⬆️ He Rose: Defeating Death to Bring Everlasting Life

Previously, we’ve seen that Jesus came, lived, and died. Often, when people share the gospel, they finish there. But, when you look at the New Testament, you realise that the resurrection really needs a look, too. In fact, when the apostles preach the gospel in the book of Acts, they mention the resurrection 25% more than the cross!

So why is the resurrection so important? To unpack this, we need to understand the problem and God’s solution, and then we can get to the reason why this matters. Then, we’ll also take a look at how we should respond.

1. The problem

⬇️ Death: Spiritual and Physical

At the start of the Bible, we encountered the origins of death. Adam and Eve rejected God (sin), which resulted in their disobedience (sins), their suffering, and then death.

⬇️1️⃣ They experienced spiritual death as they were banished from the garden.
⬇️2️⃣ And eventually, they experienced physical death when their life came to an end.

Death is a problem for us, too. Our sin leads to our physical death. We are destined to physically die and face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). But even before we get to physical death, we also face spiritual death. In Ephesians 2:1–2, Paul writes:

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live …

Paul is saying that Christians were dead before they became Christians. They lived in “transgressions” [or “law-breaking”] and “sins”. Obviously, they weren’t dead physically. But they were dead in another sense, a spiritual sense.

This means that before physical death, people may be physically alive, but they are spiritually dead because they are out of relationship with the God who gives us life.

2. God’s solution

What’s the solution? The resurrection.

⬆️ Jesus rose

Jesus rose from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, we read that if Christ stayed dead after dying on the cross, there would be no foundation for our faith, no home for hope, and no point to our preaching. But then, in verse 20, we read:

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Jesus has risen from the dead. Over 500 people saw him (see 1 Corinthians 15:5–8), though some have now “fallen asleep”.

Why does Paul say they have “fallen asleep” rather than “died”? I think it has to do with what we read in the next few verses.

♾️ Bringing new, everlasting life

In the next verses (1 Corinthians 15:21–23), we discover that Jesus brings new, everlasting life.

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 turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

So, even though we die, it’s only temporary, like going to sleep. We’ll be raised.

Death entered the world through one man, Adam, and then spread to the rest of humanity. But now Jesus brings new life. He’s like Adam 2.0.

We will all still physically die, just as Jesus physically died. But Jesus has made physical resurrection possible through his physical resurrection. In other words, he brings us new life.

Jesus is like a second Adam. The first Adam brought death to all who belong to him. The second Adam brings resurrection from the dead to all who belong to him.

We will receive the physical new life when Jesus returns and raises us from the dead. But we receive the spiritual new life when we believe in Jesus alone to save us.

In Ephesians 2:4–6, we read:

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

In other words, God has given us new spiritual life through Jesus’ resurrection. In this spiritual sense, we are now seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms.

There’s a now-but-not-yet aspect to our new life. The new life that Jesus brings is now, in the sense that we are spiritually raised from the dead with Jesus. But there’s also a not-yet aspect to the new life Jesus brings: we won’t be physically raised until he returns.

And how long does this life last? Always. Forever. Everlastingly. Think John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

🥾 Defeating Death

Jesus’ resurrection also shows us that he has defeated death. He’s the death-crusher.

Again, there is a now-but-not-yet reality to this. Jesus has defeated death now in two ways. First, he overcame death physically himself. Second, he overcame our spiritual death. Paul tells us that before God raised us spiritually, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Now we’re spiritually alive with Christ, meaning that death has been defeated.

But there’s also a not-yet aspect to Jesus’ defeat of death. In 1 Corinthians 15:26, we realise that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Though there is a real sense in which Jesus has defeated death now, there is a sense in which death has not yet been defeated and won’t be defeated entirely until Jesus returns.

Thus, we read in 1 Corinthians 15:54–57:

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ 55 ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A day is coming when we will be physically raised from the dead. We’ll go from being mortal to immortal, perishable to imperishable. Jesus will devour death like a 14-year-old boy eating KFC on a Friday night. Jesus gives us victory. But this is only possible because he physically rose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday.

3. Why this matters

Death no longer has the last word: before and beyond

Why does this matter? Death no longer has the last word. There is hope beyond death. We live in hope of a physical resurrection when Jesus returns. We live in hope of a physical resurrection just like his. We will be raised “imperishable” and “immortal”, just like Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:52–54).

After His resurrection, Jesus appears to have passed through locked doors to visit his disciples (John 20:19, 26). Consequently, some people reckon that this suggest that our resurrected bodies might have similar abilities.
In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Paul describes the resurrected body as "imperishable" and "spiritual," different from our earthly bodies yet still physical. Philippians 3:21 also states that our resurrected bodies will be like Jesus’ glorified body. Sounds pretty cool.
Scripture doesn’t tell us whether or not this means we will be able to walk through walls. But it makes you wonder!

But our hope isn’t limited to what happens beyond death.

We have hope before physical death too. We have life now. In fact, we even have eternal life now. Eternal life starts the moment we come to know God. Check out what Jesus says in John 17:3:

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Eternal life doesn’t just belong to the not yet—it’s now. What is eternal life? This is eternal life: knowing God, and knowing Jesus. Death no longer cuts us from knowing God. We’re no longer banished from his garden. We’re seated at his table in the heavenly realms!

4. How we should respond

So, how do we respond to Jesus?

👊 Hold firmly to the Word

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Paul encourages us to hold firmly to the word of the gospel.

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Holding firm to the gospel, we take a stand. We stand with Jesus, knowing he has risen, bringing new life and defeating death. We hold firmly to his word. Sometimes, we may be tempted to back away, deny Jesus, or be quiet when he comes up in conversation. But if it’s true and he really has defeated death and brought us new life, how can we not hold firmly to this message and stand strong?

📢 Work at sharing the Word

At the end of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds us that if this is all true, we need to get on with the work of sharing it with people.

After reminding us (again) to stand firm, he says, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” In other words, we should get on with sharing the gospel of Jesus with the world.

How do we do that?

We tell them how and why Jesus came, lived, died, rose, rules and is returning. More on that to come!