Tawa Baptist

Life Interrupted

Scripture: Acts 9:32-43

Video Link: https://youtu.be/HljaddMFH5M

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Peter and Aeneas
  • Peter and Tabitha
  • Peter and Simon
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today is Mothers’ Day. To be a mother it seems, is to be interrupted. Mum, can you take me to football? Mum, what’s for dinner? Mum, can you help me with my homework? Mum, where’s my favourite top? Mum, can I have my friends over? Mum, can you get this Lego out of my nose? Mum, I don’t feel well.  

Of course, it’s not just mums who get interrupted. We all live with interruptions these days. Cell-phones pinging at all hours, social media alerts, work emails coming in at 10 o’clock at night and so on.

Sometimes interruptions are a good thing; they can slow us down, allowing us to reflect and see a different perspective, providing opportunity for a much-needed reset. By the same token, interruptions can also distract us from the more important stuff, syphoning off our vital energy.

With the bigger interruptions to our lives, we do well to ask: How is God at work in this interruption? Maybe the Lord is trying to get our attention?  

Last week we started a new sermon series in First Corinthians. This week we interrupt Corinthians for Mothers’ Day. Our message this morning is based on Acts 9, verses 32-43, which features a woman named Tabitha. We don’t know if Tabitha had children of her own but she certainly showed a motherly love and so her story seems appropriate for Mothers’ Day.

God willing, we will return to Corinthians next week, unless there are more interruptions. We’ll see how it goes. From Acts chapter 9, verse 32 we read…

32 As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.  38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

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

If we were to depict today’s reading in the form of a pie graph, it would divide into three uneven portions. Aeneas gets four verses, Tabitha gets seven verses and Simon the tanner gets just one verse. Let us begin then with Aeneas.

Aeneas:

Interruptions come in many forms. Sickness is a common interruption. When I was about 18 or 19, a spider bit my leg while I was on camp. The bite became infected. I thought I could deal with it myself by squeezing out the puss. Unfortunately, that just made it worse.

The lower half of my leg swelled to almost twice its normal size and I had to go to hospital. They put a drain in the wound and pumped me with IV antibiotics.

I was in hospital for a few days. Funny how it’s often little things (like spider bites) that interrupt your life.  

When I look back on that time I wonder if I missed what God was trying to tell me. At 18 and 19 I had a lot of energy and not much experience. I thought I could do everything.

I was working part time, studying fulltime at uni, immersed in Youth for Christ leadership, not to mention keeping up with family commitments and maintaining a social life. My schedule was full to overflowing and I didn’t think anything of it.  

In hindsight the hospital interruption may have been God’s way of getting me to slow down and think about what was important. I was doing too much and needed to drop a few things. But being young and insensitive, I didn’t pick up on the Lord’s divine intervention. I didn’t want to be interrupted and so I learned the hard way.

The book of Acts tells the story of the Holy Spirit and the church in the first century. One thing we notice throughout the book of Acts is the way the Holy Spirit gently interrupts people’s lives in service to God’s purpose.

The apostle Peter was an agent of the Holy Spirit. Peter travelled around the country telling people about Jesus and encouraging the church. As an agent of Jesus’ Spirit, Peter was open to the Spirit’s interruptions, which are really divine interventions.

One time Peter was visiting God’s people in Lydda. Lydda isn’t far from Jerusalem. While in Lydda Peter found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. Eight years of being confined to a bed is a significant interruption to one’s life.

During that time Aeneas would have been dependent on the kindness of others. He also would have had a lot of time to think. We are not told whether Aeneas believed in Jesus or not. It’s possible. But it’s also possible Aeneas knew nothing about Jesus.

Peter said, 34 “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up.

Aeneas doesn’t ask for anything that we are aware of. Peter simply makes a declaration. Jesus’ healing here is the sovereign act of a King. Jesus has made an executive decision that Aeneas will walk again and Peter announces the good news.

This miracle points to Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus, who had died on a cross, is alive and well and indeed powerful enough to heal by his Spirit.

Peter is interruptible enough to notice what the Spirit of Jesus is doing here. Aeneas is also interruptible. He doesn’t need to think twice. He has had 8 years to think. Aeneas responds in faith and obedience by getting up immediately.

The account of Aeneas’ healing echoes Jesus’ healing of the paralysed man in the gospels. Jesus forgave the man first, then healed him. The response of the people on that occasion was awe and praise.

But in Acts 9, the people responded by turning to the Lord. They repented and believed in the risen Jesus in other words, which is something more than awe and praise. Aeneas’ healing is a clear sign to them that Jesus is alive.   

Okay, so that is Aeneas’ piece of the pie. What about Tabitha? Well, Tabitha gets the lion’s share, 7 verses.

Tabitha:

My stepfather used to say, ‘People are not machines’. He never really explained what he meant by that which was good because it made you think. People are not machines, could mean a number of things.

For example, it could mean people have feelings, and you need to be mindful of their feelings when dealing with them. You can’t just put people away in the shed at the end of the day like you do with a chainsaw. You need to listen to people and show kindness and appreciation.

People are not machines, also implies people are unique, one of a kind; unlike machines which come off the production line all the same. Because people are different, it doesn’t work to treat everyone the same way. If you want to help someone, you have to take time to understand them. Indeed, you have to understand yourself and your own points of difference. 

People are not machines. A machine can go and go and go all day and all night, but people are not like that. People need to have their work interrupted.

If you work at a computer, you need to take a break every so often to walk around and have a stretch and look out the window at the real world.

And if you work with people all day, you need to come home and have some time alone. Even if you love what you do for a job, you still need one or two days off a week to rest and be restored.

Sleeping at night and dreaming are God’s way of interrupting your conscious mind, allowing the waters of your soul to be still and heal. People are not machines. We need to be interrupted sometimes.

Tabitha lived in Joppa, what we know today as Jaffa. Luke (the author of Acts) gives us two names for Tabitha. Tabitha is her Aramaic name and Dorcas is the Greek translation. Luke was writing for an ethnically diverse audience.

Tabitha translates into Hebrew as Zibiah. Zibiah was the mother of king Joash, in the Old Testament. Tabitha’s name means gazelle or deer, which brings to mind Psalm 42, As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.

But also that saucy poem, Song of Solomon, my lover is like a gazelle.

Tabitha’s name then touches the collective unconscious, evoking memories of love, longing, worship, royalty and motherhood.

More importantly, verse 36 says Tabitha was a disciple. A disciple is an apprentice, someone learning to be like Jesus. Reading the New Testament, we might think all of Jesus’ disciples were men. They weren’t. Many of Jesus’ disciples were women, which was a new thing 2000 years ago.  

We could say disciples are not machines. Disciples don’t come off a production line all the same. Disciples don’t learn by uploading a computer programme. Disciples learn organically through experience, by being around other believers, by reading the Bible and having a go at what Jesus taught.

Tabitha did her apprenticeship (she learned to be like Jesus) by doing good and helping the poor. As she served and cared for people, Tabitha learned to love like Jesus loves.

Discipleship does happen at church on a Sunday morning but that’s not the only place it happens. Discipleship is worked out in your everyday life. We learn to be like Jesus as we care for children and parents. We learn to be like Jesus as we seek the wellbeing of our husband or wife and our neighbours and friends.

Discipleship happens in the morning when you walk into the kitchen to find a sink full of dirty dishes. It happens late at night when you are struggling to stay awake and your teenager wants to talk with you.

It happens at work, when no one is watching, and you are tempted to do something dodgy. It happens on the train when everyone is watching, and you give up your seat for someone who needs it more.

It happens too when you set time aside for prayer and daily devotions. Christian discipleship is woven through all of life. It is in your regular routines and it is often also in the interruptions to your routine.

Tabitha’s life and good works were interrupted by sickness and death. If an engine dies you can usually take it to pieces, replace a few parts and bring it back to life as good as new. But when a person dies, it’s pretty final.

Death is the ultimate interruption. When death comes at the end of a long life well lived or when it interrupts pain and indignity, it is welcomed. But when death comes too soon… well words and reason fail us.

Tabitha’s death came too soon. Her body was washed and she was placed in an upstairs room. Washing the body was Jewish custom at that time but placing the body in an upstairs room was unusual.

Normally, the body would be buried before sunset the same day, if possible. But in Tabitha’s case, her church was not ready to let her go. They held out hope that even now God might intervene to save her and them.

Two men went to get Peter in nearby Lydda, about 10 miles away. Peter, who was probably quite busy with many people turning to the Lord in Lydda, accepted the interruption and went to Joppa where he was taken to see Tabitha’s corpse in the upstairs room.

All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Clearly, Tabitha was not just a human sewing machine to these widows.

They cared about her and were deeply distressed at her passing. Death doesn’t just interrupt the life of the deceased; it interrupts the lives of all those who feel the loss keenly. Grief is often an unwanted interruption. Grief ambushes us when we are not expecting it.

The widows’ tears bear testimony to Tabitha’s love for them. Tabitha did more than just feed and clothe the poor, she interrupted the monotonous ache of their loneliness. She offered some light and companionship.

To make clothes for someone by hand is a very personal thing. You have to get to know the person first. You need to get the right measurements of course, but more than that you need to understand what they like and what will be useful for their daily life. Tabitha really knew these widows and they knew her.

Peter could plainly see the love and grief of Tabitha’s community. So he sent them all out of the room, got down on his knees and prayed. Peter wants to consult with the risen Jesus before he does anything and he doesn’t want an audience.   

After praying Peter says, “Tabitha, get up”. She opens her eyes, sees Peter and sits up. Peter then helps her to her feet. Again, this miracle of bringing Tabitha back from the dead points to Jesus’ resurrection.

Those who are familiar with the gospels will notice the connection with Mark chapter 5, where Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back from the dead. On his way to Jairus’ home, Jesus was interrupted by a woman with a bleeding complaint. Jesus healed the woman, but by the time he got to Jairus’ home the 12-year-old girl had died.

This didn’t stop Jesus though. Jesus sent the mourners out of the room where the child was lying and said to her in Aramaic, “Talitha koum”, which means ‘little girl, get up’.

In Acts chapter 9, Peter imitates Christ almost exactly, clearing the room and saying in Aramaic, “Tabitha koum”, which means ‘Tabitha, get up’. We are meant to see that the risen Jesus is at work here, interrupting death with his life-giving Spirit. Peter did not do this by himself. The risen Jesus did it through Peter.

After Jesus has resuscitated Tabitha, Peter presents her to the believers and widows. It’s one thing to receive her physical life back, Tabitha also needs to receive her social life back. She needs to be restored to her community. 

The response of the wider community in Mark 5 was one of amazement. The people of Joppa do better than that though. Many in Joppa believed in the Lord when they heard of Tabitha’s resuscitation. Faith in the risen Jesus is a deeper response than amazement. 

Simon (the tanner)

At the very end of Acts chapter 9, Luke gives us one solitary verse that at first glance seems inconsequential…

43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

A tanner is someone who works with animal skins. This requires them to handle dead animals. Under the law of Moses, handling dead animals makes a person ceremonially unclean.

This meant Simon the tanner was not able to participate in religious life or community life to the same degree as others. In fact, people probably avoided Simon in case he somehow contaminated them.

Peter has just participated in Jesus’ miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead. People all over Joppa are believing in the risen Jesus. Peter could have stayed wherever he wanted (in a flash house with the cool people). And yet, Peter chooses to stay with Simon the tanner, a virtual outcaste. Why?

Well, again this all points to Christ. Jesus fulfills the law on our behalf.

Jesus’ death and resurrection means the ceremonial law no longer applies.

Touching dead animals makes no difference to your relationship with God. What you believe, say and do, that’s what matters to God.

Probably too Peter was following Jesus’ example. During his earthly ministry, Jesus crossed boundaries and created connections with unlikely people.

We are reminded of the time Jesus chose to stay in the house of Zaccheaus the tax collector.

Zaccheaus was sort of like Simon the tanner, an outcaste. Jesus interrupted Zaccheaus’ social isolation and Zaccheaus welcomed the interruption, showing hospitality to Jesus and generosity to the poor.

In a similar way, Peter interrupted Simon’s isolation and it appears Simon was pleased to welcome Peter and show him hospitality. Simon may have only got one verse, but he gets the most time with Peter. Imagine the conversations they had. What would you ask St Peter if he stayed in your home for a while?     

Conclusion:

We’ve been talking this morning about interruptions and how these can be a good thing, divine interventions even. C.S. Lewis had this to say on the subject:

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by day.”

Part of our faith is welcoming interruptions as our real life; the life God is sending us day by day.

Let us pray…

Loving God, thank you for interrupting our lives for good. May you interrupt our busy-ness with your rest. Interrupt our loneliness with your presence. Interrupt our failure with your forgiveness. Interrupt our fear with your love. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What interruptions do you experience most often in your life? How do these interruptions make you feel?
  3. Why do we need to be interrupted sometimes? (When might interruptions be a good thing?) Can you think of an example from your own life when an interruption may have been a God thing? What happened? How did you respond?
  4. Discuss / reflect on Aeneas’ healing and Tabitha’s resuscitation. How are they similar? How are they different? What do these miracles reveal about Jesus?
  5. How did Peter work out his discipleship? How did Tabitha work out her discipleship? How do you work out your discipleship?
  6. Why did Peter stay at the home of Simon the tanner? What would you ask Peter if he stayed in your home for a while?
  7. What difference would it make for you to welcome interruptions as the life God is sending you day by day? How might you do this?
Tawa Baptist

Keeping Up Appearances (by Neville)

As you know, we’re half-way through the school holidays. In the church calendar, we’re also about half way between the resurrection of Jesus at Easter and his ascension to Heaven. The gospel writers didn’t devote much space to this 40-day period. We rely mostly on John to find out what happened during that time, although there are other records, some of which we’ll meet later.

Even John left a lot out. In chapters 20 and 21, he tells us of Mary Magdalene first meeting the risen Jesus, then gives details of three interactions between Jesus and his disciples. He points out that

“In his disciples’ presence, Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.”

That last sentence is aimed at us as much as the original readers. I thought I’d go over just some of what happened between Jesus and his disciples after the resurrection, and hopefully learn a little about our own relationship with Jesus.

On the evening of the first Easter Sunday, we can imagine that, to put it mildly, the disciples were not in a good frame of mind. They were mourning; Jesus was dead. Mary said she had seen and talked with him, risen and alive, but could that really be true? They were in hiding, in fear that the authorities would be after them next. They were discouraged and unsure of the future – surely Jesus hadn’t abandoned them?

But John 20: 19-20 tells us:

Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.

In all their fear and misery, at their lowest ebb, Jesus knew where to find the disciples. Think of the calming effect the words of the greeting “Peace be with you” would have had. I expect some at least of the disciples would have harboured doubts about this seeming ghost, but Jesus pre-empted that response by showing his wounds – real wounds on a real body. “The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.”

We can sometimes be in our own dark room, shut in by grief, doubt, hurt, all sorts of reasons. Yet the way the newly risen Jesus acted reminds us that he will find us in our locked rooms, and bring peace, surety, hope, and yes, joy.

One of the disciples, Thomas, had missed this momentous event. He was told about it, but wouldn’t believe until he’d seen evidence with his own eyes. John 20:26-29 tells us:

A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then stretch out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting and believe!”

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”

Jesus, without being asked, showed Thomas his wounds, just as he had the other disciples a week earlier. Jesus already knew Thomas’s doubts, just as he knew the doubts of the others. And finally, Thomas now believed that the person before him was not just Jesus, friend, teacher, Messiah, Son of God, but he was God “My Lord and my God” Thomas said.

Looking back with a 2000 year advantage, I get a bit frustrated with the disciples sometimes. They just about lived with Jesus for three years, they heard all his teaching, saw his miracles, saw his human-ness and godliness, yet it often seems they didn’t ‘get it’. It took the death and resurrection of Jesus before they really saw him as God. We may not have seen the actual body of the risen Jesus, but we do have the eyewitness testimonies of the disciples, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. How happy are those who believe without seeing!

John tells us of another episode in which the disciples met the risen Jesus, although as I mentioned earlier, there were other times.

A group of disciples, including Thomas this time, decided to go fishing. We are not told why; I’m sure there are some of you who don’t need a reason to go fishing! Perhaps they had so much going on in their lives that they needed to do something familiar, to do something from their old lives to help them process their new ones. Whatever their reason, the fish didn’t want to be part of it.

We read in John 21: 4-6:

They went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing. As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then he asked them, “Young men, haven’t you caught anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered. He said to them “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish.

It was only after witnessing this miracle that the disciples realised it was Jesus.

John 21: 12 tells us:

None of the disciples dared ask him “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.

Jesus then had an important conversation with Simon, which ended with the two words “Follow me!”

Does this scene ring any bells? I’m thinking of the time, soon after he had started his ministry, when Jesus met some fishermen by a lake shore.

Come with me, and I will teach you to catch men.” At once they left their nets and went with him. ‘

“Follow me!” in other words.

They did follow him, without knowing what that would entail. After Jesus had completed the hard road to the cross and proved that death could be defeated, he felt able to ask everything of the people he had rescued. As believers, we too are included in that call to ‘Follow me’. The fishing episode also reminds us that just as they only succeeded with the help of Jesus, so we too must rely on him.

As the first person to meet the risen Jesus, Mary Magdalene had not recognised him – she thought he was the gardener, until he said her name. Luke tells us that Jesus joined two followers as they walked to Emmaus, but they didn’t recognise him until he broke bread and blessed it. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, but he disappeared from their sight.

The fishing disciples did not recognise Jesus until they caught lots of fish.

Not recognising someone you have seen frequently over the last three years seems hard to fathom. But it’s not impossible; believe me, I’m an expert at not recognising people.

Some time ago, Nicky and I were on the Silica Rapids walk in the Tongariro National Park. A group of people were coming in the opposite direction, and one stopped to talk to me, addressing me by name. We talked briefly and carried on our way. “Fancy meeting him out here” said Nicky – “Yes, but who was it?” I replied. She reminded me that he was one of the managers where I worked.

I put my lack of recognition down to the fact that I was used to seeing him in a work environment, but meeting him unexpectedly, out of context, meant I didn’t make the connection. This could have applied to Mary and the disciples being out of context. They thought Jesus was dead, or perhaps risen and gone, so would not connect him with the characters they met. But actually, Jesus chose not be recognised.

Some years ago, Nicky got used to people coming up and greeting me, wherever we went it seemed, even away on holiday. She claims women used to come and throw their arms round me like long lost friends. I’m not sure about that, but each time Nicky would say “Who was that” and I’d answer “I’ve no idea.”

There was a logical explanation. In Palmerston North, my job involved presenting science shows to school classes and public groups. I also had some up-front roles in a church and children’s ministries. Members of an audience would be focussed on me for a while, but generally I would not be aware of individuals in the audience. So they got to know me, but I didn’t know many of them. I have met one person, an adult now, who was really disappointed when I didn’t recognise him, despite it being 12 years since I’d taught him briefly at a Christian camp. He could even repeat some of what I had said!

Jesus’s audiences were probably similar, in that they were concentrated on him, listening to his words and watching him perform miracles. What was different was that he knew every single person in his audiences, inside out. Like he does us.

People in the crowds may have seen what Jesus did, but could not really see who he was. This was partly why the risen Jesus chose not to be recognised in some of his encounters with his disciples; he didn’t want to be recognised by what he looked like, rather by what he did. So when he made himself known, it was like opening the eyes of people to who he was.

Remember that you can expect to encounter Jesus at any time, in any place, in any way, even if you don’t recognise him at first.

Take a few moments to remember times Jesus has opened your eyes to his presence.

Let’s go back to the first encounter with the disciples in the closed room. Jesus was starting to get through to the disciples, getting them to realise who he was, and at the same time calming them, reassuring them. Surely that was enough for now. But no, Jesus went further; he chose this moment to introduce his mission for them, and what’s more he gave them the Holy Spirit to help them in his absence.

John 20: 21-23 says:

Jesus said to them again “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The relationship between this anointing and that described later in Acts is not clear. One view is that the disciples were given a power and authority that would be confirmed permanently a few weeks later. Which brings us to the last appearance of Jesus with his disciples.

We read in Acts 1:6-9:

When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”

Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

During the 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus prepared the disciples for his departure, and for the coming of the Holy Spirit afterwards. Because of their belief, because of their doubts, failings and lack of confidence, Jesus was committed to using the disciples to build his church and spread his message throughout the world. His trust in them was obviously well-founded; after all, his message reached us. Jesus gave confidence and power to imperfect people so they could found a church and continue his ministry. And it falls to us, imperfect people, to carry on the work with confidence in a risen Lord.

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.