“O Death, Where Is Your Sting?”: Reflections on Christ’s Resurrection

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:14-28

GOD CAN HANDLE OUR DOUBTS 

“He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:5-8 (ESV) 

Have you ever felt a little shaky in your faith? Maybe while saying your prayers at night you’ve experienced the unwanted and unwelcome thought that you’re merely talking into the darkness. Or perhaps you get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach as you wonder if the only reason why you are professing faith at all is because you’re just following the crowd on a Sunday. 

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 was written to address these sorts of concerns and feelings. The apostle Paul refers us to the witnesses of Jesus’ real, physical appearances following His resurrection. Cephas (Peter), James, Paul, the apostles, and 500 others physically saw the risen Lord Jesus with their very own eyes. Paul points us to these eyewitnesses to help us see that their faith, and ours, rests on facts. 

What facts? The fact of the empty tomb, for one; there has to be an explanation for it. There also has to be a reason for why the disciples changed from hiding in a house in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews (John 20:19) to standing on the streets of the same city and boldly proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:14-40). And there has to be something that accounts for the existence of the church. The Scriptures are clear: the explanation is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Through history, attempts to explain these realities on any basis other than the fact of the resurrected Christ have fallen flat. 

The resurrection of the Son of God is the pivotal event in world history and the foundation stone of our faith, and Paul recognized that we need a reasonable basis to believe it. He names eyewitnesses so that when we examine the record of Scripture, even 2,000 years removed from the events it describes, we find that it was not, as skeptics claim, faith that concocted evidence for the resurrection, but rather it was the evidence of the resurrection that created faith. 

So when you are feeling shaky in your faith, when you’re feeling a little unsettled, remember: there is a reasonable, historical basis to Christianity. God has poured out His Spirit and revealed His Word for your assurance. Pray that God will meet all your doubts with the gift of faith, and look to the resurrection, for there you will find your faith bolstered by fact and your confidence founded on reality. 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:17-20, Ephesians 2:11-22

YOU CAN FACE TOMORROW 

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:17-20 (ESV) 

Every once in a while, someone comes along and claims that we don’t need to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can still be Christians without the miraculous or supernatural elements of the Christian faith, they say. But the tragedy for them and anyone who follows such a claim is that the implications of there being no resurrection don’t just make the Christian life difficult; they make it ridiculous. 

If there is no resurrection, Paul pointed out, then those who have died trusting Jesus have utterly perished, and there is no hope of ever seeing them again. If we try to live a Christian life without the resurrection, then “we are of all people most to be pitied.” In fact, Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). If we don’t believe in the resurrection, then we ought to buy into all the clichés that so many say (but few truly believe)—“This life is what you make it” and “He who dies with the most toys wins!” 

Enticing as such platitudes may be, we all have a sneaking suspicion that death is not the end. God has put eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and there is no scraping it out—no matter what force of rational skepticism or indulgent hedonism we apply to it. We know, by design, that there is more to life than life itself. 

We also know that tomorrow, and in every tomorrow, there will be sadness, pain, loss, fear, and disappointment. How can anyone cope? Without the resurrection, we can’t. That is why Paul reminded the Ephesians that before being brought near to Christ, they had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). 

“But Christ has been raised.” And those five words make all the difference, not only to eternal life but also to life today. If you take God at His word and trust Him in faith, then there is never any reason for hopelessness. You have “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). No matter what difficulties await you—and today, and tomorrow, there will be some—you will always have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (v 4). “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,” goes the song.[1] So can you—and you can do so with joy. 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

[1] Bill Gaither and Gloria Gaither, “Because He Lives” (1971).

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:17-20, Revelation 1:9-18

OUR RESURRECTION HOPE 

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished … But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:17-18, 20 (ESV) 

Questions surrounding death and dying have faced mankind ever since the fall: “What will happen when I die? Will I go somewhere when I die, or is this it? Is there any significance to my life? What does it all mean?” 

All of Scripture is timelessly relevant, and it provides answers to these questions. Paul, for example, addresses the issues of resurrection and eternal life in 1 Corinthians 15. Without the resurrection, he says, our faith would be in vain. Our salvation would be false, for we would still be living in sin. Death would prove to be stronger than God. Jesus’ claims would be untrue: He would not be Lord, and He would not be returning. History would have no goal or purpose, and the human race would be going nowhere. 

Since that’s the “reality” in which unbelievers live, it’s no wonder there is so much angst in our world! But the Christian can say, “Hey, not so fast! Don’t say that history is going nowhere and all is meaningless! Consider the resurrection.” We believe Christ rose from the dead and promises each of His followers full resurrection—not a resurrection only of soul but one of body and soul (1 Corinthians 15:42-49). 

John Locke, the 18th-century British philosopher, wrote of Christ’s resurrection that it is “truly of great importance in Christianity; so great, that his being, or not being the Messiah, stands or falls with it.”[1] It is the resurrection that proves that Jesus is who Scripture claims He is, the resurrection that seals our salvation, and the resurrection that transforms our lives. You can visit the burial sites of Buddha’s ashes, Muhammad’s body, and Gandhi’s urn, but the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth is an empty one. Belief in the resurrection is the narrow gate through which we enter, and it’s the only one that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). All our hope hangs on this fact: Jesus is alive! 

Because of this hope, we can say that this life is not all there is; it is simply the appetizer, the first course. Shadows fall on our greatest successes on this earth. We lose loved ones. We’re confronted by sin. Even our best days leave us longing for something more. But the fact is that we are only preparing for a day yet to come, when these former things will pass away and the new, resurrected kingdom will come. The resurrection of Jesus is what gives purpose to all you do today, and comfort in all your trials, and hope for all your tomorrows. 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:48-49, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION LIFE 

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:48-49 (ESV) 

Even if we muster all our imaginative powers, it’s impossible for us fully to conceive of the world as it ought to be—and, indeed, as it will be. Can you imagine a world where earthquakes, storms, and tornadoes no longer wreak havoc and destruction? A world in which the word cancer strikes fear into nobody’s heart? A body without weakness, without infection, without sickness, without sadness, without death? 

The fact is, none of us can imagine that. But we do have an image of our hope for resurrection life in our Lord Jesus Christ. In being raised from the dead, He has become the firstfruits of all who trust in Him. What we see in Him is what we are someday to become. 

By nature, we are all “in Adam” and destined for death; but to any who are in Christ, God promises renewed hope (1 Corinthians 15:22). By triumphing over death, Christ, “the last Adam” (v 45), has set us on the path to indestructible life in heaven. Once we walked the path of “the man of dust,” but now all who are in Christ “bear the image of the man of heaven.” 

What will life be like when that man of heaven returns to earth and brings heaven with Him? Scripture doesn’t lay out all the details. But we do know that instead of being perishable, our bodies will be imperishable. We currently have a limited shelf life, but we have the promise and hope of an eternal life with no expiration date. We will live forever (1 Corinthians 15:42), and every day in that forever will be glorious, for nothing will ever perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4, NIV). We also know that God will transform us from a condition of dishonor and weakness to a renewed state of power and glory (1 Corinthians 15:43). 

Neither you nor I have the categories to fathom such a resurrection life. Whatever you imagine, the reality will be better! But of this you can be sure: that life does await you, for your risen Lord Jesus Christ has trampled death underfoot once and for all. Death has been swallowed up in His irreversible victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). 

Today, you will still see the forces of death at work around you—even in you. Perhaps you are very aware of that in one way or another as you read these words. But be assured that the kingdom of light has already prevailed over the domain of darkness. In fact, your citizenship already belongs to the kingdom of resurrection life. At times you may still feel the decay and the dust, but you can yet find hope, knowing that the man of heaven will one day transform your “lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21)—forever! 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:50, Revelation 22:1-5

CHANGED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE 

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50 (ESV) 

We cannot enter God’s presence in heaven. We simply cannot do it—not as we are now, anyway. Our perishable, decaying bodies are not suited for an imperishable, undefiled kingdom. 

By way of the new birth, we have already entered God’s kingdom spiritually (John 3:1-8). But ultimately, God will bring His kingdom in all its fullness, and He will reign forever over a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). And, says Paul, we can’t get there as we are. We can’t simply show up there like this, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” We must be changed, not unlike a seed (1 Corinthians 15:42-49). When the seed is planted in the ground, it retains its identity, but it comes out radically and wonderfully different. 

What does this mean? How will it happen? It is a “mystery,” Paul acknowledges (1 Corinthians 15:51). We cannot fully (or even mainly!) understand it. But we can identify at least three aspects of this change from this glorious chapter. 

First, God will transform us instantly—“in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). This will not be a process but a supernatural transformation, an instantaneous re-creation from one state to another. In that glorious moment, only as long as it takes us to blink, we—whether we are waiting in heaven with Christ or alive on earth (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)—will be changed for the better, forever. 

Second, God will change us radically: we “will be raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The one certainty of our life here is that it will end. All our earthly days were written in God’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). But in the instant God transforms us, He will radically change us, such that death and decay will be replaced with imperishability. 

Third, God will refashion us eternally: we will “put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). There will be no risk of reverting to our former condition. “Death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:4), and our present state of decay will become but a memory. 

Dwell on this truth for a moment: one day, God will transform you in an instant. He will change you radically. He will refashion you for eternity. He will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Mourning, crying, and pain will all fade from view. It may be hard to imagine now, but in faith you can trust that your God will cause all the former things to pass away. And once He does that, you will dwell with Him forever in unending bliss. That is a truth that can enable you to smile on the hardest of days. 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Hebrews 2:10-18

A SHADOW WITHOUT SUBSTANCE 

“‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ 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.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:54-57 (ESV) 

In these verses, the apostle Paul is openly taunting death. How can he do so? Death is so horrible. It’s so tragic. It’s so sad. It seems so final. What did Paul know that enabled him to flout its terrible tyranny with such confidence? 

It is because death has lost its sting. 

To illustrate Paul’s point, imagine this scene: A young girl is gleefully playing with her father in the backyard. A bee starts buzzing around. When it flies into view of the little girl, she shouts, “Oh, keep that bee away from me! I don’t want to get stung! Daddy, please do something!” As the bee draws closer, the father begins to swat at it—and as he reaches out, the bee fastens on him and drops its stinger right into the father’s arm. The father takes the sting and experiences the pain. The bee’s sting is drawn, and the little girl is safe. 

On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the sting of death. Sin leads to death, and death stings because of sin, for sin must lead to judgment. But Christ bore the judgment for sin in His own body on the tree so that all who trust in Him will never face judgment (Galatians 3:13). We may still walk through “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4), but because of what Christ has done, that is all death is: a shadow without substance. This is the very reason that Jesus took on humanity. Our Lord took on flesh and blood for this purpose: “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). 

You no longer have to live in that kind of slavery or walk in that fear. By His own death and resurrection, Jesus has abolished true death forever. He took death’s sting so that you would never have to face its power over sinners. Instead, you can walk in freedom today and every day, knowing that God has already given you decisive victory over sin and death through your Lord, Jesus Christ. So you can look at death and say, “Horrible, tragic, sad though you are, you have lost your sting.” And you can look at the one who drew the sting for you and say: 

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son—
Endless is the victory Thou oe’r death hast won![1] 

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?