Title Page
Lesson Seven
I Corinthians 15:12-15
I Corinthians 15:12-15
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from
the dead, how say some among you that there is
no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead,
then is Christ not risen:
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our
preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised
up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that
the dead rise not.
I Corinthians 15:16-20
I Corinthians 15:16-20
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ
raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain;
ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in
Christ are perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we
are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and
become the firstfruits of them that slept.
I Corinthians 15:21-23
I Corinthians 15:21-23
21 For since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his
coming.
Focus Verse
I Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
Focus Thought
In this present world, all ends in the
hopeless despair of death and eternal
separation. In Christ, however, we have
the blessed hope of the resurrection and
life eternal.
Introduction
Introduction
Many people mistakenly have the idea that if they
wish upon a star, their dreams will come true.
However, that is only true in fairy tales. Others
believe that a wish they make while blowing out the
candles on a birthday cake will come true.
Therefore, many people commonly identify hope
with a wish. However, a great difference exists
between the two, especially in biblical terms.
Introduction
Believers do not make wishes, but they do possess a
sure, steadfast hope. That hope is an intangible
anticipation that soon will become a tangible reality.
It may be invisible now, but one day it will become
visible. The Christian’s ultimate hope is in the
resurrection of the dead, after which he will enjoy
heaven and everlasting life with Jesus Christ.
“But this
I confess
unto thee, that
Acts
24:14-15
after the way which they call heresy,
so worship I the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written
in the law and in the prophets: and
have hope toward God, which they
themselves also allow, that there shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of
the just and unjust” (Acts 24:14-15).
I. The
Fact
of the
The
Fact
of the
Resurrection
Resurrection
“That Christ should suffer, and that he
should be the first that should rise from the
Acts
26:23-26
dead, and should shew light unto the
people, and to the Gentiles. And as he thus
spake for himself, Festus said with a loud
voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much
learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I
am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak
forth the words of truth and soberness. For
the king knoweth of these things, before
whom also I speak freely: for I am
persuaded that none of these things are
hidden from him; for this thing was not
done in a corner” (Acts 26:23-26).
I. The Fact of the
Resurrection
When the apostle Paul spoke before King
Agrippa, he referred to Jesus’ resurrection as
being the first of those who would follow Him.
Festus, the Roman governor, could not fathom
such a farfetched idea from his background in
heathen religions. He considered Paul as a person
whose education had made him delirious.
Agrippa, on the other hand, carefully considered
Paul’s dissertation and almost believed in his
words. (See Acts 26:28.)
I. The Fact of the
Resurrection
Paul’s reply to Festus included the point that the
resurrection of Jesus Christ did not occur in a
corner, or secretly. Indeed, our hope does not rest
on some obscure fact only witnessed by a
handful of people. Furthermore, some
daydreaming writer of Hollywood dramas did not
conjure up the Resurrection story. Actual
eyewitnesses—hundreds of them—would later
give their lives for the resurrected Christ for
testifying to the fact that Jesus had indeed risen
from the dead.
Acts 17:6
“And when they found them not, they
drew Jason and certain brethren unto
the rulers of the city, crying, These
that have turned the world upside
down are come hither also”
(Acts 17:6).
I. The Fact of the
Resurrection
These eyewitnesses turned their world upside
down by spreading the good news about the
Resurrection. Multitudes of people, even Jewish
priests, believed because they knew for certain
that Jesus Christ rose victoriously from the tomb
on the third day.
Proclaiming the Resurrection, the New Testament
is in fact the most reliable of ancient texts, with
more manuscripts and portions of manuscripts
available than any other piece of ancient
literature. Indeed, our hope is more than a mere
wish; it is a solid fact based and founded upon
the literal, historical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The
Uniqueness
II. The Uniqueness of the
of
the
Resurrection
Resurrection
When one visits India, the greatest of Hindu
societies, he witnesses millions of people who are
born into deep poverty. They grow up in this
poverty-stricken society and die in it; then their
families cremate them according to their religious
ritualism. Their childhood consists of dancing on
yesterday’s garbage and begging passing motorists
and tourists for rupees. However, they have no
hope.
II. The Uniqueness of the
Resurrection
After their cremation, a Hindu priest examines the
ash pile the next day to see what kind of tracks he
can find there. If there are deer tracks among the
ashes, the loved one has been reincarnated as a
deer, for example. With no substantiation of fact,
millions of Indians go to bed with no more hope
than this. However, as believers in the resurrection
of Jesus Christ, Christians have a better hope.
Buddhists believe in eventual nirvana, or “a
transcendent state in which there is neither
suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject
is released from the effects of karma and samsara”
(New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd edition).
Because of a negative outlook on our current
society, existentialists hope to advance by picking
themselves up by their own bootstraps. Agnostics
and atheists do not believe in much of anything
except themselves, so they make their own heaven
or hell now. The late John Lennon wrote a song
titled “God,” in which he decried belief in
everything except himself and his wife. However,
the Christian’s hope is anchored securely only in his
belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. Indeed,
we have a hope beyond this life!
II. The Uniqueness of the
Resurrection
II. The Uniqueness of the
When
Paul the apostle met with the students of the
Resurrection
great philosophers at Mars’ Hill, he found people
who loved to learn but had never come to know the
truth. When Paul spoke to them of divine judgment
and resurrection, some of them scoffed and others
believed. Those who believed received a sure hope
in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
II. The Uniqueness of the
Many
in our world may attempt to offer us a New
Resurrection
Age religion of peace and harmony, yet all they can
promise is some form of Eastern mysticism and a
faulty belief in reincarnation. The blood-bought
church of Jesus Christ offers more—hope in the
Resurrection.
III. Deliverance
from Fear
of
Deliverance
from
Death
Fear of Death
“Forasmuch
then2:14-15
as the children are
Hebrews
partakers of flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of the
same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil; and deliver
them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage”
(Hebrews 2:14-15).
The fear of death grips the hearts of mankind
III. Deliverance
from
Fear
of
because no one really knows what lies on the
other side.
Many people ponder the ideas of a
Death
real heaven and a real hell. Still others consider
the destinies of their dead loved ones and family
members who have passed from this life. Some
even reflect on divine judgment and other aspects
of the afterlife. The Bible has the answers to
these and similar questions about eternity.
Although many other theories and religious
books exist that proclaim similar or dissimilar
accounts of the afterlife, the Bible stands
steadfastly on the witness of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
III. Deliverance from Fear of
The Resurrection
Deathclearly sets Christianity apart
from other world religions because no other
religion can claim that its central religious figure
arose from the dead. That fact alone gives
credence to Jesus’ words regarding the judgment
that awaits all mankind. However, we need not
fear that judgment if our sins are under the blood
of Jesus Christ.
III. Deliverance from Fear of
ThroughDeath
the Bible, we know that heaven and hell
are real and that they are the abodes respectively
of the saved or the lost. The Word also declares
that those who die in Christ will be reunited and
will forever live together with the risen Savior.
(See I Thessalonians 4:16-18.) These facts offer
great comfort and hope to God’s people. Surely,
we need not fear death, for Christ has overcome
death. (See Revelation 1:18.)
III. Deliverance
Fear
of
Paul admonished thefrom
Corinthians
to keep
working for God because their labor would not
Death
be in vain
in the Lord. He spoke of a time when
incorruption and immortality would replace
corruption and mortality. This could happen only
through a resurrection from the dead—victory
over death that each believer would experience.
All believers should hold to the fact of the
Resurrection and continue in the work of the
Lord until they realize the fulfillment of their
eternal hope.
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality. So
Corinthians
15:53-58
whenIthis
corruptible
shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be
to God, which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch
as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the
Lord” (I Corinthians 15:53-58).
III. Deliverance
from
Fear
of
As the people of God,
we should
continue
wholeheartedly in the work of Jesus Christ.
BecauseDeath
of the hope of resurrection, fear of death
should not hinder our life with the Lord. Through
the power of the Resurrection, He also can
empower believers to take dominion over the
things that stand in the way of fruitfulness and
faithfulness in their own lives.
III. Deliverance
from
The apostle Paul declared
that Fear
he wouldof
forget
“those things which are behind” and reach “forth
Death
unto those
things which are before” (Philippians
3:13). He further stated that he would “press
toward the mark for the prize” (Philippians 3:14).
In a practical sense, that meant that he would
allow nothing to keep him from attaining the
ultimate prize.
The
Blessed
Hope
IV. The Blessed Hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our
I Peter 1:3-5
Lord Jesus Christ, which according to
his abundant mercy hath begotten us
again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you, who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto
salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time” (I Peter 1:3-5).
A. Resurrection and Rapture
arose from the
dead by(A)
divine
IV. Jesus
TheChrist
Blessed
Hope
purpose, and in a similar fashion, all believers will
rise in the rapture of the church. The New
Testament does not specifically mention the word
rapture, but the action whereby Jesus will raise His
church to be with Him forever is clearly
expressed. (See I Corinthians 15:51-57; I
Thessalonians 4:16-17.) One day soon, the
trumpet of God will sound, and the dead in
Christ—those who have died in the faith—will be
raised from their earthly tombs. Then those
believers who are alive at the time will rise with
them into the sky to meet the Lord in the air and to
be with Him forever.
Unlike any other faith or religion, we have a
Savior who wants us to be with Him so much that
He has prepared us a place and personally will
come back to take us there. (See John 14:3.)
IV. The Blessed Hope (A)
Jesus Christ resurrected from death, came forth
from the grave, and lived in a glorified body for
approximately forty days before ascending into
heaven. His resurrection and ascension are
patterns to us that reveal the spiritual catching
away that He has planned for all believers. Our
hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the
resurrection of all the dead assures us that He will
indeed catch away His church to be with Him
forever.
B. Eternal Life
IV. The
Hopeheard
(B) this,
“AndBlessed
when the Gentiles
they were glad, and glorified the
word of the Lord: and as many as
were ordained to eternal life
believed” (Acts 13:48).
I John 2:25
“And this is the promise that he hath
promised us, even eternal life”
(I John 2:25).
Unlike the depictions of heaven in secular and
religious literature and art, we will not be floating
on clouds and eternally strumming on harps. Only
those who attend dead, dry churches and hear
dead, dry homilies could envision such a
farfetched scenario. Conversely, the Bible informs
us that our hope is to worship and reign with the
risen Christ eternally. Eternity will never be
boring, lazy, or unfulfilling, for we will be with
the One who loves us and gave His life as a
ransom for us. Indeed, we will share in the reign
of the King of kings and Lord of lords as we
experience the beauty of the new heaven and new
earth for eternity. What a glorious hope and
promise that awaits Christ’s glorious church!
IV. The Blessed Hope (B)
A
Promising
Future
V. A Promising Future (A)
A. Heaven and the Holy City
Many songwriters have expressed their views on
eternity. One said, “Jesus will be what makes it
heaven for me,” while another indicated that if
there were no street of gold, just being with the
Lord eternally would be worth it all. There is a real
place called heaven. A holy city—a place prepared
by Jesus for His chosen, faithful, and true bride—
really does exist.
“But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have
I Corinthians 2:9-11
entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for
them that love him. But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man,
but the Spirit of God”
(I Corinthians 2:9-11).
When
we find ourselvesFuture
in the glorious
presence of
V. A
Promising
(A)
God while standing in the sanctuary and praising
Him, or when we fall on our faces in worship
before the King of kings, we have at that moment a
little glimpse of what heaven will be. Those of us
who have experienced the new birth through
repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name, and the
infilling of the Holy Ghost know that heaven will
be such a glorious place that we will be required to
have glorified bodies just to be there.
Believers
presently haveFuture
many wonderful,
spiritual
V. A
Promising
(A)
experiences in Christ Jesus—being intoxicated on
His presence, dancing in enthusiasm, raising holy
hands to Him, bowing in reverence in His
presence, or shouting to His glory. However, these
all are but a small taste of what awaits believers in
eternity. That knowledge alone should give every
believer power to continue until he realizes his
ultimate hope in Jesus Christ.
We Promising
also possess hope that
heaven is (A)
a place of no
V. A
Future
more tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
Certainly, the things of earth, with all their hurts
and pains, will have grown strangely dim in that
place called heaven. God will make His throne
among us, and we will inherit all the riches,
splendor, and glory that belong to Jesus Christ.
However, we will receive that inheritance only
because we are His bride. (See Revelation 21:1-2,
9-10.)
B. With God for Eternity
a young man first
falls in love(B)
or first gets
V. AWhen
Promising
Future
married, all he can think about is spending the rest
of his life in the presence of and loving the object
of his affection—his bride. Separation, even for a
short time, is unthinkable, for he is satisfied only
in the presence of his bride. The Christian
certainly will be with loved ones and friends in
heaven, but the ultimate experience of heaven will
be living with the Savior eternally. (See
Revelation 22:1-5.)
often quote the lineFuture
of the song, (B)
“Jesus will be
V. AWePromising
what makes it heaven for me,” but have we
considered what will make it heaven for Him?
Perhaps what will make it heaven for Him will be
our presence there. Could we imagine the
disappointment He would feel if He prepared a
place for us and we did not come to enjoy it? He
has given us hope of eternity through the
Resurrection, and we will complete Christ’s desire
by rising to meet Him and living in heaven
eternally with Him.
Reflections
Having been invited to attend a wedding reception,
a pastor was seated next to his friend’s employer.
The man and his wife were of the Hindu faith, and
soon the pastor and he engaged in a lively
conversation about world religions. Trying to use
much tact and not water down the gospel, the
pastor remembered the approach of the apostle
Paul. He mentioned the Muslim faith and how
different it was from Christianity. While ending the
conversation, the pastor noted that the major
difference between Islam and Christianity was that
Jesus rose from the dead while Mohammed was
still dead and buried.
Reflections
A strange but understanding look came over his
newly found friend’s face. This Hindu man then
understood the difference between the Christian
faith and his faith. Jesus rose from the dead
substantiating everything He ever taught. Instead,
the Hindu faith is one of reincarnation—not
resurrection. Indeed, the power is in the
Resurrection!
Reflections
Certainly, the Resurrection is a historical fact,
witnessed by many who lived as contemporaries of
Jesus Christ. Their preaching and teaching came
from firsthand knowledge, and they revolutionized
their world with the message of His resurrection.
We have the documents of this fact in the Word of
God, the Bible. Therefore, we can, with conviction,
preach and teach the Resurrection with power and
authority. He did arise from the dead, and He was
the “firstfruits” of the resurrection of the righteous.
Reflections
“But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that
slept. For since by man came death, by
man came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. But every
man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ’s at his coming” (I Corinthians
15:20-23).
Reflections
Our hope lies not in this world but in the world to
come after our own resurrection from the dead. If
we are dead at Christ’s coming, we will come out
of the grave and meet Him in the air. If we are
alive when the trumpet sounds, we will rise
together with those who have died in Christ. That
is the hope of the Christian—resurrection to
eternal life with Jesus Christ. Certainly, He will
come again to receive those who have made
themselves ready to meet Him.