The Resurrection of Our Lord

Article for Easter Sunday April 20, 2025

1 Corinthians 15:53–55 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When 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?”

Paul is telling us that we must put on the imperishable and immortality.  Easier said than done most will say.  On our own we cannot put on the imperishable or the immortality.  It is impossible for us through our own means to accomplish what has been put out of our reach.  We cannot grow longer arms, hands, and fingers to reach the goal of eternal life. I’m sure we just don’t have the power nor the ability to live forever on our own no matter how many times we could try.

For those who think that one day they will conquer death on their own will not succeed.  Well, I suppose you could try preservatives, wrinkle free creams, and energy bars, but honestly, I don’t think any of these will actually make you live forever, younger looking maybe, but not blessed to live for eternity. 

Science fiction might give some false hope to eternal life in the form of transplants.  Maybe you will want your brain transplanted into a cyborg.  I hear cyborgs are looking more like real people every day.  This truly is not hope for immortality or becoming something imperishable.  Besides, cyborgs wear out too.

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So where can one put their hope in?  Death is a demand of the law should you break the law.  Sin means death and not just for the big bad meany sins, but for even the tiniest sin and everything in between.  This is the true power of sin that the law convicts everyone as guilty and deserving of death.

How does one escape the sting of death?  By not sinning?  Have you tried not sinning?  I hope your answer is yes.  I try not to sin each, and every day and I fail every day.  How is not sinning working for you?  I know from my own experience that it is not working for me personally.  Which for some the question still remains; how does one escape the sting of death?

Job 19:25–27 25For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  26And after my skin has been thus destroyed,       yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!”

Job a person God used so many years ago who either wrote the book of Job or inspired someone else to write it.  Job gives us the answer to the question many have asked or wondered about.  We can only escape eternal death through our Redeemer.  And not just a redeemer, but one who has defeated death Himself and lives.

Job understood that he would die in the flesh and that his flesh would turn to dust.  But Job also understood that he would see his Redeemer being in the flesh again and standing before his Redeemer, his God, our God.  Yes, Job sees that the one who died and defeated death, lives and brings all whose faith follows Him alive as well.  Our Redeemer lives!

John 20:14–15 14Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

The world wonders if Jesus is real or not.  The world wonders how one can die and then be resurrected from the dead.  But the world does not know God or knows that our God sent us sinners a Savior.  We know God, we know our Redeemer, we know Jesus Christ our Savior.

At first Mary looked through the eyes of the world as she expected to see the corps of the one whom faithful followers clung to when He was alive.  Mary like the Apostles still did not understand the words of Jesus.  The words Jesus spoke that, “On the third day He would be raised.” 

Interestingly enough, the words “On the third day,” is used eleven times in the New Testament, and twenty-six times in the Old Testament.  Listen to the surprising words of Hosea 6:2.

Hosea 6:2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.

Hosea’s words speak the meaning of our Lord’s resurrection.  We celebrate that on the third day Jesus is resurrect from the dead.  The meaning of His glorious resurrection is that Jesus will also resurrect all who follow Him.  “On the third day,” has more meaning to it than celebrating our Savior’s Resurrection on Easter. 

We can celebrate that our Lord’s work on the cross, in the grave, and through His resurrection gives us the sure hope that we like Job and Hosea will receive our resurrection through our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.  We too will stand in the presence of our risen Lord as He raises us from our grave to live in our new flesh.

John 20:16–17 16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary got to see the resurrected Lord twice, once while she lived in the world and again in her eternal life.  We will count ourselves blessed as we too will see our Lord Jesus Christ in our eternal life to come.  Who knows, maybe we will be blessed to see our Lord on the day He returns to this world to claim what is His.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A May.