But in Fact, Christ Has Been Raised From The Dead.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (NLT)
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
Examine the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (NLT)
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.
- Christ has been raised from the dead.
He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
First fruits
What happened to the first fruits in the Old Testament?
Exodus 23:16 & 19 (NLT)
16 “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.
“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields.
19 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:10-11 (NLT)
10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. 11 On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf.
- Christ is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man,
Romans 5:12 (NLT)
Adam and Christ Contrasted
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.
Resurrection from the dead has begun.
Philippians 2:8 (NLT)
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)
For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
- The resurrection from the dead began through Jesus Christ.
22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
Romans 5:18-19 (NLT) (See Romans 5:12-19)
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
A promise of new life.
- Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
James 1:18 (NLT)
He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.[a]
Footnotes:
1:18Greek we became a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.
James 1:18 (NIV)
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James 1:18 English Standard Version (ESV)
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
- We became a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT)
The Hope of the Resurrection
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
23 But there is an order to this resurrection:
Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
Christ was to be the first of the harvest.
24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)
And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.
- There is order in God’s plans.
Matthew 24:36 (NLT)
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
- No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen.
27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
- God will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
