Of all the past events recorded in the Bible the most important would have to be the resurrection of Christ for all that it heralds. The resurrection was the sign that the atonement of Christ had achieved its end. It was the sign that at last sin had been dealt with once and for all and that the curse had been lifted. There is no greater sign than the overcoming of death itself. God made man to live with him forever on the heavenly-earth he had created. By rebelling against God, man had cut himself off from his life source and so death became the inevitable end of every human life. There is no greater misfortune than death. The significance of Jesus’ resurrection is not just what happened to Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection was a sign of what had been achieved for all mankind. In Jesus’ death, death itself has been overcome. Those who die in Christ can now expect to be resurrected just as Jesus was. Jesus was the firstfruits of a greater resurrection day made possible by what he did. What happened to Jesus after his death will also happen to you after your death. After you die, you will go to be with the Lord in heaven. But a disembodied state is not our final destiny. When Jesus returns, he will raise us up in new bodies to live with God in a new heavenly earth forever (Revelation 21-22). You have a bright future ahead of you. The more we look forward to this future the better our perspective in the present.
Let the message of this chapter guide you in a prayer of thanksgiving.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-34
