What’s So Amazing About the Resurrection?

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, when God’s people celebrated the festival of first fruits, they brought the first sheaf of grain to the Lord as an offering. It was like a deposit, promising more to come.

When Jesus came back from the dead in a glorified body, He was called the first fruit. More resurrections were to come—including yours if you know Him as Savior. The proof of your salvation will be when Jesus raises you from death.

Someday, Jesus will pull every one of His children up on their feet alive. This fact keeps us going. If we aren’t convinced our eternal life is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection, then our faith would be worthless.

What is death? It’s a separation of the body from a person, not the end of your spirit or your personality. The soul doesn’t die. The real “you” goes on to be with the Lord if you are a child of God. The body goes from dust to dust, but the real you continues. When you are joined to Christ, you have a hope of the resurrection into a body that will never die and be with Him forever.

The mystery of life is greater than the mystery of death. The body that was given Adam was always subject to death. But our resurrected bodies will never die.

Paul says this is all a mystery—something that had not been revealed in the Old Testament but is now revealed in the New Testament. You can’t learn a mystery through your senses or imagination—only God reveals a mystery.

The mystery is this: We are not all going down through the doorway of death. But whether or not you die, you must still be changed. Before any of us can go into God’s presence, we have to be changed. And that will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. With Jesus’ final “trumpet,” He will call the dead back to life, never to die again.

We’re so limited here. If we went to heaven with these old bodies, we’d miss half of what was taking place. We’re going to need new bodies—and so “this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (15:53). Jesus’ victory swallows up death—this is the real victory of Jesus’ resurrection. He defeated death. Death lost its sting; sin no longer has power over you.

To be honest, no one likes to think about dying, but Jesus Christ has been down that way ahead of us. He went through death’s door for you, and He tells you, "I’m your Shepherd. Remember, I not only lead you through this life, but I’ll lead you through the shadows of death. I will bring you into eternity.” So like a little child who’s afraid, put your hand in His nail-pierced hand and let Him lead you to the other side.

In Christ, life is ours because of the One who conquered death. That is the most glorious truth of the Christian faith.

Paul then charges us all: Keep loving each other and keep loving Jesus Christ—for that is the proof of our salvation today. If you love the Lord Jesus, you will love the saints. On that high note of love, Paul says goodbye.

1. Why do you think some of what is to come for the believer is still a mystery?

2. Imagine what it will be like to have a perfect body. How would you describe what you think it will be like to have a body free from pain and imperfection?

3. At the end of this letter Paul revisits love yet again. Even if you’ve already considered it, think again. What are ways you can love people with your words and actions? What is the significance of Paul continuing to mention love?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 and 1 Corinthians 16.

For a deeper study of 1 Corinthians, download the 1 Corinthians Bible Companion for free!