The Hope of Eternal Life • 04.09.23
Nick Lees   -   April 12, 2023

The Hope of Eternal Life
1 Corinthians 15

Do we truly understand what Jesus Christ has done?

  1. Jesus died for us to save us from our sins
  2. Jesus conquered death by his resurrection
  3. Jesus provides eternal life in a new body

Good morning church family! Happy Resurrection Sunday! What a joy it is to gather corporately as the church to rejoice in the hope of the resurrection.

If you’re visiting with us, we’re glad you’re here as well. Welcome to Harvest. My name is Nick Lees and I serve as the senior pastor here. I have the privilege of leading us in our study of God’s Word this morning, as well as the Lord’s Table afterwards.

On Friday evening we gathered here to remember the final hours of Jesus’ life before his death. We were reminded again of the incredible physical and spiritual turmoil that he endured on our behalf. He endured the rejection and abuse of the nation of Israel and the Romans. He willingly drank the cup of God’s wrath for our sins and he drank it dry! We heard, “It is finished” as the conclusion to the night, but, like the 1st century disciples, we were left wondering “what is next!? Is the crucifixion of Christ the end?”

The answer is, “Of course not!” As he foretold, he would rise again on the 3rd day. And that is what we are celebrating today! Jesus kept his Word and fulfilled the Scriptures which foretold his conquering of sin and death. As 21st century people, we can find incredible hope in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! To understand how that can be possible, we’re going to study from 1 Corinthians 15 today.

Ushers + Bibles (1 Corinthians 15; page 1142)

Before we read the text for today, I want to establish the context of this passage. Anytime we study the Bible, especially when we’re dropping in on a passage like today, we want to make sure we understand the literary context, meaning what is happening before/after the passage, as well as the historical context, meaning who wrote it, to whom was it written, what was their situation, etc., This will help us more accurately understand and interpret the text.

So, this passage is near the end of the letter known as 1 Corinthians, which was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. Corinth was a Roman colony that sat on the isthmus connecting the Greek mainland with the Peloponnesian peninsula. It was a flourishing crossroads of sea traffic and a place where many cultures and religions mingled. It was known for all kinds of idol worship as well as the licentious behavior that came along with it. Paul had helped start a church in Corinth in the early 50s AD and now was writing to them several years later.

This is towards the end of the letter, which has been full of Paul lovingly confronting and correcting them on several issues. They were proud, some were divisive, and they were engaging in ungodly behaviors. They had been allowing false teachers to greatly influence them and lead them astray from the truth as taught by Paul and others who followed Jesus Christ. Though they had professed faith in Jesus, there was a big disconnect in how they were living.

In this particular chapter, Paul is addressing the resurrection of the dead. He is confronting those who would falsely say that there was no resurrection of the dead for ordinary people like us. What an excellent passage for us to consider on Resurrection Sunday! Paul is going to make a clear case for the veracity or truthfulness of the resurrection of Christ as well as how it gives people like us the hope of a future resurrection. Christ’s death and resurrection are an objective reality with tremendous implications for those who believe!

The question I want you to consider as we study God’s Word today is this…

Do we truly understand what Jesus Christ has done?

Does the way you live reveal that you truly understand what Jesus Christ has done for you in his death, burial, and resurrection? Let’s read the text and consider this together. Starting with…

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (ESV)

15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Paul is reminding the Corinthians of the gospel or Good News that they had believed in. The very hope of their salvation if their faith was authentic and not mere vanity/lip service. This already begs some questions for us this morning:

What do you believe about Jesus? Are you holding fast to it? The message Paul preached is that…

  1. Jesus died for us to save us from our sins

The Bible makes it very clear that we have all fallen short of God’s standard of holy perfection. The entire premise of the Bible, once the first man and woman chose to sin/rebel against God in Genesis 3, is that humanity is dead in our sin. Sin has corrupted us, it hinders holiness, and it is the great human problem!

It is because of our sin that our world is the broken mess that it is today. And even though we may go to incredible lengths to deny or hide our sin, it is impossible to cover up. Who here would want their thoughts publicly displayed for all to see/hear? Who would escape unscathed if our life was recorded for a week and broadcast on live TV? No one. Our sin would be on display for all to see. Whether it might be the littlest of white lies to the outright denial of God’s existence, sin comes in many forms, and it affects all of us.

Which is why it is necessary to understand what Jesus Christ has done. He is the answer for our sin problem! That is what the Gospel message reveals to us. Let us review the gospel:

  • God – there is a Holy God who made all things. He is perfect and without sin/flaw/fault. He created us and called us to be holy as he is holy. (1 Peter 1:16 – “since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”) His standard for humanity is perfection.
  • Man – unfortunately, starting with the first man and woman, none of us have perfectly obeyed. We have all done what is right in our own eyes. (Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”) We create lives that are centered around self rather than around God. Our greatest desire is not to please God but to please self. This is sin. To sin means to miss God’s standard of holiness/perfection. Our sin is a major problem because it has separated us from the perfectly holy God. As the Bible makes clear, the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”) Without a doubt, we need a solution for our sin. And this solution has to come from outside of us. We cannot rescue ourselves from this problem. (Romans 8:8 – “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”) 
  • Christ – Thankfully God has always had a plan to rescue and redeem his people through his son, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:8 – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”) Jesus came to earth, took on human form, and lived the perfect, sinless life that we could not live. Then he went to the Cross in our place, bearing the wrath of God for our sins and making a way for us to have peace with God. (Romans 5:1, 9 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” + “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”) Jesus Christ is the one who brings peace between God and man through his death on the Cross. Jesus then rose from the dead, signifying his victory over sin and death! God the Father accepted his sacrifice in our place and now gives us the hope of new life. (Romans 6:4 – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”) Jesus makes it possible to be transformed from dead in sin to alive in Him. 
  • Response – However, a response is necessary. This Good News/Gospel that Paul and others preached demands a response. The appropriate response is humble confession of our sin and professing faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We must agree with God on these matters! Faith in Jesus is the only way for us to be forgiven and have the hope of eternal life. (Romans 10:8-13) This is a promise! Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and you will be saved. To not respond in faith is to respond in disbelief, to reject what Christ has done and to remain dead in sin under God’s righteous judgment.

This is the message that Paul had faithfully proclaimed to the Corinthians. This is the message they had believed and that he was calling them to live in light of. He is also rebuking them for deviating from the primacy of this message, specifically what it teaches about the resurrection of the dead.

Now did you hear the tremendous evidence given in verses 3-11? Paul very intentionally reminds them that all that Jesus did was in fulfillment of the Scriptures. His death, burial, and resurrection were foretold long before they came to pass. The prophet Isaiah had spoken of the Suffering Servant who would bear the sins of many to make them accounted righteous over 700 years earlier. King David wrote a psalm singing of the hope of eternal life, not having his soul abandoned or left to the grave hundreds of years before Christ. And then there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ. Paul even says that most of them are still alive at the time of his writing, so they could easily verify the accounts with them! This was not a story that could be fabricated. It is world history. Jesus died and rose again.

Paul’s own life was a testimony of Jesus’ saving power. Prior to encountering the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a man who hated Christianity. He was actively persecuting the church and doing all that he could to stop it in its tracks. He arrested Christians and drug them out of their homes to stand trial… he even stood by while they were killed. But then he met Christ, and everything changed. By God’s grace, his eyes were opened to his sinful ways, and he confessed and believed. Now, as he testifies, his life has been completely turned around. God’s grace worked in Paul to labor intensely for the sake of the Gospel. He wanted as many as possible to hear and have the hope of eternal life!

What do you believe about Jesus? Do you truly understand what Jesus Christ has done?

The call for everyone who is here this morning, young or old, is to hear and believe the Gospel. Jesus Christ has died for us to save us from our sins. Every one of us needs peace with our Holy God. And faith in Jesus is the only way to that peace.

Do you have a testimony like Paul? Has your life been radically changed by Jesus? When a man or a woman believes in Jesus Christ, God’s grace is already at work in them. First to enable that belief, but then to help you live out that belief. To change. To grow. To be holy as he is holy. After all, that is what it looks like to stand in the gospel. You must allow its wonderful truths to change you day by day.

A resource that has been incredibly helpful in my life for standing in the Gospel is A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. I want to recommend this book to you. It is a wonderful collection of 33 daily meditations on the Gospel, as well as the Gospel written out in both prose and poetry. It has been a sweet balm to my soul over the years. It will help you see how the Gospel is not only for salvation but also for everyday life. It is pulling directly from the pages of Scripture, so you can follow the footnotes to see exactly where in the Bible the author is getting these truths from. *Pause*

Let’s turn our attention back to 1 Corinthians 15 though. Paul has made a strong argument for the resurrection of Christ, which his audience had professed belief in. However, they now have some in their midst who are saying that even though Jesus raised from the dead, the rest of humanity had no such hope. Is that true? Is the resurrection for Jesus alone? Or do Christians have the hope of eternal life?

These are the types of questions that Paul answers in verses 12-28. First, he approaches their argument from a negative perspective. Let’s hear that now.

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 (ESV)

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul points out the breakdown in their argument. If Christ is raised, then why would anyone say there is no resurrection from the dead? And if they truly believe that resurrection isn’t possible, then not even Christ could have been raised! And if Christ wasn’t raised, then our faith is mere vanity. That’s how central the resurrection is to the Christian faith! No resurrection means no hope. The entirety of Christianity revolves around the reality of Jesus’ resurrection.

Thankfully, the resurrection is a settled certainty. We know for a fact that it occurred, as Paul already argued earlier. There is just too much evidence to try to argue against it. Listen to how the next section starts:

1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV)

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

(Repeat verse)

Let me ask you again…

Do we truly understand what Jesus Christ has done?

  1. Jesus conquered death by his resurrection

Let me keep reading to make the point.

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 (ESV)

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

The fact is Jesus did raise from the dead and his resurrection was the firstfruits of future resurrections! By using the term firstfruits, Paul is saying that Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that all who believe in him will also have the hope of eternal life. By his resurrection, Jesus conquered death. Death no longer has any power over Christians.

Yes, we still die physically, but we do not have to fear death because it is now our transition into the eternal life to come. Death is the doorway into God’s holy presence. What we once knew in part we will then know in whole!

This is how Paul could state with such confidence:

Philippians 1:21–23 (ESV)

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Paul longed to be with Christ in perfection. Death held no power over Paul. And it doesn’t have to hold any power over you either! In Christ, you are delivered from death’s terror and power. In your freedom from death, you are now free to live wholly for the Lord! Consider what hope Paul holds out for us of what is to come:

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Jesus not only conquered death by his resurrection, he has made it possible for us to become citizens of heaven! Through him, we have the hope of a perfected, eternal body. The Apostle Peter also held out such hope:

1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ conquered death for you? Do you value that he has done it?! Does it lead you to rejoice in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection?

The resurrection of Jesus is central to our faith! By it we have the hope of eternal life. And by hope, I don’t mean some pie in the sky, hope in the face of all the evidence to the contrary… No by hope I mean the settled certainty of what is to come! Because of Jesus’ resurrection we have an assurance of eternal life. If your faith is in Jesus, you will receive a perfect, glorified body one day. It is a guarantee. Listen again to Paul’s certainty on this:

Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV)

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

What you’re hearing is that God the Father has gone to great lengths to provide you with these incredible gifts of grace through the finished work of His Son and His Holy Spirit. These realities must change our lives. The certainty of grace in your salvation and the promise of future grace in your ongoing sanctification MUST change you. *pause* Can I ask you…

What is different about your life now that you no longer fear death?

How do you face trials and suffering differently because of Jesus’ finished work on your behalf?

What can you do with your time now that you are freed from works-based righteousness?

Are these wonderful truths about what Jesus Christ has done impacting your daily life in any measurable way?! If the answer is no, that is a problem. I would encourage you to spend time today confessing that and asking the Lord for help. Then reach out to a trusted Christian mentor/advisor for help in addressing this. Too much is at stake to be apathetic about Jesus and the hope of eternal life! *Pause*

For those of you who are outside of faith in Christ, what do you do with these realities we’re discussing today? For those of you who do not believe… you cannot afford to ignore these arguments and the evidence for them. Wouldn’t you like to have hope in the face of death? What will you do with Jesus Christ today? *pause* I would love to talk with you more about that after the service.

As Paul continued to write to the Corinthians in chapter 15, he began to address the inconsistencies of those who proclaimed there was no resurrection from the dead. Then he moved on to answering their questions about what the resurrection life/body would be like. For the sake of time, I am not going to read verses 29-49, but I would highly recommend you go back and study it later today or this week.

Instead, I am going to summarize Paul’s argument and we’re going to end by studying verses 50-58 and then celebrating the Lord’s Table together. Paul argues that there is indeed a resurrection body for us, as evidenced by Jesus’ own resurrection body. Jesus was raised bodily, and yet, his resurrection body is unlike our current body for it cannot be afflicted by sin or death. It is a glorious body that can live for eternity! Let’s read verses 50-58 now:

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 (ESV)

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

       “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55    “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Jesus’ resurrection provides the incredible hope of eternal life! I’ll ask it once more…

Do we truly understand what Jesus Christ has done?

  1. Jesus provides eternal life in a new body

If your faith is in Jesus Christ this morning, if you believe he is the only way for the forgiveness of your sins and reconciliation to the Father, then you have the promise of eternal life. You have just been told that you are inheriting glory. You are inheriting immortality. Life without end in the presence of God. You get to spend eternity in the presence of the One who is the source of everything Good, Right, Just, True, Gracious, Merciful, and Holy…

When Jesus returns, he will exchange your finite, perishable body for an imperishable one that will never experience sin, suffering, or death again. (repeat) This is true whether you are alive or dead. Do we truly understand what he has done!?

The sting of death is removed. The victory of death is now the victory of Christ. Death is swallowed up in Christ’s victory!

It is possible for every person sitting here this morning to have this eternal hope. To no longer fear death. To be able to live today in light of tomorrow’s hope!

Your sufferings, the brokenness of this world, the temptations to sin that you face on a daily basis… these things do not have the final say for those who are in Christ! We have an imperishable, undefiled hope that is kept in heaven for us!

And because that is true, we can live out verse 58:

“Therefore, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

The Corinthians were a people being tossed around by the waves of deceitful teachers and the immorality of their culture. They were tempted to live selfishly and sinfully and undermine the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But if they would truly stop to consider the power of the resurrection and the hope that it provided to them, then they could be steadfast and immovable. They could stand firm on the steady foundation of Jesus Christ and from that foundation joyfully be about the work he had given them to do. To make his name known in a broken and hurting world. To bring redemption to people lost in their sin.

You know, our situation is not all that far removed from Corinth… You face many of the same temptations on a daily basis. To whom will you listen? Whose ways will you follow? What kind of life will you live?

Today I am calling all of us to stop and consider the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To seek to understand the power of it for the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life that it provides to all who believe. Allow the resurrection of Jesus Christ to transform your life and give you courage to abound in the work of the Lord.

Christian brother or sister, your efforts to represent and reflect Jesus are not in vain. He sees and approves. His gospel will not go out and return empty. Jesus’ great commission will be successful, so do not grow weary in carrying it out. Go to your neighbors, make disciples of all nations, and baptize and teach them in the God’s name and ways. This is what it means to follow Christ. And, as we’ve heard today, we have every reason to follow Him! *Pause*

Communion

We’re going to close out our study of God’s Word with a celebration of the Lord’s Table. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection.

We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result was a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!

At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.

Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.

This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. It is an opportunity to remember all that he has done for us. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him.

The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.

The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.

Ushers pass elements

Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Take bread.

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Take cup

Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!

Special Closing Instructions

  • We’re going to have an extended time of worship to close out our Easter service today
  • If you have younger kids downstairs, please go pick them up and join us as we finish with 3 more worship songs
  • We also have these white streamers that the ushers are going to hand out now to the kids
  • After we sing a reprise of Saved My Soul we are going to shout out together – “He is Risen!” and the kids can wave those streamers in the air in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.
  • Then we’ll sing the final 3 songs for our morning!

Saved My Soul (reprise)

SHOUT – He is Risen!!!

Glorious Day

House of the Lord

Jailbreak

Jordan dismisses