The Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, part 6

There is more evidence and it will be seen when it is all too late.

“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.” (1 Corinthians 15 v 20-28)

Paul sees the resurrection of Jesus as like that of the first part of the crop that comes before the true harvest emerges later. We rejoice when we see the firstfruits because we know it is the evidence of the crop to come. When the crop arrives then it will show that what had been seen first was indeed the firstfruits.

• Paul is therefore saying that there will come a day when the follower of Jesus will be raised from the dead. On that amazing day it will be the ultimate evidence that Jesus was indeed resurrected. Nevertheless it will be too late for the critics.

Paul says there is a waiting time, which we are in now. We are waiting with expectancy for our own resurrection. There is a certainty within the wait although it can be hard and contain suffering. Yet suffering is only one side of the coin as the spiritual battle between darkness and light is taking place and we can see this happening in the many stories of people’s lives.

• Paul is therefore saying that even the waiting period is evidence of the resurrection because every time we see Christ defeating demonic influence in a person’s life then it is a declaration that Jesus is not dead and it points to a day when every enemy of God is brought down.

Paul says the last enemy to be defeated is death. There was a preliminary event that took place at the resurrection of Jesus when ‘the saints who had died rose from their graves and went into Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52-53). Death could not hold them back. Their families and friends would have had quite a shock that day!

• Paul is therefore saying that death, the last enemy, has indeed been destroyed. Attend a humanist funeral and a Christian funeral and you will see the difference regarding death. For the Christian it is a joyous moment as the focus is never on death but the centrality that the person is raised and is already with God. So if death is defeated then why do we die? It is because we go have to let go of this earthly body for the resurrected body we receive. It is evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.