I Corinthians 15:20-22 - Christ Resurrected

I Corinthians 15:20-22

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 

Message: Christ Resurrected

Time: Paul is recognized as the author. He visited Corinth 4 years prior and spending 18 months their. After receiving news of quarrelling in the Corinth Church, Paul penned this letter in AD 55. Divisions in the church had resulted and Paul encouraged them and spoke of the truth of sin. 

What the Lord is Saying:

The last two lessons have focused on the atonement of Jesus - going to the cross to be a substitute for those called as His Sheep, but the atonement must be combined with the resurrection for there to be salvation. 

When God created the heavens and the earth (the universe) in Genesis 1, death was not created, but instead only life. In Genesis 2:17 it says, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. By Adam and Eve sinning, death enters life. God outlines the curse after they sin in Genesis 3:19, until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. And as discussed previously, the penalty of sin can only be paid through a substitute. 

As I've studied, an animal without defect was slaughtered before the Lord as a sin offering. Jesus can only atone for sin if he is perfect. Hebrews 7:26-27 says For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 

The resurrection shows us that Christ was perfect for it show us that death had no hold on Jesus. Death was the result of sin and Jesus did not have sin in Him so death could not seize Him. He had no sin and all sin was punished by Him on the cross. 

And so it is trusting in Him that then makes me saved. I am trusting that only Jesus can save me. And so Christ and His perfect righteousness is imputed to me and I have union with him by faith alone and therefore I will be resurrected as well, like He was, into everlasting life. This is the promise. Paul mentions that in these verses today in I Corinthians 15. He is talked about as the first fruits of those who are asleep. The first fruits of the harvest proves that the entire crop will come to maturity and be harvested. In Christ all shall be made alive. This is the message to me and everyone, with Christ all can be made alive. 

Promise: Christ on the cross pays for our transgressions and cleanses us from sin. Christ raising from the dead is God's declaration that His Son is perfectly righteous. And by man trusting in Him by faith, Christ's life is transferred to us so that one day we will rise as well and have eternal life in Him. 

Prayer: O thank You Jesus for the sweetness of Your Message. Thank you for the sacrifice you made for me on the cross, to nail my sin to the cross and pay for it. Thank you God for raising Jesus from the dead and now making me saved as well through the transfer of His righteousness to me. You are Savior and Lord. Thank you for the resurrection and forgive me for not getting excited about it at times and diminishing the celebration of Easter in my life as you know I have at times. Thank you for Christ, for Christ alone. 

 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of May is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.

- Attributes of Jesus - The Divine Nature of Christ meaning Jesus is God, the God-Man, God became man, The Human Nature of Christ Jesus has the qualities of man (hunger, needing rest, not knowing future events, being tempted), Jesus the Last Adam as Adam was our federal head in ushering all sin to man, Jesus makes all alive for those in Christ, Jesus the True Israel as Israel was called by God to be His true messenger, but Jesus is the one that truly fulfilled this call, Jesus the Messiah is the One that rescues and delivers His people

- The Word of Jesus - Obedience in Childhood reminds us that each day Jesus grew in obedience and favor with God, Obedience in Baptism showed Jesus fulfilled all righteousness, as John had been baptizing all new believers, Obedience in Temptation - like men called by God before, Jesus is tempted, but he resists and defends Himself with scripture, showing perfect obedience, Obedience under the Law as Christ was born under the Law, and kept the Law perfectly to redeem man, Obedience in Suffering as even in suffering Jesus learned obedience, a sinless man suffering for sinners, 

- His Titles - Christ Our Prophet, speaking for God, with divine inspiration, His words absolutely trustworthy and never fail to accomplish His purposes, Christ the Priest, clearing the way for human beings to approach the Father in heaven through prayer, Christ Our King is King of Kings, the last and final monarch of our lives for He did it all, 

- His Atonement - In Penal Substitution the penalty is paid by a substitute and Jesus paid the penalty of sin, once for all, and with Particular Atonement is the reminder that Jesus had me in my mind when He went to the cross, not everyone, but only those who will hear His voice. Christ Resurrected today reminds me that only through the resurrection am I truly saved and sealed for eternity with Him.