In 1 Corinthians 15:12-58, we have the most extensive teaching on the resurrection in the Bible.  It is both informative (though it does not answer all our questions) and inspiring.  The doctrine of the resurrection is one of the foundational teachings of Christianity.  Paul reasons that if there is no resurrection, then Christ has not risen (ver. 13), and the consequences of that are far-reaching and disastrous for us.  If Christ was not raised from the dead, then…

• Our faith is vain (ver. 14).
• We have misrepresented God (ver. 15).
• We are still in our sins (ver. 17).
• Our loved ones who have died have perished (ver. 18).
• We are of all people most to be pitied (ver. 19).

Thankfully, we do not have to worry about this because the reality is…Christ has risen.

1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV)
²⁰  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Paul called Jesus “the firstfruits” because He is the first one to be raised from the dead, never to die again.  Jesus said about Himself, “I am He that lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18).  But also, because His resurrection is evidence that we, too, shall one day be raised from the dead.  That is what is so inspiring about this great passage—it assures us that in Christ we have eternal life.  Jesus once told Martha, “…whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”

Do we believe the words of Jesus?  We should.  That we will someday experience the resurrection of life (John 5:29), is the hope that anchors our souls (Hebrews 6:19).  What kind of resurrection will it be?

The Bible teaches us that we will experience a bodily resurrection.  Our present bodies, created for this physical world, will be changed into glorious bodies like the one Jesus now possesses.

1 John 3:2 (ESV)
²  Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

This is the teaching of 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV)
⁴²  So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

What a great hope we have in Christ.  One day, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52) and possess a body fit for eternal life in heaven.  What should we do in light of this promise?  “…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).        

As you wind down for the night, think about these things