1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Be Still: Lord, thank you for your presence with us now. Thank you for your Word that speaks truth and life. Draw us closer to your heart I pray. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 

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.’ (v 54)

Death is final… or is it? At a Christian funeral, there is a paradox of sadness and joy. A sadness that someone is no longer with us, we can’t see them, or make new memories with them. BUT an incredible joy too that there is hope beyond the grave because of Jesus. There is a confidence that they are now in the arms of the Father.

In this chapter, Paul has been presenting the facts and making a case for the resurrection of Jesus. He’s listened to their questions, and now he’s sharing his final remarks. He’s gone for the knockout punch - Death has been swallowed up in victory. Jesus’ resurrection showed his power that not even death, the thing that is meant to be final, could hold him back.

Whilst death still happens in this broken world, it has lost its power to destroy us. It has been ‘swallowed up,’ not just pushed aside, but consumed, dealt with and defeated by the life of Jesus.

Therefore, because of Jesus’ resurrection, Paul encourages the Church to stand firm. Don’t be swayed by the things of the world, the cultural challenges and narratives that shout in the world but hold onto the truth. Jesus lived, died and rose again to set us free, to defeat death, and to make a way for us to live in perfect union with him.

Apply: Paul ends this chapter by encouraging us to stand firm in our faith. Where do you need to stand firm today? Where are you feeling the pressures of the world’s narrative? Let’s remind ourselves of the promise that, in Jesus, the victory is already won. Let’s live in that promise today.

Devote: Lord, thank you for the victory. Thank you that the sting of death has gone and that our future with you is secure. Help us to stand firm today, unmovable in our faith and confident in your promises. May we live our lives in the light of the Resurrection.