The Fact Is

-

Scripture
1Cor. 15:20   But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

Observation

In this letter to the church in Corinth Paul continues to bring home the point of the resurrection. Everything was different as a result of Christ having been raised from the dead. He preached this as a fact which became the turning point of history. From this time on the Christians viewed death differently than those in the secular world. Their language surrounding death became that of sleep. This was nothing to fear for there would come a time when the individual who died in Christ would again wake up. This was now fact because Jesus was the first who had been raised from the dead, preparing a pathway for all of those who would come after him. Paul preached the resurrection as a fact which would, and did change history.

Application

There are facts in life which we believe intellectually and there are those which affect us in practice. I have always been struck by the illustration of the man who walked the tight-rope across Niagara falls. He was able to cross over from one side to the other, and then made his return. The crowd was in awe of his talent and applauded him. Next, however, he retrieved a wheel barrow and asked the crowd whether they thought he could make the crossing with it. Of course they applauded and said they were sure that he could. However, it was the next question which led to silence. Would there be someone willing to get into the wheel barrow? No one responded for there is a giant leap from simply believing the facts and living the facts in faith. 

The resurrection is a pivotal moment. Jesus has walked the tight rope to hell and back and is now the first fruit of those who will die. Next, he invites us to participate in his life. Intellectually we can do that, but in reality, it’s more difficult. We are to climb into life with Jesus, heading out into perilous spaces where we will not always be safe. The Lord reminds us that he will be with us and care for us because he’s already been through it all. At the same time we may be clinging to our own personal safety nets, none of which will save us from death. Ultimately death will come to everyone but what comes after depends on whether we have trusted in Jesus. 

The fact is, Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!) The result of that fact is victory over death. Jesus has already made the perilous journey safely and now he reaches out his hand to all of us and tells us he will safely see us through. These are the facts. What will we do with them?

Prayer

Lord, may my vision be clear as I keep my focus on my resurrected Savior. Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more