Tawa Baptist

The End

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 15:20-28

Video Link: https://youtu.be/WsylwUo8wpo

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ resurrection means the end of death
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When I was a kid my grandfather took me fishing every holidays. One of the things he taught me was how to avoid making a bird’s nest of your line. If you let your reel go too quickly, it tends to tangle the line. The key is control. Take your time and let your line out slowly.

Today we continue our series in 1st Corinthians 15, where Paul writes about resurrection. There were some in the church at Corinth who were saying there is no resurrection of the dead and this was creating a bird’s nest in people’s faith and thinking. Paul was writing (among other things) to untangle the bird’s nest. From 1st Corinthians 15, verses 20-28, we read…     

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 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. 24 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. 27 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.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us. 

Now, after hearing that, you may be feeling a bit confused. I certainly felt confused the first 10 or 20 times I read it. Paul is untangling a bird’s nest here, so it is little wonder we might be somewhat bamboozled. But really, Paul’s main idea is not that complicated.

Jesus’ resurrection means the end of death.

We could summarise Paul’s thinking like this: Jesus’ resurrection means the end of death.As we work our way through the detail, I want you to keep that bigger picture in mind: Jesus’ resurrection means the end of death.

If I am following a recipe, I always like to have a picture of what the cake is supposed to look like when it is finished. Written instructions are necessary but without a picture of the end product I can’t see the goal I aiming for.

In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul is showing us what the recipe of resurrection turns out like.

When you are planting trees on your section, you need to keep the end in mind. The tree might be quite small when you put it in the ground, so you have to think ahead and imagine what the tree will look like in 10 or 20 years’ time. Is it in the right place? Will there be enough room for it?

In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul is showing us what the tree of resurrection looks like when it is fully grown.

If you think back to your time at high school, you might remember your maths text book. The body of the text book contained problems for you to solve and at the back you could find the answers. Being able to look up the correct answer enabled you to learn from your mistakes. It gave you a clue as to how to approach the problem.

In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul is giving us the answer to the problem of death so we can work backwards from there and learn from our mistakes.

In verse 20, Paul describes Jesus’ resurrection as the ‘firstfruits’ of those who have fallen asleep. The Law of Moses prescribed that the first sheaf of barley harvested from a common field was to be offered to God in the temple. In fact, on the first Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead, the Jewish priests would have been offering the firstfruits of the barley harvest.  

Offering the firstfruits was an acknowledgement that the whole harvest belonged to God, for the Lord had provided it. The offering of the first sheaf of grain blessed and guaranteed the rest of the harvest.

Jesus’ resurrection was like an offering of the firstfruits. Jesus’ resurrection is a foretaste or a deposit, guaranteeing the resurrection of all those who belong to Christ.    

In verses 21 & 22, Paul draws a comparison between Adam and Christ. Just as those who are descended from Adam die, because Adam sinned, so too those descended from Christ (through faith) will live, because Jesus the Christ was obedient to God.

Christ is both the beginning and the end. Jesus is the first of a new breed of human beings, a new creation, a new race which obeys God in faith. At the same time, Jesus is also the end result or the goal for humanity. If we want to know what God intends human beings to be like, then we look to Jesus. The risen Christ is God’s vision for humanity.

Basically, Jesus does for us what we are not able to do for ourselves. Jesus lives the perfect life on our behalf. He fulfils God’s requirements for us. Our part is to stand in solidarity with him. That is, to trust Jesus.  

The Wellington train lines had some difficulties over the past week. We could think of Paul’s comparison between Adam and Christ as two separate train lines. The train line which began with Adam leads to death. It is going to end in tragedy. But there is a second train line which begins with Christ and leads to life. The destination of Christ’s line is resurrection.

Adam’s line and Christ’s line overlap for a certain period of time in history. God wants to give everyone the opportunity to get off Adam’s death train and get onto Jesus’ life line. Getting off Adam’s train and boarding Jesus’ train requires an act of faith.  

In verse 23 Paul goes on to point out the resurrection happens in two stages. First, Jesus was raised from the dead and then later, when Jesus returns in glory, those who belong to Christ will be raised to life as well.

This means physical death is not a permanent state for those who belong to Jesus. Physical death is a temporary state, sort of like sleep.

Some of you may be wondering, what about those who do not belong to Jesus? What happens to them? Well, Paul doesn’t deal with that subject in these verses and so neither will I.

It is not for us to say how God will deal with people who don’t know Jesus or who do know him but reject him. What we can say with confidence is that God is good; he understands all things and he sees the heart. The Lord is just and merciful, slow to anger and rich in love. Therefore, we can rely on God to do what is right by each individual person.

From verse 24 Paul continues…

24 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.

The word end can have two meanings. It can mean the termination or destruction of something and it can also mean the purpose or goal of something. Both meanings are relevant here.  

Paul is saying that when Jesus returns in glory, the dead who belong to Christ will be resurrected. This resurrection of Jesus’ followers will mean the end (as in the destruction) of death. At the same time, the destruction of death is God’s end (as in God’s goal or purpose) as far as his creation is concerned.

In short, God’s purpose is to destroy death. Jesus’ resurrection sets in motion a process which will ultimately result in the end of death. So while death was not destroyed 2,000 years ago, when Jesus was raised to eternal life, death will be destroyed when Jesus returns to raise those who belong to him. 

Verses 24 & 25 indicate that the risen and ascended Christ is reigning. Jesus is King. However, despite Jesus’ reign, the enemies of God are still at work. And so we currently live in (what is sometimes called) ‘the now but not yet’. That is, the Kingdom of God is here now, in the person of Jesus, but it is not yet fully realised on earth.

We live in between the resurrection of Jesus and the destruction of death.

Yes, Jesus has conquered sin and death, but sin and death are still doing damage here on earth.

Perhaps we could think of it like a war. Once the heat of battle is over and the war is won, the effects of the war still remain for a certain period of time. Those who have survived the war may be maimed, both physically and psychologically. What’s more the enemy, though defeated, has left land mines in the ground which need to be cleared. 

To complicate matters, those loyal to the defeated enemy remain in the country to stir up trouble. Eventually though, all the land mines and booby traps will be cleared. All the trauma of war will be healed and God will wipe away every tear. What’s more, the enemies of Christ (including death) will be put under Jesus’ feet.

Jesus told a number of parables to illustrate this interim time of the now but not yet, including the parable of the wheat and the weeds, in Matthew 13.

You know the one. A man (aka: Jesus, the Son of Man) sowed good seed in his field. But, while everyone was asleep, the man’s enemies came and sowed weeds in the same field.

The man let the weeds grow alongside the wheat because he knew that if he pulled up the weeds, the wheat would be uprooted too. The man waited until harvest time (that is, the end of the age) and instructed the harvesters to separate the weeds from the wheat. The weeds are destroyed while the wheat (or those who belong to Christ) are brought into the barn (into God’s kingdom in other words).      

Returning to 1st Corinthians 15. Verse 27, where it says: For he “has put everything under his feet”, appears to be a twin reference to Psalm 8 and Psalm 110.

In the context of Psalm 8, putting everything under his feet, means God’s purpose is for humanity to rule over creation (the fish, the birds and animals) in a compassionate and fair way, maintaining the balance and harmony of the natural world.

But in the context of Psalm 110, putting everything under his feet, is a poetic way of saying, the Lord’s enemies (also the enemies of humanity) will be dead and buried, with no possible way of making a comeback.  

It seems Paul is saying two things at once here. Firstly, that the resurrection of Jesus restores God’s order to creation and secondly, that the resurrection of Jesus destroys death.

This makes sense because, destroying death is part and parcel of restoring God’s order to creation.  As long as people die, God’s sovereign purposes are not yet fully realised. Hence the need for resurrection.

Now, in talking about death, it is important to understand that we don’t just mean physical death. Death, in a Biblical understanding, isn’t just when someone’s heart stops beating and their brain function ceases.

Death comes by degrees. It disguises itself in many different ways. Sickness is a form of death. Divorce and the breakdown of relationships are a form of death. Violent acts of crime reek of death as does economic injustice. Addiction and slavery also spell death. And then there is spiritual death, which is essentially alienation from God.   

We live in the now but not yet, between Jesus’ resurrection and his second coming. Jesus has won the war and defeated death (on the cross) but God hasn’t yet destroyed death.

Knowing that, one day, God will destroy death in all its many and varied forms gives us something good to look forward to; it gives us hope. This means, when death touches our lives in some way, we do not need to be afraid. God does not want bad things for us, he wants good for us.

And this is why Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. By praying for God’s kingdom to come, we are calling for an end to death, we are asking for eternal (resurrection) life.

In verses 27 & 28, Paul clarifies the obvious; that God the Father will not be put under Christ the Son. Rather, as Paul has already stated in verse 24, when death is destroyed, Christ (the new and perfect representative of humanity) will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, so that God may all in all.

By subjecting himself to God, Jesus is doing for humanity what we failed to do. Jesus is restoring the right order of things: with God in charge, human beings living in faithful, loving obedience to God and the rest of creation subject to (and cared for by) human beings. 

That phrase (in verse 28) where it says, so God may be all in all, sounds a bit cryptic but really it’s not that difficult. It is simply Paul’s unique way of saying, so God’s will may be done everywhere by everyone. That is what God’s kingdom is: A world where God’s will is done perfectly. A world without evil or fear. Relationships characterised by love and joy and peace.    

Conclusion:

To summarise then: Jesus’ resurrection means the end of death is inevitable. We live in the now but not yet, in between Jesus’ resurrection and our own resurrection. While Jesus currently reigns supreme, the enemies of sin and death still have an influence in this world, but it won’t always be like that.

God’s end goal, his ultimate purpose, is to destroy death in all its forms. Which means the best is yet to come.

As we read in the Revelation to John…

3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

May our God of love refresh our hope and strengthen our faith, through Jesus’ resurrection. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Is the meaning of 1st Corinthians 15:20-28 clear to you or a bit confusing at first? 
  • Why does Paul show his readers God’s end goal in verses 20-28?
  • What difference does it make to you (personally) knowing that God’s end goal is to destroy death?
  • Discuss / reflect on the meaning of verse 27a (for he has put everything under his feet) in the context of Psalms 8 & 110.
  • What does Paul mean when he writes: ‘so God may be all in all’?
  • Take some time to pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly (phrase by phrase) reflecting on the meaning of the words in light of what Paul’s says about God’s end goal in 1st Corinthians 15:20-28. 

Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For yours in the kingdom, the power and the glory.

Forever and ever. Amen.