EASTER LESSON - Jn. 20:2-9 and 1 Cor. 15:2-28 - Commentaries
Christ's resurrection is central to the Christian faith. The Incarnation and crucifixion were necessary preludes, but the resurrection is the keystone of Jesus' ministry. Paul says, "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.... But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 20).
Seeing the risen Christ transformed Jesus' little band of disciples and gave them courage to come out from behind locked doors to face danger in Christ's name. There is no other explanation for their newfound and persistent courage than that they had seen the risen Christ.
JOHN 20:1-2. ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
1Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. 2Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have laid him!"
"Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark" (v. 1a). People believe that the dead person's spirit remains in the vicinity of the tomb for three days, so they commonly visit the tomb during the first three days after burial. However, Sabbath regulations prohibit such visits on the Sabbath, so the earliest that Mary can visit is sundown on our Saturday evening, which ends the Sabbath and begins the first day of the week. Mark's Gospel places this visit "very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen," but John's Gospel tells us that it is still dark.
None of the Gospels (see Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1) speak of this as the third day after the crucifixion, but rather as the first day of the week. Perhaps they want to emphasize the new day ushered in by Jesus' resurrection.
This Gospel has used the words "dark" and "darkness" several times, usually to speak of spiritual darkness (1:5; 3:9; 8:12; 12:35, 46). Perhaps John's use of the word "dark" in verse 1 reflects the darkness of Mary's understanding at this point. Jesus will switch on the light for her in verse 16, but for the moment her world is as dark as it can be.
"Mary Magdalene went ... to the tomb" (v. 1b). Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 say that Mary Magdalene is accompanied by Salome and Mary, the mother of James. Luke 24:10 has Mary Magdalene accompanied by Joanna and Mary, the mother of James. John mentions only Mary Magdalene, but in verse 2, Mary says, "we don't know," suggesting that she might have been accompanied by others.
John does not tell us the purpose of Mary's visit. The Gospel of Mark says that the women "bought spices, that they might come and anoint him" (Mark 16:1), but in this Gospel Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took care of the anointing (19:38-40). Given that Mary expected the tomb to be closed, it would seem that she has come only to grieve and to pay her respects. Jesus delivered her from seven demons (Luke 8:2), and her devotion to him is considerable.
"and saw the stone taken away from the tomb" (v. 1c). The Synoptics describe the stone as having been rolled away, and Matthew says than an angel rolled it away (Matthew 28:2). In Matthew 28, an angel tells the women that Jesus has risen. In Mark 16, the messenger is a young man dressed in white. In Luke 24, the women enter the tomb, but do not find the body. John doesn't speak of a messenger or of Mary going inside the tomb. Perhaps she does so, or perhaps she infers from the open tomb that Jesus is missing. She does not even consider that Jesus might have risen from the dead. She concludes, logically enough, that someone has taken Jesus' body from the tomb. Perhaps it was the authorities visiting one further indignity on Jesus. Perhaps it was grave robbers. Imagine the emotional impact of finding the desecrated grave of a loved one. Mary has been grieving. Now she is shocked-horrified.
"Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved" (v. 2a). Mary goes to Peter, in part, because he is a leader of the disciples. Also Peter (18:15-18, 25-27) and the beloved disciple (19:26-27) remained in the vicinity rather than fleeing with the other disciples, so they were witnesses to Jesus' death.
The presence of these two disciples at the tomb is important, because it establishes two legal witnesses (the number required by Torah law) to the empty tomb. As a woman, Mary has no legal standing as a witness.
"and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved" This beloved disciple appears five times in this Gospel.
Early Christians believed that this beloved disciple was John, the son of Zebedee, but there is no scholarly consensus today concerning that. The scriptures don't identify the beloved disciple, so he could have been John-or one of the other apostles-or Lazarus, whom Jesus loved (11:3). We know only that he was male and a disciple (19:26-27). Anything beyond that is speculation.
"They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb" (v. 2b). Mary sees but fails to see. She makes assumptions based on her experience that bodies do not simply disappear. Presumably the authorities have removed the body as part of their effort to erase Jesus' memory-or perhaps grave robbers have stolen the body.
"and we don't know where they have laid him" (v. 2c). Note the plural "we," which suggests that Mary had companions on this visit, which is the way that the Synoptic Gospels report it.
JOHN 20:3-10. HE SAW THE LINEN CLOTHS LYING
3Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. 4They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. 5Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn't enter in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7and the cloth (Greek: soudarian-face cloth) that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. 9For as yet they didn't know the Scripture, that he must (Greek: dei-it is necessary-a divine imperative) rise from the dead. 10So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
"Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb" (v. 3). It is interesting to see the interplay between Peter and the beloved disciple. Peter is clearly the leader of the disciples, but in this Gospel, Peter felt it necessary to go through the beloved disciple to learn who the betrayer would be (13:23-26)-and it will be the beloved disciple rather than Peter who is inspired to belief by the empty tomb (v. 8)-and it will be the beloved disciple rather than Peter who will first recognize Jesus in his post-resurrection appearance (21:7-8).
"They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first" (v. 4). They run together for a bit, but then the beloved disciple outruns Peter and arrives at the tomb first. Scholars suggest that this might mean that the two men are rivals-or that the beloved disciple is younger and more vigorous than Peter-or that his love for Jesus empowers him to run faster-but these suggestions are all speculative.
"Stooping and looking in, he (the other disciple) saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn't enter in" (v. 5). The opening to the tomb would be only about three feet (one meter) high, so it would be necessary to bend down to see inside. We aren't told how the beloved disciple can see inside the dark tomb. Perhaps he carries a torch. In any event, it is important that he sees inside, because he will be one of the two required witnesses to the resurrection.
"Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, and the cloth (soudarian-face cloth) that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself" (vv. 6-7). Some scholars propose that these grave clothes are lying in place as if Jesus' body has somehow dematerialized, letting the clothing settle into place where his body laid. However, John says that the soudarian is lying apart from the rest of the grave clothes and has been rolled up. If Jesus had dematerialized, the soudarian would be near the rest of the grave clothes and would not be rolled up.
The grave clothes serve three functions in this story:
"So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed" (v. 8). Believed what? Apparently that Jesus has been raised from the dead. In the next verse, John says that "they didn't know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (v. 9a)-but that doesn't necessarily mean that this disciple didn't believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Some scholars think that he simply believes the truth of Mary's report that Jesus' body is missing, but that seems too trivial for this context.
We aren't sure what scripture they failed to understand. Possibly "For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10).
It seems that the sight of the grave clothes and the tomb have awakened some sort of fledgling belief in the beloved disciple that he would be hard-pressed to define. He finds himself somewhere between hope and faith, not understanding what has happened but feeling at some deep level that it must be wonderful. Many of us came to faith in just such a manner. We believed in a Lord whom we knew only in small part, and we recognized the incompleteness of our faith. In later years, our faith deepened and our ability to articulate it grew but, looking back, we nevertheless understand that there was something wonderful even about our immature, inarticulate faith. It is very possible that the writer of this Gospel is also the beloved disciple, who in telling of Jesus' resurrection is also telling this story of the birth of his own belief.
"that he must (dei - it is necessary) rise from the dead" (v. 9b). The word "must" (Greek: dei-it is necessary-a divine imperative) is important, because it points to the Father's hand in Jesus' resurrection.
In any event, the beloved disciple sees more clearly than Peter, who sees without believing. He also believes more readily than Thomas, who will require irrefutable evidence (20:25).
"So the disciples went away again to their own homes" (v. 10). If they were truly convinced that Jesus were alive, they would surely shout it from the housetops. Their return to their homes reflects their uncertainty about what they should do next.
THE CONTEXT: In chapter 2, Paul dealt with Christ's crucifixion. Now, in chapter 15, he deals with the resurrection, both Christ's resurrection (15:1-11) and our own (15:12-58). Chapters 2 and 15, then, serve as bookends around the parts of this letter that deal with ethical issues.
Some Corinthian Christians have questioned the resurrection of believers. Their doubts arose from two sources:
First, some of them are Jewish, and Judaism was divided regarding the issue of resurrection. The Old Testament speaks of Sheol as the abode of the dead-a place where those who have died are separated from the living and from God. In their early history, Jewish people tended to think of Sheol only as the grave. As time progressed, their belief system progressed in the direction of resurrection. While the Old Testament doesn't use the word resurrection, it does include several allusions to resurrection:
By New Testament times, some Jews (such as the Sadducees) denied any possibility of resurrection or life after death, while other Jews (such as the Pharisees) did believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18).
Second, Corinth is a Greek city, and Greeks have been heavily influenced by Platonic dualism. Dualism divides things into two parts, such as good and evil or matter and non-matter. Many dualists considered matter (such as our bodies) as unimportant and/or evil and non-matter (such as our souls) as good. Plato taught that our physical bodies are imperfect copies of ideal Forms that exist in a spiritual realm. He taught that our bodies are mortal but our souls existed prior to our life on earth-and will continue to exist beyond this life. Greeks (including these Corinthian Christians), raised in a dualistic environment, found it difficult to believe in the resurrection of the body. For them, the body was something to leave behind gladly-good riddance. Their focus was the preservation of the soul.
Judaism, however, emphasized the wholeness of the person-body and soul. That emphasis continued in the Christian church. Paul wants the Corinthian Christians to know that belief in the resurrection-both Christ's resurrection and the general resurrection of believers in the last days-is foundational to the Christian faith.
Later in this chapter, Paul will explain that the resurrected body is different from the body as we know it now. He says, "What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body" (15:42-44).
As noted above, in this chapter Paul deals both with Christ's resurrection (15:1-11) and with our own (15:12-58).
1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-23. THE FIRST FRUITS OF THOSE WHO ARE ASLEEP
20But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since death came by man (Greek: anthropou-from anthropon), the resurrection of the dead also came by man (anthropou). 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order (tagma): Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's, at his coming.
"But now Christ has been raised from the dead" (v. 20a). In verses 13-19, Paul outlined the consequences, all negative, if there is no resurrection of the dead. However, he has not been arguing that there is no resurrection-quite the opposite. He was only outlining the consequences if there were to be no resurrection.
Now he says once again that "Christ has been raised from the dead." This is something to which Paul can speak authoritatively, because he saw the risen Christ on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-9). Peter also writes of being an eyewitness of Christ's risen majesty (2 Peter 2:16).
In verses 3-8, Paul gave a capsule summary, including Christ's resurrection appearances to hundreds of people. The Corinthian Christians have not denied Christ's resurrection-they have denied only the resurrection of believers. However, Paul has shown that Christ's resurrection and the resurrection of those who believe in Christ are inextricably tied together.
"the first fruits of those who are asleep" (v. 20b). The requirement for Israel to offer their "first fruits" to the Lord is found in the Torah. God required the Israelites to bring their first fruits as an offering to God (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 23:9-10; Numbers 15:17-21; Deuteronomy 18:4; 2 Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35). When they planted trees, they were to not to touch the fruit for three years. On the fourth year, they were to set apart the fruit "for giving praise to Yahweh." Only in the fifth and subsequent years were they allowed to keep the fruit of their trees (Leviticus 19:23-25).
The term, "first fruits" could also be used metaphorically. The prophet Jeremiah said, "Israel was holiness to Yahweh, the first fruits of his increase" (Jeremiah 2:3).
The idea behind the first fruits, of course, was that the first fruits of any harvest are especially valuable. Those of us who have waited all winter for a decent tomato know the joy of the first ripe tomato of summer. Yahweh required Israel to sacrifice their first fruits as a way of acknowledging Yahweh's priority in their lives.
But the joy of the "first fruits" is not just in the eating of fresh fruit for the first time in months. The real joy of the "first fruits" is that the privation of winter has come to an end. The "first fruits" signal the abundance of fruit that people can expect to eat in months to come. The "first fruits" signal that there are good days ahead.
When Paul says that the resurrected Christ is "the first fruits of those who are asleep," he is telling these Corinthian Christians that Christ's resurrection is just the beginning. His resurrection signals the abundance of resurrections yet to come-the resurrection of all those who have placed their faith in Christ.
"For since death came by man" (anthropon-man, as in mankind or humankind) (v. 21a). In verses 21-22, Paul introduces what some have called an Adam-Christ typology.
Typology is a hermeneutical method-a method of interpreting scripture. Think of a "type" as similar to an analogy. An analogy takes something that we understand (such as a pump) and uses it to help us understand something that we might not otherwise understand (such as our hearts). "Types" do something similar, and are used in both Old and New Testaments. For instance, Melchizedek is a type of Christ (Gen. 14-18; Heb. 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-28) and Jerusalem is a type of the heavenly kingdom (Isa. 60:14; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 14:1).
In the "type" of verses 21-22, Paul says that "death came by man," and then goes on to say that "the resurrection of the dead also came by man."
When Paul says, "death came by man," he is talking about the man in the Garden of Eden. In that familiar story, Yahweh put the man in the garden, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). However, the serpent tempted the woman, who ate of the forbidden fruit and then gave it to the man, who also ate (Genesis 3:1-6). In meting out punishment for this sin, Yahweh said to the man, "By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19).
When Yahweh said, "you are dust," he was alluding to the creation story where Yahweh "formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). So when Yahweh said, "to dust you shall return," he was telling the man that he would die and his body would become as dust once again. This curse affected not only that man, but his descendants as well, because they too became subject to sin.
But the death of the man and his descendants was not only physical death, but spiritual death as well-separation from God. If that tragedy is to be redressed, it must include reconciliation with God as well as physical resurrection.
So the death of the man and his descendents serve as the first part of the Adam-Christ type. We are familiar with sin and death, because we have seen both time after time. Anyone familiar with the Genesis story understands the link between sin and death.
"the resurrection of the dead also came by man" (anthropon) (v. 21b). Now Paul introduces the second part of the Adam-Christ type. Just as a man (Adam) sinned and died-and brought sin and death into the world-so also a man (Jesus Christ) was raised from the dead and brought about resurrection. In other words, Jesus Christ reversed the curse that Yahweh placed on the man in the Garden of Eden.
We must keep in mind that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Though he was "existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8). He is our high priest, "who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin" (Hebrew 4:15). "Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:8-9).
So death came through a human being (Adam), but resurrection also comes through a human being (Jesus Christ). For more on this Adam-Christ typology, see 1 Corinthians 15:45-19 and Romans 5:12-21.
"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive" (v. 22). Paul is not espousing universalism-a belief that Christ will save all people, regardless of their spiritual status. In verse 18, he talks about "they...who are fallen asleep in Christ." In verse 23, he talks about "those who are Christ's" as those can expect to be made alive in Christ. In his letter to the Romans, he says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1; see also Rom. 6:11, 23; Gal. 3:26, 29; Eph. 3:6).
Paul uses this phrase, "in Christ," frequently to describe a saving relationship between the person and Christ. He says, "For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26-27). It is those who are "in Christ" whom Christ will make alive.
"But each in his own order (tagma): Christ the first fruits" (v. 23a). The word tagma was sometimes used for military organization. In this verse, it suggests a particular sequence. Christ was the first to be raised from the dead-the first fruits of those who would be raised (see comments on first fruits above-v. 20).
"then those who are Christ's, at his coming" (v. 23b). The resurrection of those who belong to Christ will take place at his Second Coming (see Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 John 2:28).
The idea behind Christ's Second Coming has its roots in the Old Testament "day of Yahweh" (Isaiah 13:6, 9; 58:13; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7-8, 14, 18; 2:2-3; Malachi 4:5). The Jewish people thought of themselves as God's chosen people but, for most of their history, were overshadowed by larger, more powerful nations. They lived in the confident hope that God would break into history and re-establish them to their rightful place. They called that intervention The Day of the Lord. They expected that God would usher in that day with a period of terrible turmoil and judgment, but the final outcome would be a new and triumphant age.
In Christian thought, the Day of the Lord will come at an unexpected time. Thus it is important to be prepared for its coming. By the time that the day of the Lord takes place, people's fates will have already been finalized. For the faithful, it will be a day of vindication, but for the unfaithful, it will be a day of judgment (Matthew 7:21-23; 11:20-24; 24:15-51; 25:1-46).
1 CORINTHIANS 15:24-28. THE LAST ENEMY THAT WILL BE ABOLISHED IS DEATH
24Then (Greek: eita-then, after this) the end (telos) comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27For, "He put all things in subjection under his feet." But when he says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. 28When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
"Then (eita-"then" or "after this") the end (telos) comes" (v. 24a). After the resurrection of those who are in Christ comes the telos-the end. The word telos has the sense of completion or fulfillment. In the New Testament, it "denotes the 'end' of the age, the time when God will consummate his redemptive purposes for humankind that will include both the judgment of the wicked and the salvation of the righteous-all to take place when Christ returns for the last time" (Renn, 328).
In this verse, therefore, telos comes closer to meaning the beginning than the end. It speaks of a time when God will unveil creation as he intended it-rather like the grand opening of a great show.
"when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power" (v. 24b). The sequence here is that Christ will first bring to an end all earthly power and authority-in the process restoring the Godly reign that existed prior to the introduction of sin into the world. Then, once the restoration is complete and the world is once again what God created it to be, Christ will hand over "the Kingdom to God, even the Father."
"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet" (v. 25). The symbolism here comes from the practice of earthly kings sitting on elevated thrones with their feet higher than the heads of their subjects. When a king conquered an enemy, he could place his feet on the neck of the conquered king, symbolizing the conquered king's utter subjection to the victorious king.
This verse tells us that Christ must reign until he has utterly defeated all God's enemies-until he has put his foot on their necks. As noted above, once the creation is restored to pristine condition, Christ will hand over "the Kingdom to God, even the Father."
"The last enemy that will be abolished is death" (v. 26). The destruction of death involves the resurrection of the dead, but it also involves spiritual liberation. In his letter to the Romans, Paul said, "What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). The context for that verse shows Paul struggling to do God's will, but failing. He said, "For I delight in God's law after the inward man, but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:22-23). There is, therefore, the sense that there is a kind of spiritual death that we experience while still alive.
The author of Ephesians reinforces the idea of being spiritually dead while physically alive. He says, "You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:1-6).
Once death, both spiritual and physical, has been conquered, Christ will hand over the restored kingdom of this world to God the Father (v. 24).
Just imagine that! So much of life today is stained by evil-terrorism, tyranny, politicians whose concern is reelection rather than the well-being of their people, criminal behavior, business executives who fill their personal pockets while running their businesses into the ground-etc., etc., etc. As I was writing this, my wife and I were talking about an over-the-counter decongestant that is no longer easily available because drug users have learned how to abuse it. She commented, "It gets really tiresome having the course of our lives dictated by the lowest common denominator." It really does.
But when Christ comes again and puts God's enemies under his feet, all the evil that now stains our daily existence will come to an end. Hallelujah!
"For, 'He put all things in subjection under his feet.' But when he says, 'All things are put in subjection,' it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him" (v. 27). While this verse isn't in the lectionary reading, it is foundational to verse 28, which is in the lectionary reading.
The sentence, "He put all things in subjection under his feet," comes from Psalm 8:6. In its original context, it celebrates the fact that God has given man dominion over all things and has put the rest of creation under his feet. However, in this letter to the Corinthian church, Paul adapts that wording to say that God has put all things in subjection to Christ. The only exception to that rule is God-the one who put everything at Christ's feet.
"When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all" (v. 28). "This presents a difficulty, for it appears to some that one member of the Trinity is seen as inferior to another. But we must bear in mind that Paul is not speaking of the essential nature of either the Son or the Father. He is speaking of the work that Christ has accomplished and will accomplish" (Morris).
S. Cole - Bible.org
So let's consider two of five evidences in John's Gospel for Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead.
1. The first evidence for Jesus' resurrection: the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty.
John (20:1) reports that Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb "and saw the stone taken away from the tomb." This was a large, round stone placed in a groove in front of the tomb to secure it from grave robbers. It would have taken several strong men to roll that stone out of the groove. The Jewish leaders feared that the disciples would come and steal Jesus' body and claim that He was risen. So they went to Pilate and got a Roman guard to secure the tomb (Matt. 27:63-66). They set a seal on the stone and were there guarding the tomb when an angel came and rolled away the stone (Matt. 28:1-4)-not so that Jesus could get out, but so that the witnesses to the resurrection could get in to verify that the tomb was empty! The guards reported what had happened to the Jewish leaders, who gave them a large sum of money and told them to tell anyone who asked that the disciples came at night and stole Jesus' body while the guards slept (Matt. 28:11-15).
There are several problems with that story. The Roman guards would have faced the death penalty if they had fallen asleep while on guard. Even if they had dozed off, the sound of a group of men moving the heavy stone would have awakened them. Besides, after the crucifixion, the disciples were too depressed and fearful to pull off a grave robbery. And even if they had stolen Jesus' body or bribed the guards to take it away, they wouldn't then have endured persecution and eventual martyrdom to proclaim what they knew to be a hoax.
In addition to the stone being rolled away, the tomb was empty. Mary Magdalene was not expecting the resurrection, but when she saw that the stone was rolled away, she assumed that somebody had taken Jesus' body. She immediately ran to the disciples to report (John 20:2), "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." This caused Peter and John to run to the tomb to see for themselves. John outran Peter, but he hesitated to go into the tomb. He stooped and looked in, seeing the grave clothes. Typically impetuous Peter brushed past John and went in. Then John went into the tomb and they both confirmed that Jesus' body was not there.
If the Jewish leaders knew where Jesus' body was, they would have produced it the instant that the apostles began proclaiming the resurrection. So the stone rolled away and the empty tomb both bear witness to Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead.
2. The second evidence for Jesus' resurrection: the grave clothes.
John goes into more detail concerning the grave clothes than the other gospels do. In telling the story, John uses three different Greek words meaning "to see." When John first arrived at the tomb, he stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn't go in (John 20:5). He uses the common Greek word that suggests nothing more than sight. But when Peter got there, he entered the tomb and saw the linen wrappings (John 20:6). Here the Greek word has the nuance of looking carefully or examining something. We get our word theater from it. Audiences at a theater watch carefully so as not to miss any part of the play. Finally, John went in, saw, and believed (John 20:8). Here John uses a word that means to see with understanding.
What did Peter and John see? Jewish burials involved wrapping the corpse with linen strips and tucking spices into the folds to offset the stench of the corpse. The head was wrapped separately. Peter and John saw the linen wrappings with the face cloth rolled up by itself in an orderly manner, but Jesus' body was gone. Grave robbers would not have taken the time to remove the grave clothes at the scene, but would have grabbed the body with the grave clothes and left. Or, if they had removed them, they would have left them scattered in a disorderly fashion. D. A. Carson (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], pp. 637-638) observes, "The description is powerful and vivid, not the sort of thing that would have been dreamed up; and the fact that two men saw it (v. 8) makes their evidence admissible in a Jewish court (Dt. 19:15)."
When Jesus raised Lazarus, he was raised in his old body which was still subject to disease and death. So Lazarus couldn't pass through the grave clothes, but had to be unbound by bystanders (John 11:44). But Jesus was raised with a resurrection body that is no longer subject to death. That new body is physical, yet could pass through the grave clothes, leaving them lying there intact. He later could pass through closed doors without opening them, as well as appear and disappear suddenly at will (John 20:19, 26; Luke 24:15, 31).
Commentary/Sermon - 1 Cor. 15:2-28
Our Hope in the Resurrection
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man [came] death, by a man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then [comes] the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.
Paul goes on throughout the rest of the chapter to explain the mystery of the resurrection and the nature of the resurrection body, and I will point out some of what he says about those things, but for the rest of our time this morning I want us to concentrate on verses 20-28 and the hope we have in the future because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
The Reality of Resurrection (vs. 20)
Verse 20 is simply a statement of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul has already proven that to be true by citing the many eyewitnesses of that fact. Paul also points our here that Jesus is the "first fruits of those who are asleep," a euphemism for those who have died. "First fruits" is a double reference indicating not only that Jesus was the first to be resurrected of many who will be resurrected in the future, but it is also a reference to the Old Testament requirement that the first of any harvested crops were to be brought to the Lord as an offering. Jesus was in fact that offering.
The reality of Jesus' resurrection means that there will be a future reality of resurrection for those who have died. Now it is important to point out here that there were others that were resurrected before Jesus in the sense that they were restored to life after they had died. Old Testament examples include the son of the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22), the son of the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:20-37); and the man cast into the grave of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). New Testament examples include the funeral procession Jesus stopped and then brought the dead man back to life (Luke 7:12-15), the daughter of the synagogue official (Luke 8:49-56), Lazarus (John 11:39-44). The difference between their resurrections and that of Jesus is that they were restored to life but they did not receive glorified bodies. They were still mortal and died again. Jesus was raised with an immortal and imperishable body that had new and different characteristics.
The Need & Hope of Resurrection (vs. 21-22)
In verses 21 & 22 Paul explains both the need and hope of resurrection. Adam's sin affected all his descendants so that we too are all sinners under God's just condemnation which includes death, both physical and spiritual. Apart from Jesus Christ we are spiritually separated from God which is spiritual death and apart from His return each of us will have our souls separated from our physical bodies which is physical death. Without a resurrection we will remain in that condition.
Our hope of resurrection is found in Jesus Christ who paid the sin penalty for us. His promise is regeneration by the Holy Spirit to all that believe in Him so that we are born again to a living hope and given the right to be called the children of God. We are no longer separated from Him and are restored to spiritual life. We are also given the promise of a future physical resurrection in which our souls will be joined to an immortal and imperishable body which Paul explains in verses 50-57. Physical death will have been conquered.
The Order of Resurrection (vs. 23)
In verse 23 Paul states the order of the resurrections and it is important to note that there is more than one. He again points out that Jesus is the first fruits. He precedes all that will happen in the future. Paul then points out that there will a resurrection of "those who are Christ's at His coming." The resurrection Paul is speaking about here in 1 Corinthians 15 is limited to those that belong to Jesus, and by that he is referring to those who are followers of Jesus, His disciples, true believers, genuine Christians. These are those who have been born again and adopted into God's family. As Jesus pointed out in Matthew 7:21, it will not be everyone who says to Him, "Lord, lord," but those who do the will of God the Father.
Paul describes this resurrection at His "coming" (parousia / parousia in both passages) in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words." This event is commonly referred to as the "rapture" based on the Latin translation of "caught up" (arpazw / harpazô) in verse 17. The nature of this change is described in the remaining verses of 1 Corinthians 15. It includes the fact that our transformed bodies will be imperishable, spiritual and immortal in nature, but raised in glory and power bearing the image of the heavenly (vs. 42-54). It will occur so that we can inherit the kingdom of God and will happen in the twinkling of an eye (vs. 5). Death is swallowed up in victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 54-57).
However, this is not the only resurrection. Revelation 20 describes at least three more. The first two of them will be the same as described here in 1 Corinthians 15. One will occur at the end of 70th week described in Daniel 9 and will include those martyred during that time period (Revelation 20:4). They "will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years (vs. 6). The second of these resurrections will occur at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus (Revelation 20:5). The second death has no power over any of these (vs. 6).
The third resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20, and the final resurrection of all time, will also occur after the millennial reign, but after Satan's release and his final rebellion is crushed by God when He sends fire down from heaven to devour them. All the damned are then resurrected to stand before God's great white throne and be judged according to their deeds which will condemn them. They are then thrown into the lake of fire along with death and Hades to join the devil, the false prophet and the beast who had already been cast there. That is the second death.
Is it any wonder that Scriptures says that those who are resurrected prior to the great white throne judgement are blessed? Are you ready for Christ's coming? If you do not belong to Him, then you are not. You need to be and you can be today if you will turn from your sin and self-righteousness to believe in and follow the Savior.
The Future Kingdom (vs. 24-28)
In verses 24-28 Paul looks forward to give a brief snapshot of the culmination of the ages.
The Future Culmination (vs. 24)
Paul says in verse 24 that at some time after the resurrection spoken about in verse 23 Jesus will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father after He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. Paul explains more about Jesus doing that in verse 23-28.
The Reign of the Son (vs. 25-27)
There are those that deny that Jesus will reign physically on earth. There are even more that deny that He will do so on the throne of David in Jerusalem. Those that deny those truths must either neglect, negate or renounce the many promises God made to the nation of Israel about a future restoration and the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7 that the throne of one of his decedents would be established forever. Among the many Scriptures in which God promises a future restoration of Israel are Isaiah 65 & 66; Jeremiah 31:27-37 and 32:36-44; Ezekiel 36-48; Joel 3:9-21; Amos 9; Micah 4 & 5; Zephaniah 3:8-20; and Zechariah 12-14.
Paul says specifically in verse 25 that Jesus will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet and adds in verse 26 that the last enemy to be vanquished will be death. Revelation 20 says that will occur after the great white throne judgement which is after those who were part of the first resurrection will have reigned with Christ for a thousand years and Satan's final rebellion is defeated. It will be at that point that Jesus will have subjected all things to Himself. The only exception will be God the Father who is the one that caused all other things to be subjected to Jesus (Philippians 2:9-11). This will then allow Jesus to fulfill what Paul says in verse 28.
The Final Subjection (vs. 28)
"And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all."
This is the final culmination of the ages when the God Man Jesus who is the second Adam has fulfilled all that was originally designed for man and will then turn over the reign of the kingdom back to Father that the triune God will again be "all in all." That is the rule of God over His creation through a mediator will be replaced by direct rule since the need and purpose of a mediator will have been completely fulfilled.
What then is the hope that we celebrate this day? It is not the coming of Spring, though we rejoice in that. We celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the guarantee it brings of all of God's promises. There is the personal aspect of His promise to those of us who belong to Jesus of own future resurrection and being changed in the twinkling of an eye into a being that is imperishable, immortal, spiritual and holy before God. But even beyond that there are all the promises concerning Jesus' future reign, His vanquishing of all His enemies including death and the culmination of it all in a direct relationship with God without mediation needed for we will have been finally conformed to the image of His son and therefore holy to be able to be in His very presence. The curse and all its remnants will be gone. I am looking forward to that! Are you? The Lord is Risen!
