hell. In fact, every tombstone should say the same thing. Erase “Rest in Peace” and put “Lost.” “Lost.” “Lost.”
Sound bad? It’s worse than bad. Here’s what God calls it: “Pitiful.” Paul writes, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” To live life with hope only for here is pitiful. To face death thinking it’s the end is pitiful. All the fighting, all the working, all the trying, for what? So that you can get old and die? I don’t care if you make it to be 180. That’s pitiful! And Paul’s not just talking to unbelievers. He’s actually writing to Christians. If my faith in Jesus is only for this life, I am to be pitied more than all people! Christians suffer persecution. Christians give up sinful pleasures. If there’s no resurrection, what a waste!
Do you see how important this day is? Christianity hinges on whether there’s life after death. Our lives and our hope depend on whether Jesus rose from the dead. If Jesus didn’t rise, then let’s shut up the organ, throw away the flowers, and put the ham back in the freezer. Then we better cry at funerals like those who have no hope. Then we better eat and drink and be merry because tomorrow we die. Then we better smile and lie about what good people we are, because that’s all that we’ve got going in this life. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Look at your life. If your hope is here, that’s pitiful.
Because you can’t avoid death. You can put butter in your coffee and move to Canada, but you’re still going to die. You can wear a mask and never leave your house, but you’re still going to die. Since last Easter, we’ve had 13 members of our church die. How many in your family? How many loved ones are walking in the valley of the shadow of death right now? We hate it. Death is our enemy. Our greatest enemy. No matter how long you live, if our hope is only for this life, our faith is futile, those who die are lost, and we’re to be pitied more than all people.
But it isn’t. Our hope isn’t only for this life. Because “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! I love how matter-of-factly Paul puts it. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” You know all the “what-ifs” I just talked about? Throw them out the window! What if Jesus didn’t rise? What if there isn’t a heaven? Toss them away, because “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” This is the heart of Christianity. This is the Gospel. “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Like no one else in human history, Jesus defeated death.
How could Paul be so sure? How can we be so sure? Have you ever seen someone rise from the dead? Me neither! But Paul had. Paul saw Jesus after he had risen from the dead, and here’s what happened: It completely changed his life. Paul went from being an enemy of God to being the greatest missionary. Paul endured everything for Jesus. He faced wild beasts, he was beaten and stoned and shipwrecked, he was mocked and imprisoned over and over again. But it didn’t phase him one bit. Why? Because it’s true. Because Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Paul said, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10).
Because Jesus didn’t just rise for himself. He rose for you. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” What an amazing promise! Just as certainly as people die, you can be that certain that people rise. How certain is it that people die? 100%. So how certain can we be of heaven? 100%. People like to say there’s two things in life that are certain: Death and taxes. That’s not really true. There are three things in life that are certain. Death, taxes, and eternal life. “But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.”
Jesus is the firstfruits. Do you understand that word? Each spring, the Sunday after the Passover was a special holiday for the Jews. It was the day of “firstfruits.” On that Sunday, each family was to present to God the first crops from their spring harvest. It was an act of faith. They trusted that since God had given them their first sheaves of grain, much more would follow. Now, what day did Jesus rise from the dead? The Sunday after the Passover. On the very day that the Jews were bringing their firstfruits of grain to Jerusalem, Jesus rose from the dead in Jerusalem: The “firstfruits.” When that first tulip pokes its head through your flower bed, you know that more will follow. When that first yellow dandelion shows up in your lawn, you know that lots more will follow. When you see Jesus rise from the dead, you can know that more will follow. Lots more. You! You don’t only live once. You live forever. Because Jesus defeated death for you!
But it doesn’t seem that way right now. Why are people still dying? Why are there still so many funerals? Isn’t death defeated? What’s the deal? God says, “Be patient. There’s an order. There’s a plan.” “Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, 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.” Jesus’s resurrection proved his victory over death. But death won’t be destroyed—completely done away with—until the day “when he comes…”
That’s why death is the last enemy to be destroyed. Death won’t end until the day when Jesus comes again—until Judgment Day. Know what that’s going to be like? The Bible tells us, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Doesn’t that sound good? That’s what Paul was writing about when he said, “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Death defeated!
There was once a Christian lady who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. So, she contacted her pastor to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the funeral. She requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. And there was one more thing. “This is very important,” the woman said. “I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.” The pastor didn’t know what to say. So the woman explained, “At all the best meals, when the main course is cleared away, someone always says, ‘Keep your fork.’ That was my favorite part because I knew something better was coming. Like cake or pie. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder, ‘What’s with the fork?’ And then, pastor, I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.’”
Did you hear how heaven was described in our first lesson? “The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25:6). Keep your fork! When you stand by that casket… Death is defeated! When you hear the diagnosis… Death is defeated! When you’re shocked at the news… Death is defeated! When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death… Death is defeated! You’re going to live beyond 180. Forever! Because your faith is not futile. There is so much more than this life. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” So keep your fork. Even when you die, keep your fork. Because death’s defeated.
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