Sunday School Lesson
April 5
Lesson 5 (KJV)
Resurrection: The Future Hope
Devotional Reading: Luke 24:1–12
Background Scripture: Luke 24:1–12; 1 Corinthians 15:3–20, 50–58; Revelation 22:1–5
1 Corinthians 15:13–20, 51–58
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
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51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Key Text
Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.—1 Corinthians 15:20
Social Teachings of the Church
Unit 2: Fulfilling Our Obligations to Family and Community
Lessons 5–8
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Identify the “mystery” of 1 Corinthians 15:51.
2. Explain how Christ’s resurrection brings believers comfort.
3. Compose a letter encouraging other believers that trials of this life are not God’s final word.
How to Say It
Adriatic Ay-dree-at-ic.
Aegean A-jee-un.
Corinth Kor-inth.
Corinthians Ko-rin-thee-unz (th as in thin).
Peloponnesian Pell-uh-puh-ne-shen.
Sanhedrin San-huh-drun or San-heed-run.
Introduction
A. Groundbreaking News
The 1969 book On Death and Dying, by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004), proved revolutionary in identifying grief stages. The author named five parts of the grief cycle: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These are typical stages experienced by a person diagnosed with a terminal illness. As a result of her research, Kübler-Ross pioneered hospice care for the terminally ill and served as an advocate for grieving families. Kübler-Ross received numerous honorary degrees for her insights. By July 1982, she had taught her grief model to approximately 125,000 students in various learning institutions.
Today we will consider the subject of death and dying too. As we do, we remember that the ultimate expert is Jesus. His experience of death and resurrection changed things forever.
B. Lesson Context
Corinth was a great commercial center in the first-century Roman Empire. It was situated between two seas on a very narrow strip of land in southern Greece: the Aegean to the east and the Adriatic to the west. A popular trade route grew between the two harbors because it was cheaper and less dangerous for merchants to freight their cargo overland than to sail around the Peloponnesian Peninsula.
Paul traveled to Corinth from Athens during his second missionary journey between AD 51–54. His initial visit lasted around 18 months (Acts 18:11). Then Paul traveled to Ephesus, where he made a brief stop before proceeding to Jerusalem. He returned to Ephesus on his third missionary journey and, while there, wrote a letter to the church in Corinth. We now refer to that letter as 1 Corinthians. (Paul mentions being in Ephesus in 1 Corinthians 16:8.)
Among an array of issues causing tension and debate within the Corinthian church was the resurrection of the dead. Some believers were still impacted by their pagan background and philosophical ways of thinking. The Greeks considered the body and soul as entirely separate entities. Plato and Socrates viewed the body as a “prison” for the soul. They even had a saying to express their philosophical disdain for physical mortality: Soma Sema, which means “the body [is] a tomb.” Greek philosophers believed in the immortality of the soul but not a resurrection of the body (Acts 17:32).
Paul begins 1 Corinthians 15 by reminding the Corinthian church of the gospel he preached to them and that they received. The foundation of the gospel is Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Paul then lists some of the appearances Jesus made after His resurrection, including His appearance to Paul, “as of one born out of due time” (15:5–8). In the first portion of our printed text, Paul describes the devastating consequences that result if Jesus’ resurrection did not occur.
I. The Resurrection
(1 Corinthians 15:13–20)
A. False Witness (vv. 13–15)
13. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. Some members of the church of Corinth disputed the reality of future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12). Paul reasons that, if their belief is true, then either Jesus’ crucified body is still in Joseph’s tomb, or there’s credibility to the rumor that Jesus’ disciples stole it (Matthew 28:12–15). Thus, Paul begins to examine their faulty logic.
14a. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain.
Paul sets forth what we might call a “chain reaction of consequences.” These if-then statements emphasize the importance of Christ’s resurrection on the Christian faith. In this verse, Paul says if Jesus didn’t rise, then Paul’s preaching and that of others like him amounts to nothing at best. It is downright deceptive at worst.
The heart of the gospel is that Jesus “died for our sins” and “rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Paul likely had in mind passages such as Psalm 16:8–11 that claim God’s “Holy One” will not “see corruption” (compare Acts 2:25–28, 31; 13:33–37). Paul is saying that if there is no resurrection and Jesus is not alive, then the Old Testament Scriptures presenting the Messiah in these terms are also worthless.
14b. And your faith is also vain.
A hypothetical deception such as this says something negative against both the preachers and those who accept their message. They (and we) put faith in a lie if Jesus is not raised.
15. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
The chain-reaction argument continues. If Jesus is not risen, then those who boldly proclaim Jesus’ resurrection are false witnesses of God. They violate the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16; compare Proverbs 19:5, 9). The collection of people who become false witnesses if Christ is not raised includes Cephas, the rest of the twelve disciples, a group of 500 believers, James, all of the apostles, and Paul himself (1 Corinthians 15:5–8). Two of those witnesses, Cephas and John, did not hesitate to voice their unshakable convictions before the Sanhedrin: “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
What Do You Think?
If Christ did not rise, what else is in vain or false? Who does a false resurrection affect, and in what ways?
Digging Deeper
How does considering the resurrection false deepen your understanding of its significance?
B. Futile Hope (vv. 16–19)
16–17. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
As if to underscore the seriousness of his argument, Paul repeats words from verses 13–14 above. Then he adds an independent clause: ye are yet in your sins. Paul’s argument personally affects his listeners. Presuming Christ did not rise, then they are holding to useless faith, and the hope of forgiveness and new life is gone.
Jesus’ death and resurrection are inseparable. Jesus “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). Without the resurrection, Jesus’ crucifixion is nothing more than the death of a self-deceived, self-named Messiah. In this scenario, He, too, is a false witness of God. The ultimate tragedy of such an alternative is that humans are, therefore, still dead in sins.
18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
Paul moves from the tragic results of “no resurrection” for living Christians to addressing the dire consequences for Christians who have already died. The Greek word translated asleep is used in both biblical and non-biblical literature. It can mean literal, ordinary sleep or figuratively represent the idea of passing away. In the New Testament, the former usage appears four times (example: Luke 22:45) and the latter thirteen times (example: Acts 13:36). We see one sense confused with the other in the case of Lazarus (John 11:11–15).
19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
Earlier in the letter, Paul lists hope among the three qualities that “abideth” (1 Corinthians 13:13). He writes, “We are saved by hope” in Romans 8:24. Hope for the future sets Christians apart from “others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
In this context, Paul refers to hope as a “confident expectation.” It is not the same as today’s concept of “wishful thinking.” Paul’s point is that because Jesus conquered death, we have a “blessed hope” that eagerly awaits His return in glory (Titus 2:13).
Everything the Scriptures say about true Christian hope is null and void if Jesus is not risen from the dead. Christian hope is based upon the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. If that foundation crumbles, our hope crumbles with it. That Jesus has risen, never to die again, instills in His followers a “lively hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Jesus’ resurrection gives the Christian faith a power and distinctive that no other religion provides. If Jesus’ resurrection is untrue, that distinctive is destroyed.
What Do You Think?
What is the greatest gift resulting from Jesus’ resurrection?
Digging Deeper
How does a false claim of resurrection affect the Christian concept of hope?
Hopeful or Hopeless?
I walked with my son every afternoon during the spring of 2020. As you probably remember, it was a challenging year. Many things felt dead and broken. Suffering, frustration, disappointment, and discouragement filled the atmosphere. Loneliness prevailed.
As a purposeful break from online school and the confines of our home, we trekked outside. My son picked the route, and it became “our walk.” Our habit led to noticing the slow and steady process of winter turning into spring. Dead branches set buds. Buds opened to leaves and flowers. Bulbs bloomed with vibrancy and life. We challenged each other to behold new things and new colors every day. It became an encouraging and fruitful game. As spring proclaimed resurrection and renewal, we felt hope blossom in our souls. When was the last time you chose to be hopeful instead of hopeless? How can you purposefully share the hope of new life with those around you? —B. R. T.
C. Faithful Firstfruits (v. 20)
20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
The gloom of the previous verses is replaced with Paul’s declaration that Christ is risen. Paul supplements his declaration with a noteworthy affirmation: Christ is the firstfruits of them that slept. The term firstfruits is derived from the Law of Moses. After the harvest, the people of Israel were to bring the first portion of their crops to the priest as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 23:9–11).
There was even a specific “day of firstfruits” (Exodus 23:16; Numbers 28:26–31). This practice emphasized two realities. The first: harvests come from the Lord. The Israelites are just tenants or stewards of the land God gave them, and He blesses them with harvests. The second reality is that more harvests will follow; the first fruits are just that—the rest is yet to come.
Paul links the implications of God’s provision and bountiful harvest to Jesus’ resurrection. As the first soul God raised, Jesus paved the way for other souls to follow. The harvest of souls is by the power of the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2). That power brought Jesus back from the dead (Romans 8:11; Hebrews 13:20), so a bountiful future harvest could become a reality.
Additionally, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees more to come. People were raised from the dead before Jesus (examples: 1 Kings 17:17–24; Luke 7:14–15). God’s sovereign power also performed these miracles, but those individuals eventually died again. Jesus’ resurrection is permanent. It is the prototype of what is to come, the hope of eternal life.
II. The Mystery
(1 Corinthians 15:51–57)
In 1 Corinthians 15:21–50, Paul teaches about sin, death, and the possibility of being made alive in Christ. He proclaims Jesus’ triumph over death, His ultimate rule with authority and power, and the heavenly inheritance available to those who align with Him. Paul challenges the Corinthians to consider their behavior (to “awake to righteousness, and sin not” in 15:34). Then Paul anticipates questions about the characteristics of a resurrected body. He explains that humans begin in “a natural body” but gain eternity in a “spiritual” one (15:44) and then points out that people must “bear the image of the heavenly” to “inherit the kingdom of God” (15:49–50). Paul’s teaching points to Jesus’ ultimate and complete victory over death.
A. Changed People (vv. 51–53)
51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
The Greek word that is translated as mystery in this verse occurs 27 times in the New Testament, most often by Paul (20 times). When Paul uses the term “mystery,” he is not speaking of an unsolvable problem with no resolution. His definition indicates a vital spiritual truth that was hidden for a time but is now revealed (Romans 11:25). In the text before us, the mystery he’s talking about concerns what the future holds for Christians. Sleep is a euphemism for death (see commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:18, above). Paul says the collective experience will not be death but rather change. His teaching here is consistent with what he writes elsewhere on the subject, especially in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 regarding the connection between our resurrection and the return of Jesus.
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The phrase in the twinkling of an eye indicates an event that will happen suddenly. Scripture highlights the suddenness of God’s judgment (examples: Psalm 73:19; Isaiah 29:5–6; 30:13; 47:11; Jeremiah 6:26; 18:22; Mark 13:35–36). The idea that the change will be instantaneous, not gradual, also predominates. Although God is “longsuffering … not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), when the time comes for His judgment to be carried out at the return of Jesus, it will happen quickly.
A feature of the Lord’s return will be the sounding of a trump[et]. A trumpet blast is associated with the coming of God’s judgment throughout Scripture (Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1; Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; compare Revelation 8:2–9:14).
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Paul states that the trumpet’s sound will be accompanied by a shout from Jesus and the voice of the archangel. At that time, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, no longer subject to the problems and limitations of a broken, sin-cursed world. When Jesus returns, the remainder of the “crop” following the “firstfruits” of His resurrection will be “harvested.” And we shall be changed!
The alteration of our beings applies to both believers and unbelievers. Jesus speaks of a resurrection of the good and the evil, the former being a “resurrection of life” and the latter being a “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28–29; compare Daniel 12:2–3). In this sense, resurrection will apply to both the “just and unjust” (Acts 24:15).
What Do You Think?
What types of change can believers expect when the time comes to inherit the kingdom of God?
Digging Deeper
Compare the use of a trumpet blast in Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1; Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; and Revelation 8:2–9:14.
53a. For this corruptible must put on incorruption.
Our physical bodies are perishable; they are corruptible. Since “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50), a radical transformation is required. That transformation will happen at the resurrection. The corruptible will give way to incorruption.
53b. And this mortal must put on immortality.
We must take care to understand this phrase correctly. When we put on immortality we will not become gods ourselves. To believe otherwise is to confuse the word immortality with the word eternality. The former means “without end”; the latter means “without beginning or end”—an incommunicable attribute belonging only to God.
B. Victorious Promise (vv. 54–57)
54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The word mortal reminds us of words like mortuary and mortician, which have close associations with death. But such vocabulary has no place in our promised transformation.
The saying Death is swallowed up in victory is likely drawn from Isaiah 25:8. The second half of that verse features God’s promise to wipe away all tears. We see the promise’s ultimate fulfillment in the glimpses of heaven given in Revelation 7:17 and 21:4. The absence of tears in heaven is a by-product of Jesus’ victory over death.
55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Paul personifies death and the grave and addresses them to highlight Jesus’ triumph. He adapts the words from Hosea 13:14. Death and the grave cannot respond to Paul’s challenge, for death is a defeated enemy.
56. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
God warned Adam that death was the consequence of disobedience (Genesis 2:17). “The wages of sin is death,” writes Paul in Romans 6:23. Additionally, God’s law, as seen most clearly in the Ten Commandments, gives strength to sin by making sins undeniable (Romans 7:7–11). Sin ensures we can never measure up to the standards set by God’s law.
57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ gives us victory. The threats mentioned in the previous verse are all dismantled. The cross and empty tomb of Jesus are victorious (Romans 8:1–4, 11, 34). Gratitude rises for all God has accomplished. We say with Paul, thanks be to God.
Unforeseen Losses
One year, I taught a group of high school students who experienced loss on a scale I have never witnessed before or since. This tight-knit group of friends spent weekends at each other’s houses, attended church together, and sat in the same classes daily. The losses came in waves and changed them forever.
There were about 15 students in the class. Three lost a parent suddenly. When the first student’s parent died, the class mourned for weeks. They felt like family, having personally spent time in that home. The second loss happened months later, but just as unexpectedly. Devastated, they asked, “How could this happen again?” Then fear surfaced, “What if my parent is next?” Unbelievably, the same devastating loss struck the class a third time.
Nothing shakes the foundations of our faith like an unforeseen loss. Bereavement blindsides its victims, laying a minefield of grief. Because of Christ’s resurrection, however, death does not have the final word. How does the hope of resurrection change your perspective on death? How do you keep an eternal mindset? —B. R.
What Do You Think?
What does it mean for death to lose its sting and the grave to lose its victory?
Digging Deeper
How does death’s defeat shift your outlook on sickness, dying, hospice care, grief, and bereavement?
III. The Work
(1 Corinthians 15:58)
58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The word therefore links the crucial truths of Jesus’ resurrection to the mechanics of how the Corinthians (and all Christians) are to live. Stated differently, it links doctrine with practical counsel. The doctrine of our future resurrection is the foundation for present-moment kingdom service. Thus, Christians are called to remain stedfast and unmoveable in commitment to the work of the Lord.
What Do You Think?
How does Jesus’ resurrection help you to be steadfast, unmovable, and work with faithfulness for the Lord?
Digging Deeper
How does the mystery attached to Jesus’ resurrection increase your sense of joy, wonder, and celebration this Resurrection Day?
Conclusion
A. Comma, Not Period
The Lesson Introduction noted the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and her contributions to the psychological study of death and dying. Despite her extensive research and writing on the topic, she named death the “greatest mystery in science.” Paul also used the word mystery in conjunction with death (1 Corinthians 15:51). There is much we cannot fully comprehend as humans in a fallen world.
Death is indeed a mystery. It is not a friend; it is an enemy. The good news is that Christ’s cross and empty tomb defeat death for all time (1 Corinthians 15:26; 2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 20:14). Death’s defeat is what Easter Sunday celebrates! Loss still hurts; of that, there is no question. But the power of death is vanquished by the resurrection. Because Jesus is risen, death is not the period at the end of life’s “sentence”; it is only a comma. As Christians, we believe the “comma” of death is just a pause leading to something far greater than anything this world can ever provide.
B. Prayer
Father, thank You for the hope of Jesus’ resurrection. Thank You for the comfort it brings us to know that death is not the end. We praise You for the promise of eternal life in Jesus. May we live differently, knowing the trials of this life are not the final word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Christ is risen!