What Does The Resurrection Have To Do With You?
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (12-28)
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Blood had been shed. Nails were pounded. And a dead body was laid in a tomb. Christ Jesus was crucified.
But that was Good Friday and today is Easter Sunday. Today, is the icing on the cake, as they say.
Dear friend, on Good Friday, Jesus said the words, “It is Finished.” That is to say; wrath, sin, death, and the Devil were finished. Indeed, what makes Good Friday so very good is that the wrath of God was satisfied; and the Devil, death, and sin were defeated. And then today, we hear the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead, which is like a cherry on top of ice cream. Good Friday is so good, and with Easter, everything becomes incredibly good. And here is why…
The resurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead, not only means that our Savior lives victorious over sin, death, and the Devil but it also means that when you are put in the grave someday, you will not remain there forever. The resurrection of Jesus means that the dark valley of death, the cold grave, and the heavy tombstone are not the final word for you. You see, we certainly do not deny that death puts us in the grave. But we know that there is more to be said.
And what can be said?
Because Jesus rose from the grave, we know that we too will rise from death to life again. What happened to Jesus will happen to us.
Baptized Saints, consider this for a moment: you and I are connected to Jesus. He stepped into our death so that He can bring us out of it. He was placed in a grave so that He could make our graves holy. And he rose from the dead so that He could be the first in a long legacy of those who will rise from the dead as well.
So, indeed, the resurrection of Jesus means that the day will come when neither death nor the grave will keep us, but we—like Jesus—will be raised again.
Precisely this is what will happen. When you die, your soul will go directly to the presence of Jesus, where there is no more pain, fear, or sin. Now, this is very good; it is very comforting. But this is not enough of a victory for you as a Christian. You see, Christ Jesus is not satisfied with merely giving you an immortal soul. Christ loves you too much to leave your body behind in the grave. So Jesus also redeemed your body. That is right; Jesus died for all of you: mind, body, heart, and soul. So while your body will rest in a casket someday, it will awaken on the Last Day. Yes, Jesus will reunite your soul and body, making you alive again.
Keep in mind, though; you will not have the same kind of body that you have right now. As you already know, your body right now is subject to pain, illness, aging, diseases, sin, and death. But because Jesus has defeated all of these things, He will not raise your body plagued by sin and death. Sin and death are not the Lord’s creation, to begin with, so the Lord has no interest in resurrecting your body with these things. Why would the Lord bring the corruption of our sinful old Adam back to life, when the devil and mankind were responsible for it in the first place?
Baptized Saints, your body of sin and death is buried in the wounds of Jesus. It is left for dead at death, but you are not. You are given the promise of the resurrection that proclaims to you that your body of sin and death is not resurrected, but instead, you will be resurrected without sin and death. It is the same body, but new – better – without sin and death.
Let’s say it this way; right now you have a 1.0 body. At the resurrection, you will have a 2.0 body. You will be raised better than you are right now – way better. So much better you and I have a difficult time conceiving of just how much greater, beautiful, and glorious our new bodies will be.
Here is just a glimpse: at your resurrection, your physical difficulties that you have will never touch you again. The imperfections in your body – gone. The heaviness of depression over your eyes – gone. The tightness of anxiety in your chest and shoulders – gone. Always looking over your shoulders because of fear – no more. Heavy souls with burdened consciences – no more. Putting your guard up in social settings to protect yourself – no more. You will be raised imperishable - nothing will ever go wrong with the new body that Christ will give you. You will be full of strength and health forever without the devil, sin, and death against you.
So, today, this Easter Morning, you and I confess that Jesus has been raised from the grave and that His resurrection brings us life and assurance. Indeed, because you are connected to Jesus in baptism, His resurrection gives you confidence that you will rise again. Jesus’ resurrection certifies that your sins have been blotted out. Jesus’ resurrections replaces fear with faith – faith that says this:
Know this – sin, death, and the Devil – I belong to Christ. He is risen. His resurrection tells me that you are defeated. Yes, you are the defeated foes. You have been laid low. I am Christian for I belong to the Resurrected One! So hear this – sin, death, and the devil – you hung on the neck of Christ on Good Friday but today, on Easter Sunday, I do not see you for all I see is the Resurrected One standing in victory. I shall not worry about you, but shall have joy, hope, and confidence in Christ for where Christ is, I shall also be.
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
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