1 Corinthians 15:19-22 [Concerning the Resurrection]

[Things to Meditate On]

1. The passage above tells us that there is a "resurrection." Resurrection means "to come back to life after having died," which means that in order for there to be resurrection, there must first be death. If there had been no death for us, there would also have been no resurrection. Therefore, we need to know when death came to us, and also when resurrection began.

In verses 21-22 above, we can see that two men are mentioned. They are Adam and Christ Jesus. And in 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 below, Jesus is called "the last Adam," showing that "the first man Adam" and "the last Adam" are spoken of in relation to each other. The Bible testifies that through these two men came death and resurrection respectively.

1 Corinthians 15:45-47 "45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven."

1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

2. And concerning the reason death and resurrection came to us, the Bible testifies that through the "disobedience" of the first man Adam, death came upon all people, and through the "obedience" of the last Adam, Jesus Christ, life could come again to all people.

Romans 5:17-19 "17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

3. As this passage says, because of the transgression of the first man Adam, that is, because he disobeyed the word of God, death came to reign over us. And because Jesus, who is the last Adam, obeyed the word of God unto death, life came to reign over us again.

Because Jesus became the firstfruits of them that slept (verse 20), we are now able to become people who have the hope of eternal life, not pitiful people who live only in this world and then pass away. Therefore, we must believe in the resurrection of Jesus, which is our hope, and we must also believe the word that if we believe in Jesus, we too can be resurrected. Jesus Himself spoke this word (John 11:25-26), and the apostle Paul also preached the same gospel: that just as God raised Jesus, He will also raise us up (2 Corinthians 4:14, 2 Corinthians 13:4).

John 11:25-26 "25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

2 Corinthians 4:14 "Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."

[Decision and Application]

Through the resurrection of Jesus, we have now come to know that the world we hope for is not only this present life. Also, through the resurrection of Jesus, we have come to know that our faith is by no means in vain (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Since we know this, it is only right that we now live in this world with "the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). For those who think this world is everything, "the faith of Jesus" will not be necessary. But for those who do not set their hope on this world, but live with hope in "eternal life," "the faith of Jesus" is absolutely necessary. This is because our present life is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14). Only Jesus is our eternal life. Therefore, just as life is in Jesus, those who have the faith of Jesus will have eternal life.

1 John 5:11-13 "11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

To live by the faith of Jesus in this world means, as the words above say, to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah and Savior, and to live through the name of Jesus. Therefore, those who live with hope in eternal life seek to live in the name of the Lord Jesus in whatever they do (Colossians 3:17, Acts chapters 3-4).

Hebrews 5:8-9 "8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."

As this passage says, the first man Adam did not obey, but Jesus, who is the last Adam, was made perfect through obedience. The apostle Paul also said that he sought to be made conformable unto the death of Jesus, "if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). Therefore, in order to attain unto the resurrection, we also must now strive all the more to deny ourselves (Philippians 3:7-9) and live in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:15-16, Acts 21:13). This labor of ours will never be in vain, and through Jesus Christ, God will surely enable us also to overcome death.

Philippians 3:5-11 "5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

1 Corinthians 15:17-19, 55-58 "17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?... 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Amen.