WEDNESDAY February 14th
1 Corinthians 15:20–23
‘But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.’
Before we get into the text today, let’s remind ourselves as to why Jesus came into this world, yes, it is as I have been emphasising on a Sunday evening from 1 Timothy 1:15, to save sinners, but what was it that motivated Jesus for want of a better word, to come in this world to save sinners? It was the love that the triune God had for mankind. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16)
It was because of the love of God for fallen humanity that Jesus was willing to come into this world, to live, then to die, to be buried and to rise again, and on this Valentines Day in which the world goes crazy celebrating love, how much more wonderful would it be to celebrate the incredible love of God toward each one of us. Loving us even though we were utterly depraved because of our sinfulness and wretchedness, loving us despite us never having loved him. Loving us enough to step out of the glory of heaven into this sin sick, dark and evil world, loving us enough to bear our sins and our sorrows and to suffer alone at Calvary, loving us enough that he waits to welcome each sinner that repents into his family and because of the resurrection, into his eternal presence.
Our text confirms for us that Christ was the firstfruit of the resurrection, a firstfruit indicating that more fruit would follow, that is because Jesus was raised, all those who have placed their hope in him will one day also be raised, remember the words that Jesus spoke to Martha on the occasion of the death of her brother Lazurus, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die’ John 11:25-26.
Yes, because of Adam we will all die, but we do not all need to die in our sin, for Christ has dealt with the sting of death, which is sin, therefore because of Christ we (that is all who believe) will all be made alive again.