Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this morning comes from 1 Corinthians 15: The Resurrection Chapter

Our appointed Epistle lessons for the past 4 weeks have from Paul's first letter, first epistle, to the Corinthian church. Many people know that 1 Corinthians 13 is the "love" chapter. Many know that 1 Corinthians 11 is an important chapter about the Lord's Supper. But 1 Corinthians 15 is some of Paul's grandest words about the resurrection, both Christ's resurrection we can look back on, and our own personal resurrections that we can look forward to with confidence. Our 'appointed' epistle lesson for today was selected verses from 1 Corinthians 15, and if there were a longer Epiphany season, we would have had two more Sundays to hear from this wonderful chapter. But since Easter is not late this year, we have a shortened Epiphany season and therefore the rest of this wonderful chapter could go largely unaddressed in our congregational teachings for 3 more years. But since the appointed readings are voluntary, not church law, pastors and congregations can add to them. Verses from this chapter are often used at funerals, but shouldn't be left to only times of grief. Because of the importance of this chapter, I want us to hear it all, and like we do at Christmas Eve, I will intersperse short teaching segments and we'll sing related hymn verses.

My family uses this approach for our family devotions. We read through one chapter together, usually each day, and ask each other questions about each chapter. We get answers to difficult questions from the Concordia Self-Study Bible or other resources I have or have read. I hope that today's emphasis on this chapter will be for you a little Easter, as every Sunday actually is, as we marvel at the greatest historical event in human history, Jesus' resurrection. We will ponder its implications for our own lives here in time and there in eternity. We will not confess either the Apostles' or Nicene Creed today, but in their stead we will cite together some of the Scripture verses in 1 Corinthians 15 that serve as the precursors of those creeds. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 read, 3b-8 read by congregation)

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:

Cong: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. ��

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

What does this mean?
The Corinthians Christians were split on a variety of issues, and there were some who were misunderstanding the Gospel of Christ and his resurrection. Corinth is in Greece and Greek philosophers were skeptical about importance of the physical world. To them only a nebulous spiritual world was eternal. Some in the Corinthian congregation were apparently being influenced by this philosophy and questioning whether Jesus' resurrection was real. Was He just as a ghost or had he truly risen again from the grave in a physical form? Paul leaves no question. Jesus was raised again on the third day and he had been seen, even touched, by many people. He had appeared to the apostles, and to 500 others, even to James, his own disbelieving half-brother, and to the disbelieving Paul. All of these people were now convinced of Jesus' physical resurrection; and it had changed their lives completely. Witnessing the resurrected Christ was so powerful that nearly all of these people were willing to give up their lives rather than deny what they had seen. In this first generation of the Christian church, thousands of believers were martyred, killed in the coliseums and other brutal ways. They knew what they had seen, or they trusted others who had seen Him first hand, and they chose to give up life in this world rather than have not be with Him in the next.

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

What does this mean? ����������������
The world still wants to leave Christ in the grave. It seems preposterous to think that anyone dead could rise again to life. Many people of that day thought that Jesus' resurrection was just some wishful thinking on the part of some Jewish fishermen. Many modern people dismiss Jesus' resurrection as historical fiction written by religious fanatics. But Paul here makes a very clear and thoughtful argument to refute them all. Paul realizes that if Jesus is not raised, then he and the others who claim to have seen him should be pitied. If Christ is not raised, then death is not conquered, we are still lost. But Christ is indeed risen from the grave and the universe will never be the same again. Each of our individual lives is changed forever. Hymn #140 v. 3 (This Joyful Eastertide) 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 his own 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.

What does this mean?
We sometimes overlook Adam, blame him for our fall into sin and death. But yet we forget that we receive our earthly lives through Adam and Eve. When they fell into sin, they could have divorced, left each other, even committed suicide or killed each other. But they didn't. They repented of their sin and turned again to their Lord for forgiveness. Through their natural bodies we receive our natural bodies, but natural bodies that die. Through Christ we are made alive again, because He has conquered death through the cross and resurrection. We stand for the first verse of "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus." Hymn # 305 v. 1 ��

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. 29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day-- I mean that, brothers-- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 33 Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God-- I say this to your shame.

What does this mean?
I hesitate even to mention what is one of the most obscure passages in the New Testament. What does Paul mean by "being baptized for the dead." And actually it's not Paul's idea apparently, but something the Corinthians were doing that Paul neither approves nor censures. Perhaps Paul had so impressed the Corinthians with the importance of Baptism that they wanted to insure that even their deceased loved ones had been baptized. That is how Luther understood this passage, that baptisms were being conducted over the dead one's graves (Lockwood's CPH Commentary on 1st Corinthians, p. 576). Regardless, Paul is not instituting some new teaching, just making another argument for the resurrection for the Corinthians. If the dead are not raised, why would the Corinthians do what they are doing? If the dead are not raised, we should just be eating and drinking, for tomorrow we die. But that kind of self-centered, pleasure-seeking life does not become someone who knows what is coming later. ��

35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

What does this mean? ����������������
Skeptics often want to ask God the "challenging" questions. "How are you gonna do it God?" How foolish. Seeds planted in the ground don't come out simply as bigger seeds. They are changed into something drastically different. Our current sinful flesh and blood cannot receive the inheritance waiting for us, but our new bodies will be like Christ's. We currently have frail and decaying bodies, but soon, that will change. ��

"The heavens are telling the glory of God" (Psalm 19: 1). Modern telescopes tell us even more about the glory of the heavens than Paul could have imagined in his day. Pulsing quasars and spinning galaxies, beautiful dust clouds and huge supernova explosions paint the universe with beauty. Can anyone doubt that the Creator of the universe will be able to create wondrous new forms for believer's resurrected bodies? Hymn #266 vv. 1, 4 (Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense) ��

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What does this mean?
What more needs to be said! Some Christians will still be alive when that trumpet sounds and Christ returns. They will not taste death, but will be changed into to glorious immortal bodies at that moment. That could happen today, tomorrow, next year. ��

Or it could be 1000 years from now (or longer). How this MYSTERY will happen we don't know, but we know and trust the One who does know. At Jesus' resurrection, the first and primary battle with death was won. He conquered death, but the final and complete victory is yet to come. Death will be swallowed up in victory, the victory of our Lord Jesus. Therefore we can stand firm as soldiers in an invincible army. We can give ourselves fully to his work because our labor is not in vain even when it seems to be. Looking backward to Christ's resurrection and looking forward to our own, we praise Him with the singing of "The Strife is O'er, the Battle Done" Hymn #143 vv. 1-2