1160 - The Meaning of Jesus' Resurrection#
1160 - The Meaning of Jesus' Resurrection
(JP Text Group - Hong En Compilation)
1 Corinthians 15:12-24
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 Christ has not 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; 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.
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.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Here we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ together; without your resurrection, all that we believe would be in vain. But you have risen from the dead, which is our hope and our victory. We receive your grace, your strength, and your victory, and we desire to be filled with your words here. May the Holy Spirit guide each person's heart, and at this moment, open our hearts to receive your words. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Jesus has risen. Do you know what resurrection means? To come back to life after having died is called resurrection; if one has not died, it is not called resurrection. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ have to do with us, and why must Jesus rise again? If Jesus does not rise, can we not believe?
If Jesus did not rise, then no one should believe. 1 Corinthians 15:14 tells us:
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching and your faith are in vain.
If Jesus did not rise, whether preaching the gospel or believing in the gospel is in vain. The suffering of Jesus is certainly important, but the resurrection is even more important. On the cross, Jesus took all our sins upon Himself; He shed His blood and sacrificed Himself. This is the work He did for us on the cross. We gave our sins to Jesus, and Jesus gave us His righteousness, goodness, and eternal life, so that all who believe in Him can become children of God.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites had very strict requirements for the lamb they offered as a sacrifice; the lamb had to be without blemish or defect. What does this represent? The sacrifice must be innocent, without blemish, a perfect offering, and Jesus Christ is the true lamb we offer before God. He is the lamb of God without blemish, defect, or stain.
When you know that this flawless, unblemished lamb has been offered before God, you should believe: all your sins have been removed. Under the Old Testament law, when a person sinned and brought a bull or a lamb to the priest, they would lay their hands on the head of the lamb and say, "All my sins are laid upon this lamb." After the lamb shed its blood and died, the guilty person was considered holy, and their sins were forgiven.
This was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, which had a time limit of one year. Therefore, every year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to atone for the sins of the people. But Jesus Christ—the true lamb—came, and He was offered before God for our sins. His time limit is eternal. In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins.
Hebrews 10:11-12
Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
The priests of the Old Testament stood daily at their service. Their work of atonement could not stop; they had to continually offer the same sacrifices. The blood of bulls and goats could only cover people's sins but could not take them away. Jesus Christ is different. When He was offered on the cross, His precious blood was shed to take away our sins.
Do you understand what it means to cover? What does it mean to take away? Covering is to hide the present with another object, but taking away is to erase. It no longer exists. Jesus Christ takes away our sins; He completely removes our sins from here and places them upon Himself. They no longer exist!
He has given us His robe of righteousness. So that all who believe in Jesus Christ wear the robe of His righteousness, only the precious blood of Jesus Christ can take away the sins of the world; this is why salvation can only be found through Jesus Christ.
How can we prove that Jesus Christ is without sin? By His death and resurrection. This is the most powerful evidence. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, everything would be different, just as we read earlier, because if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
If Christ has not been raised, we are in our sins. If Jesus shed His precious blood for us and ultimately died without rising again, He would also be guilty, because only the innocent cannot be held by death.
The wages of sin is death; if there is no sin, death has no power over Him. Jesus Christ is without sin; He willingly laid down His life for us and would rise from the dead.
Just like today. Three days ago, He died for us and then rose from the dead. If He had not risen, all of us would be in sin, meaning that those who previously believed in Jesus Christ would also perish. Verse 19 tells us that if we have hope in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
If Jesus Christ had not risen, our faith would be very pitiable. We have made many sacrifices for Jesus; if He had not risen from the dead, everything people have given for Jesus would become meaningless. Today we celebrate His resurrection because He has risen.
The first word of verse 20: But, Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.
If Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, all the previous statements should be read in reverse, meaning, Christ has risen. What you believe is no longer in vain; you are no longer in sin. It should be read this way: Because Christ has risen, those who have fallen asleep in Christ are not perished; they will all be resurrected.
Verse 19 says that we are in Christ, we have hope in this life, and we are not more pitiable than others. Because we have hope for the afterlife, which is resurrection, some always say that Jesus only cares about the dead and what happens after death. But we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The empty tomb is the sign of Jesus Christ's resurrection; it is the evidence of our salvation. Do not say, "I feel saved." Believe that you are already saved.
Many people say to seek Jesus for what happens after death, but while alive, they rely on themselves. This is not the case, brothers and sisters; while alive, we still need to rely on Jesus Christ.
First point: The resurrection of Christ is our hope for the future.
Verse 20 says, But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
What does the firstfruits mean? For example, when an apricot is ripe, the first one to ripen represents that others will soon ripen as well. After Jesus Christ rose, His body is a glorious body. This body transcends death.
Many unbelievers think that the end of life is death, but for those who believe in Jesus Christ, our end is resurrection; resurrection is our conclusion. We will live forever in Christ Jesus. For Christians, resurrection is our conclusion; three days ago, Jesus died for us. Today He has risen, representing that we too will rise like Jesus. Because Jesus has accomplished that beautiful work on the cross, our sins have been permanently removed, not temporarily. In the future, you will also rise like Jesus.
Let me share briefly: Will Jesus Christ, after rising, starve if He does not eat? Does food have taste? That is a glorious body; He can eat bread and fish with His disciples, and if He does not eat, He will not die because death has been confined. He has already conquered death; death has no power over Him.
After Jesus Christ rose, time and space cannot hinder Him; He can go anywhere at any time; this is a glorious body. Some always ask, "Teacher, what will I be like after I rise?" Look at what Jesus Christ was like after His resurrection; you will be like Him.
There is also a feature called instantaneous movement. The fastest way to get home now is by plane; some tell me to dream. That is not real; it is false. If Jesus Christ wants to come to China, He can be here in an instant because that is a glorious body. Amen. The body of Jesus Christ after His resurrection is like that. Now, if you want to go to the moon, you must take a spaceship; Jesus went directly. This is called glorious resurrection. Amen.
I give you a space to imagine; think about what your body will be like after resurrection. You can go anywhere for free; no one can stop you. And even if you do not eat, you will not starve because you have a glorious body that has already risen. Go back and meditate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and think about your resurrection, for Jesus Christ is our model. Because of Adam's disobedience, we were brought into death. No one in the world can escape this.
Verse 21 tells us, For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are in Adam; Adam's end is death; those who believe in Jesus Christ are in Christ Jesus; their end is eternal life.
When you believe in Jesus, you will rise like Jesus. It is a glorious resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Now, the dead Christians are not dead in God's eyes; they are asleep; those who are asleep will one day wake up again. When will they wake up? When the last trumpet sounds, everyone who hears that sound will come to life; that is God's trumpet.
Do you know the order of resurrection?
The Bible tells us, But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
The scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4 that the first to rise is Jesus Christ, then those who belong to Jesus Christ, and then those who are still alive and believe in Jesus Christ.
If this happens now, it would be even better; one day when we gather, we will all go up together, and we will not have to experience death. They will rise first, and we will follow closely behind; it will not be many years apart.
Revelation 20:4-6
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
This passage speaks of those who enter the millennium. Who can enter the millennium?
- Those who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God.
This refers to those who were martyred for the Lord Jesus, such as Abel, Paul, Peter, etc.; these people died unnatural deaths. God will compensate them on earth for a thousand years. Our God is an absolutely just God; because these people died before reaching a normal age for the sake of the Lord Jesus, God will not let them suffer loss but will instead bless them even more.
- Those who did not worship the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
This group refers to the faithful Jews who overcame during the great tribulation; they remained loyal to the end, and when Jesus returns, they will enter the millennium together.
These people will reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead have not yet risen; they must wait until the millennium is over.
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever tasted what it is like to be a king? No king in the world has reigned for more than a thousand years. Our greatest hope in this world is to reign with Christ Jesus for a thousand years; after this, the end will come, and then judgment will begin.
Everyone will be resurrected. They will face God's judgment. Brothers and sisters, each of us should have such hope. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you should have a hope of resurrection; one day this body, though perishable, will be transformed by God into a glorious body. What will we be like after we rise? Have you thought about it? For example, if a blind person rises, will they still be blind? If a lame person believes in Jesus and dies, will they still be the same? No.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what perfection means? Think about it: if there is an eighty-year-old woman with a face full of wrinkles, when she rises to heaven, will that be called perfection? No, the Bible says, without blemish. What does without blemish mean? It means that not even a single pimple will appear on your face, without any wrinkles; God will reveal your most beautiful side forever. This is our eternal hope. No matter how you dress this body now, it will ultimately become full of wrinkles, but when you rise, everything will be renewed by God.
The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:37
What you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
Our resurrection will be like a grain of wheat; a grain of wheat dies in the ground and then changes shape, becoming a sprout; it was once dead but now becomes alive. Our bodies will be like this; it is said that in that moment, God will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body.
You should meditate on this: what in the world can stop you? Who can stop you from believing in Jesus? No matter how hard people try, they cannot achieve perfection on their own. But when you accept Jesus, God gives you the best.
What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. What is sown is dishonorable; what is raised is glorious. What is sown is weak; what is raised is powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
After Jesus Christ rose, He did not rise with a flesh-and-blood body but with a spiritual living body. Therefore, if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. The first man Adam was a natural body; we are born as descendants of Adam, all natural bodies. What are the characteristics of a natural body? Weakness, prone to sin; you cannot keep all the commandments.
After we rise, we will have spiritual bodies. Today, what about those who belong to Adam? As Adam is, so are those who belong to Adam! Look at what happened to Adam after he sinned: he had to toil for his food and ultimately returned to the dust.
As Christ is, so are those who belong to Christ. Death is not the end for Christ; resurrection is His conclusion, glory is His conclusion, victory is His conclusion. Today, as Christ is, so are you in this world. In Christ, we have His victory and His power. Similarly, in the future, we will have a glorious resurrection like His, because Jesus Christ accomplished salvation for us on the cross. All these blessings have become gifts given to us; remember, He has risen. Therefore, as He is, so are we in this world. Amen!
Second point: The salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross is our help in this life.
The Lord Jesus is not only the Lord of the dead but also the Lord of the living. We are not merely saved to enter the kingdom of heaven. While living in this world, we can also overcome through the Lord Jesus. While in this world, the Lord Jesus is also our guarantee of victory.
Ephesians 1:17-21
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
When we are resurrected, we will not have to worry about anything; that will be a place of eternal rest. But until that day comes, we still need to witness for Jesus on this earth. While living on earth, how do we overcome? We still need to rely on Jesus' salvation, looking to Him for provision on the cross.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
If we believe that the future resurrection is real, then we live on earth with the hope of resurrection. Every day we need to ask God for wisdom; in our weakness and difficulties, we look to Christ for provision. When people have wisdom and revelation, they can rely on God's power to overcome circumstances and all problems. We can now experience the great power of Jesus Christ's resurrection on earth, using His authority.
18 Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.
When we see Christ risen, our spiritual eyes are opened. We have hope that will never be lost. When we see Christ risen, we know that we truly have an inheritance in heaven; what we do for the Lord on earth will become a permanent inheritance in heaven. Therefore, it is worth living for Christ.
19 And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Living by relying on Jesus is completely different from living by relying on oneself. When we live completely relying on Christ and according to God's word, God's power is manifested through us. The power of Christ is evident in us; in whatever we rely on Jesus, we see the glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit now dwells in our hearts; He is to guide us to understand the truth, live out the truth, and manifest the great power of Christ.
Let us see through spiritual eyes the risen Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, praying for us and giving us strength; the power of Jesus surpasses all people in the world. Therefore, no matter what we encounter, we do not lose heart or become discouraged. With the strength He gives us, we can overcome all things.
When our faith is weak, how do we experience the great power of Christ? We can meditate on Christ's power through the Holy Communion.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26,
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,
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."
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and he said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
Before Jesus left, He left the Holy Communion for His disciples, asking them to frequently partake of it in remembrance of Him. When we are weak, we can recognize Christ's power anew through the Holy Communion. His body and His precious blood will bring us great change and renewal.
This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
While living on earth, we inevitably encounter issues of illness; how do we overcome? The risen Lord has already given us the solution. The bread of the Holy Communion represents Christ's body. Jesus said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." What will Jesus' body bring us?
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Our bodies are weak, but Christ's body can give us strength and change this weak body. By His wounds, we have been healed. When we partake of Christ's body, do not see it as just a piece of bread; see it as the body of Christ, which is powerful, and you will experience God's glory.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and he said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
Before Jesus returns, He tells us to remember Him through the Holy Communion until He comes. While waiting, we should partake of the cup. This cup is the new covenant in Christ's blood. Every time we drink from the cup, we should remember that we are new creations, redeemed by the blood of Christ; we are no longer under the law but under grace. Christ is our Lord and our ever-present help in life. His precious blood has forgiven all our sins. He has risen from the dead, making us righteous. We commemorate Jesus' resurrection in this way. Remembering what He has done for us on the cross allows us to stand up again in weakness and discouragement.
Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus has risen from the dead. While we live on earth, He will guide us in all good works and fulfill His beautiful will. May we, brothers and sisters, live by the resurrected Christ. The Spirit of Christ now dwells in your heart; He will help you in all things and guide you! Let you experience His wonders; may glory be given to Him forever. Amen!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. On this special day, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Because of your resurrection, we have eternal hope; not only do we have hope in this life, but in the afterlife, we know you have left us with eternal rewards.
Please grant me wisdom so that I can cherish each day while living on earth. With the strength you give me, may I glorify your name in all things. You have risen. The Holy Spirit dwells in my heart, letting me know that I no longer live for myself but for you. Please lead me to live with the hope of resurrection in the new week. Help me in all good works so that I can glorify your name. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen.