The Death of Death
1Corinthians 15:20-26
I want to tell you something that you may or may not be aware of: people die. That’s right, everyone dies. Every person in this room today, every person who was born of a woman has an appointment they must keep. There’s no earthly way out of it. One day we all will fall victim to the great enemy, death. Every second, every tick on the clock, someone, somewhere dies. It is the horrible truth of life that death follows close behind, but there is one exception to this truth: if Jesus returns before we meet death face to face, then those of us who are Christians will not die. The Scriptures tell us 1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
The Bible also tells us that 1Sa 20:3 …there is but a step between me and death. It is so close, but we feel so secure. But our hearts beat day in and day out—thump, thump…thump, thump…thump, thump—it’s like a muffled drum beating a funeral march to the grave. One day, we are going to die. That continuous thumping in our breast will simply stop and we will be no more. And you know, people talk about dying a “natural” death, but death isn’t natural. Death is unnatural because it is the root and the fruit of sin.
In our verses today, Paul wrote 1Co 15:20-21 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death… You see, that’s why I say that death isn’t natural. It wasn’t part of God’s intent us. It came about because of man’s sin. God created man to fellowship with Him forever. That was supposed to be our natural state—fellowship with God, but when man sinned, death came upon all mankind.
Now, Paul goes on to say 1Co 15:21-26 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Death is unnatural, but one day, death itself will die. It is that last enemy of mankind and it will be destroyed at the end of the ages when Jesus puts all enemies under His feet. Death will die, which obviously is why I titled this sermon “The Death of Death.”
You know, we don’t normally like to talk about death, and if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I don’t blame you for that one bit. When you talk to an unsaved man about death, he’ll typically change the subject. Like changing channels on the radio, he’ll flip it over to another station. Man is the only creature who knows he’s going to die, and he tries desperately to forget it. Death is that big elephant in the room that everyone sees but everyone tries to ignore until it steps on us or someone we know.
Death is a fact of life, and it is our greatest foe, but I’m telling you right now that death is a defeated foe because if you know Jesus Christ, or better said, if you are known by Jesus Christ, then you can stare death in the eye and laugh in his face because Jesus conquered death—it couldn’t hold Him!
I. Christ’s Resurrection Defeated Death’s Hold
Ever since the Garden, death has held us in its grip. It has had the power to keep us in its grip. In other words, the dead stayed dead, but when Jesus laid down His life for us, death couldn’t keep Him. He willingly gave Himself up for us. He said Joh 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. Jesus Christ was the only person who ever decided to die. Now, you might think that a person who commits suicide decides to die, but he really doesn’t. Like everyone else, he’s going to die anyway, so all he did was to decide the time and the method of his death.
You see, Jesus was sinless. He wasn’t subject to the penalty of sin. He never sinned, so the seed of death wasn’t in Him. He decided to lay down His sinless life so that all who believe in Him would be saved and have eternal life. So, when He died for us, death probably thought he won just like he had always won, but after 3 days, Jesus rose from His resting place—He got up from that stone slap He was lying on and calmly removed the napkin that had been placed over His face, folded it up and laid it on that slab with His other linen wrappings and left it there.
In Romans it says that Rom 5:14 …death reigned, so Jesus pulled death from its throne and threw it to the ground. He then put His heel on death’s neck and put the crown on His own head and then He walked right out of Sheol and that tomb a risen and victorious Savior. Jesus didn’t just survive death, He defeated death and in doing that, He became…
A. The First Fruits. 1Co 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
It was required of Israel to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the temple to be offered to the Lord. The priest would then take a sheaf, or a handful of the grain and in an elaborate ceremony, he would wave it before the Lord. It was called a “wave offering” and it was a promise that because there are first fruits, a full harvest is to come. And friends, Jesus is the first fruits, and we are the harvest. He came out of His grave, and we will also come out of our graves. First fruit means that there is more to come, and so we wait for the harvest when He comes again and gathers us together to Himself.
Jesus is the first fruits, but He is also…
B. The Last Adam. 1Co 15:22-23 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
Folks, the first Adam ruined it, but the last Adam fixed it. The first Adam lost it, but the last Adam restored it. The first Adam gave us death, but the last Adam gave us eternal life. When Adam sinned in the Garden death entered into God’s perfect creation. But Jesus redeemed us from the curse of sin and because He rose from the dead, we know that we also will rise one day.
Now, you might ask if I really believe in the resurrection of the dead? I sure do. But you know what? I not only believe it, but I am absolutely sure about it. There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is evidence that Julius Caesar ever lived. Now, remember who it is that wrote this letter to the Corinthians. Paul was an eyewitness to seeing the risen Lord. In verse 8 he said that 1Co 15:8 …last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. You see, he wasn’t a witness to the Lord’s resurrection, but he was a witness that He had risen. On that road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Him and changed his life forever. He also told us in verses 5-7 about a lot of other people who had seen the Lord Jesus alive after His resurrection. The disciples, then Peter and James in private, also 500 people at the same time.
There are many witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His resurrection, and get this, most all of them went through many hardships, persecutions, torture, and death because of their testimony and their faith in Christ. They knew that He had risen, and they would not be deterred from that fact. They knew that this was no lie or mass hallucination. They saw Him. They ate with Him. They physically touched Him.
Folks, men may live for a lie, but let me tell you, no man will knowingly and willingly die for a lie. Martyrs and con artists are not made of the same stuff. Men don’t go to the whipping post for a fairy tale. Men tell lies to get out of trouble, but they won’t tell lies to get into trouble.
The eyewitness accounts of the Lord’s life and resurrection are faithful and true and so one day the Lord will return to this earth from the right hand of the Father. There will be a shout and that shout will be heard in the tombs of all the righteous dead since the beginning of time, and just like Lazarus, they will hear Jesus say Joh 11:43 …come forth! And the dead will walk out, the graves will give up the decayed bodies, the sea will vomit out all those who drowned, the battlefields of the world will give up the dead, and Satan’s empire will come crashing down.
When Christ returns, if I have died, I will hear His voice and come up out of my grave. He will then unite my resurrected and glorified physical body with my spirit which has been with Him in heaven, and I will live with Him and all the saints of God forever. What a glorious day that will be! Christ’s resurrection defeated death’s hold, and…
II. Christ’s Return will Decimate Death’s Killing Power
Death has always had the power to take lives, but when Christ returns, death’s power to kill will be over. See what the Scripture says in 1Co 15:51-53 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
When Jesus returns, millions, maybe even billions will never die. Paul told us to “behold” which is an old-fashioned way of saying, “Listen up!” or “Hear this” because something important is coming. This mystery that Paul is speaking of means that there’s something that has been hidden, something that has not been previously revealed which is about to be unveiled for us all to see. No one knew this before—none of the OT prophets had any idea. Now, they knew about the resurrection because even Job said Job 19:25-26 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; (26) And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God,
They knew about the resurrection, but they did not know about the Rapture, the great taking up of all the saints of God, both the dead and alive at His appearing. This is a truth of the Bible that has been revealed in the NT. The dead will be raised incorruptible and those who are alive “will be changed.” Those who are alive at Christ’s appearing will have to be changed because 1Co 15:50 …flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
Flesh and blood will not enter the kingdom of God, so we will have to be changed—changed into that which is incorruptible. The dead will be raised incorruptible, and those that are alive will be changed into that which is incorruptible. Look at it like this. In all of God’s creation, He has given His creatures bodies that are uniquely suited for their environment. Fish are given scales and gills to live in the water. Birds are given feathers and wings for their lives in the sky. Even the angels themselves are given bodies that are uniquely suited for life in eternity and in the presence of God.
Those who are alive when Jesus returns will instantly be changed and given bodies similar to the body that Jesus had when He rose from the dead. His mortal body was changed into a heavenly body that was uniquely suited for both earth and heaven, and 1Jn 3:2 …it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Alive or dead, we will be changed and will be caught up into the heavens to meet the Lord in the air. 1Th 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will 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.
Folks, no one knows when this will happen, but the Lord tells us to be ready because it will come when we least expect it. Many argue and try to persuade that the rapture will occur at this point or that point, but no one knows for sure. But what we do know is that we need to be aware of the signs of the times. But with that awareness, we also need to be aware that the disciples of the Lord Jesus have been looking to the heavens for His return ever since He ascended up into heaven. Every generation since then has believed that they were living in the last days, but here we are. We’re still here, we’re still looking to the heavens for His return. Each generation has thought that they were the generation He would return and we are still believing that ours is the generation which will see it.
From the day that I truly believed in Jesus until this very day, I have always believed that I would see Him return in the clouds with the heavenly hosts. Christians have this hope within them. The hope that the apostle Paul called our blessed hope when he wrote to Titus and said Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Oh friend. What a day that will be! But until that day finally does come, we are commanded by the Lord to Mar 13:33 Take heed, watch, and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
By His resurrection, Jesus defeated death’s hold, He decimated death’s killing power, and
III. Christ’s Reign will Dispatch Death’s Royal Power
Remember, the Scripture tells us that Rom 5:14 …death reigned. So, death ruled. It had dominion. It reigned over all who were alive because all died when Adam rebelled. But death is no longer a king since Jesus came. Death’s keeping power is defeated. Its killing power is decimated, and its royal power is dispatched!
The Scripture tells us that Jesus Christ 2Ti 1:10 …has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Don’t you love it? Death is abolished or the death of death! On that day when Jesus has raised the last saint, when Satan has been cast into the bottomless pit, and the Book of Life is opened and each one is judged according to his works Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire right along with everyone whose name wasn’t found in the book of life.
Death is going to hell, and we will finally sing along with all the saints of God 1Co 15:54-55 …"DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY." (55) "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?" Can you hear the mockery in that? It’s a holy mockery because God’s plan for the redemption of all things has finally come to pass and Jesus Christ will rule 1Co 15:25 …till He has put all enemies under His feet. And then 1Co 15:28 …when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
Friends, can you imagine the day of rejoicing that will be? When our Jesus we shall see. When we look upon His face, the One who saved us by His grace. Then He’ll take us by the hand and lead us to the Promised Land. What a day, glorious day that will be. The rejoicing. The partying. The great joy that will fill the heavens and the earth when the final enemy is defeated and cast into the lake of fire.
You know, I wasn’t around when WWII ended, but I’ve seen videos and pictures of the great joy of everyone in the streets. There was laughing, shouting, hugging, kissing, and dancing in the streets. Blacked out windows were flung wide open. Curtains that had been drawn shut to keep light inside were once again opened. Streetlights and neon signs that had been turned off for years for fear they would draw enemy fire were turned back on and the streets and cities were illuminated once again. And as great as that day was, as happy as that party was for everyone, it pales in comparison to the great joy that will be when Jesus comes back, and the final enemy is destroyed! When death finally dies.
Friends, those who have loved the Lord will be raised in the first resurrection when Jesus returns, and they will be with Him in the kingdom and eternity after. Those who have not loved Him will remain in their graves until the day of judgment that comes after Christ’s 1,000-year kingdom. This is the second resurrection, which Jesus called Joh 5:29 …the resurrection of condemnation, which is the resurrection of the unrighteous who are raised for judgment and then sent to the lake of fire. It’s the second death. Friends, those who love Jesus will only die once, but those who have not loved Him will die twice.
The Scripture says… Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power
You have a choice. You can be part of that first resurrection if you give your life to Jesus and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior. If you’ve done that already, then great.
But if you haven’t, or if you just keep putting it off, it will not matter if you have spent your life doing good and helping others because if you haven’t been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, then you are every bit as lost as Satan himself and your eternity will be spent right alongside of him in the lake of fire.
The choice is yours. Which will you choose?
Invitation
