The End is Near -We Worship the Risen and Victorious Christ

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The past three weeks we have considered this sermon series: “The End is Near.”  For when the last day or the end of time comes then life on this planet is done as we know it. Then God will open the curtains for all to see the final act of his eternal love. For those who believe they will receive life forever for those who have rejected his free gift they will be swept from his presence into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  The message of God’s Word from I Corinthians helps us to be prepared for that day and to know more about that day.   So imagine that on a given day or given week in your life you have two choices as to what you will do that day. Your two choices are that you can go to a funeral or go to a party.  If the funeral is a funeral of a loved one, there is no choice. You go to the funeral. But sometimes wouldn’t we rather go to the party? We really don’t want to face a quiet uncomfortable situation. We look for the best words but still can stumble.  Today we are reminded as believers in Jesus the Christ that we have the good news that enables us to rejoice and have a party inside even at a funeral.  Why?  We Worship the Risen and Victorious Christ

God used the Apostle Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Corinth. God uses Apostle which he chose like Paul to guide us and directs us in answering the tough questions of life. Turn to God’s Word for today in the bulletin or your personal Bible or Bible in the pew. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. The Apostle Paul began his work at this large city of Corinth of over 200,000 people. It was an isthmus where ships were rolled across the land to save time on treacherous waters on the sea. Corinth was a crossroads where sailors and many people of different cultures passed through each year.  The Apostle Paul spent a year and a half getting to know the people and being their pastor. When he wrote the letter of  I Corinthians there were many problems. They had divisions, disorderly services, a misunderstanding about the Lord’s Supper and some in their midst rejected the Bible truth that Jesus rose from the dead.  

Look carefully again what the Apostle Paul says about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. The believers in the Old Testament brought the first fruits of their crops before the rest of the harvest was gathered. They trusted the Lord to supply their needs. Paul uses that picture to describe how Christ rose from the dead on Easter morning to assure us that life will not end at the grave.  In these verses he tells us that the believer’s bodies will be raised from the dead. In the very first verses of  I.Corinthians 15 Paul spends 19 verses reminding the congregation of the eye witness testimony of the people who saw Jesus after he rose from the dead on Easter. 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 “ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. “

The Apostle Paul rejected any one teaching the truths of the Scripture that there was no resurrection. The resurrection of Christ gives us the confidence that this life is more than the short time we have on this earth. Go back to God’s Word in verse 21.  ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. In these verses the Apostle Paul has one of these good news and bad news stories. Paul’s words are not just a story they are the truth. The bad news is that people die. The bad news is that death came into the world through one man, Adam. We know that bad news and live it and experience it in every phase of our life. That is why choosing to go to a funeral is a difficult thing. It is difficult when the funeral is a close friend, a parent or most challenging when your own child. The good news is that Christ Jesus rose from the dead. The good news Jesus the Son of God who took on flesh and blood covered every stain of guilt of the many sins we have committed over a life time. The good news is that we have the Scriptures to tell us the truth about God’s plan of his love for through the resurrection of Jesus who as Paul says is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Many times in life we focus on just the happy times and sort of try to push our way through the difficult times. We forget that God can use the most challenging times in our lives to remember what life is all about. Recently an elderly Christian age 90 had a difficult day. He broke his leg and experienced a loss of ability to communicate his thoughts. The people where he was staying in the assisted living all told him how sorry they were as the ambulance came to take him to the hospital. The man in a few words declared his faith and confidence by saying honestly and truthfully: “The Lord only gives good things.” That statement of faith comes from an instructed believing heart in the message recorded in the Scriptures in I Corinthians 15.

The Apostle Paul  guides and direct us through the challenging times of our lives. He reminds us our great enemies that we have throughout life beginning in verse 24 of our text. ”Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  Satan, an angel, who rebelled against God and then tempted Adam and Eve is our enemy. He is powerful. He is tricky. He is deceitful. He knows our weaknesses. But he is not all powerful. He is not all knowing.   He is not God. Yet, through his tempting Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God and then death came into the world. But don’t miss the good news. Jesus Christ the Son of God destroyed, conquered death and we will see that final victory on that last day called Judgment Day.

The Apostle takes us to that last day when all people or all time will know that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then Jesus the Son of God who took on flesh and blood will hand the kingdom to his heavenly Father. Paul writes in verses 27 and 28:   For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.  Jesus while on this and even after he ascended into heaven and even now rules as our King is both man and God. Jesus while on this earth in his humanity did not know when the last day would take place. Yet on the last day God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will rule as one God forever and ever in a place with no sin, no death, no sorrow. God will rule over us in heaven where we will have new and glorified bodies.  We will have bodies that were raised on the last day of all time here on this earth. God will raise all the dead both the believers and the unbelievers but the believers will receive glorified bodies to enjoy life with God in a new heaven and a new earth.

The impact of this great resurrection chapter affects our worship of God each day we live in this world as children of God who wish to serve Lord by doing his will each day.  God gives us joy that is a deep seated contentment to know that he is in control and ruling all things. He gives joyful experience while we live in a sin filled world. However as parents and grandparents we want to impart the truths of God’s Word to comfort each generation with the truth of God’s Word. Jesus has won the victory over the last enemy death.  There are many times in our lives that we would not naturally chose to go to a funeral or even to throw a party inside our hearts because of the great victory we have in Christ our victorious King. But every funeral is a reminder that death happens because of sin. Yet a funeral is a teaching moment. I like to share a true story about  a young couple who had a Christian friend who died. The young couple had a son who  was 3 and half. The parents debated how they should handle this funeral and the visitation. They decided to talk about death and why we die and that everyone will die unless Jesus comes again then we will meet him in the sky on the last day. The young boy went to the funeral and looked inside the casket. It was a serious time for the child. When the child left the funeral the young boy responded: “Mom, I want to be alive when Jesus returns.” Thanks be to God the Father who planned our salvation and to Jesus who lived died and rose again to conquer death and to the Holy Spirit who has used the Word and sacraments to strengthen our faith and confidence in the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. We worship the Risen and Victorious Christ.