O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.[1]
God is All in All
1 Corinthians 15:19-28 ASV
If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first fruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came 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 first fruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.[2]
David Dockery
The resurrection of Christ carries with it the promise of resurrection from the dead for all believers. Just as the first fruits presented to God on the first day of the week following Passover guaranteed the coming harvest (Leviticus 23:9–11), so Christ’s resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers. The hope of the resurrection encourages men and women to become Christians. The same hope provided Paul with boldness to proclaim the gospel and endure the suffering that accompanied his calling.[3]
Warren Wiersbe
It was through the first Adam’s sin that death came into the world; but through the Last Adam (Christ), death has been conquered. Christ is the first fruits; that is, He is the first of a great harvest that is yet to come. Christ is God’s “Last Adam,” and He will reverse the wrong that the first Adam brought into this world. When Christ comes, the dead in Christ will be raised. Jesus will finally put all things under His feet, including death. In other words, to deny the resurrection of the dead is to deny the future kingdom of Christ. If believers are “dead and gone,” then God’s promise for the future is null and void.[4]
“To Be a Christian” Anglican Catechism[5]
Question #69
What does the [Apostle’s] Creed mean when it affirms that Jesus rose again from the dead?
It means that Jesus was not simply resuscitated; God restored him physically from death to life in his resurrected body, never to die again. His tomb was empty; Jesus had risen bodily from the dead. The risen Jesus was seen by his apostles and hundreds of other witnesses.
Question #73
What does it mean for Jesus to sit at God the Father’s right hand?
The throne on the king’s right hand was traditionally the seat of one appointed to exercise the king’s own authority. Ruling with his Father in heaven, Jesus is Lord over the Church and all creation, with authority to equip his Church, advance his kingdom, bring sinners into saving fellowship with God the Father, and finally establish justice and peace upon the earth.
Sing through me, O Spirit of God. Call forth songs of praise. Let my lips, my tongue, my life proclaim the glories of the Living One who died and conquered death; the Risen One who leads me into life.
You have made all things well, O Christ! You have made all things well!
What once was lost, you have reclaimed.
What had been harmed, you will remake.
What was unwell, you now restore.
You make all things well!
Amen.[6]
Welcome Home
I will thank the LORD for giving me counsel; my heart also chastens me in the night season. I have set the LORD always before me; he is at my right hand; therefore, I shall not fall.[7]
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] Psalm 96:9 New Coverdale Psalter
[2] American Standard Version (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), 1 Co 15:19–28.
[3] David S. Dockery, “The Pauline Letters,” in Holman Concise Bible Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 559.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 466.
[5] TO BE A CHRISTIAN: An Anglican Catechism. © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America.
[6] Douglas Kaine McKelvey, “A Liturgy of Praise to Christ Who Conquered Death.” Every Moment Holy, Volume II, p. 321.
[7] Psalm 16:8-9 New Coverdale Psalter
