1 Corinthians 15:20

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that have died. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; and afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God... For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:20–26)

Death is the destination the whole world shares—but Christ rose first, and He calls us to share His victory.

The Destination We All Share

On Wednesday afternoon of this last week, news broke that Steve Jobs, founder and former CEO of Apple, died of pancreatic cancer. His battle began in 2004, and early on he and his doctors expected he had beaten it. In June 2005, in a commencement address to the graduating class of Stanford University, he said this:

"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like this: 'If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do today?' Remembering that I will be dead soon is the most important tool I've encountered to help me make the big choices in life. No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new."

There is a certain finality all humanity shares when looking into the future. Jobs observed that death is the destination we all share. But was he correct that this is as it should be? Is death truly "the invention of life"?

Death: Enemy, Not Change Agent

Interestingly, in the transcript on Stanford's website, the word "Life" is capitalized as if it were a proper noun. There is a recognition that life is someone, that life comes from somewhere and has an origin—it did not just happen. The Bible declares that God is the ultimate source of life. But did God invent death as life's change agent? That is not what Scripture reveals.

Theologically, the wages of sin is death. Death comes not as a divine change agent, but as the enemy of life—the punishment, the result of sin. It is not something God made to clear the deck. That old enemy, that slave master, speaks to us from time to time and frightens us. It rarely happens when you are young, and almost never when you are with others; it is when you are alone that he draws near. When a loved one is sick, when someone close has died, then death comes to speak with us. This is why so many dislike funerals—because there you recognize the statistic that ten out of ten people die.

Death has a wicked sting. He stings because of our sin, the Scriptures reveal. Our sin gives death his powerful sting, and so we are terrified at his presence. Through one man's sin, death was given entrance into the domain of man, and ever since he has reigned with the strong hand of a tyrant. That is dreadful news. But then we are confronted with the glorious reality of verse 20: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that have died."

The One Who Escaped Death

As nicely written as Jobs's address was, he is not entirely right that "no one has ever escaped" death. For 2,000 years there have been witnesses to the truth that one Man rose to new life and is alive. More than 500 eyewitnesses saw Jesus of Nazareth alive after His death on a cross. Many went to their deaths as martyrs—beheaded, crucified, beaten, thrown to lions—proclaiming that they had seen the risen Lord. None stepped back and recanted.

But if death reigns as a tyrant, how did Jesus rise? Because the sting of death is sin, and He was without sin. Hebrews 4:15 says He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Death could not hold Him because He had no sin.

Then why did He die at all? Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Peter says Jesus "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," yet "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:22–24). And again, "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). John adds that He "was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin" (1 John 3:5).

Sin was judged in Him, but there was no sin in Him. It was our sin laid upon Him, so He bore the punishment for us, and death could not hold Him. In John 14 Jesus told His disciples, "Because I live, ye shall live also." In John 11, when Lazarus had died and Martha said, "If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died," Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live... Believest thou this?"

What "Firstfruits" Means

Paul calls Jesus the firstfruits of those who have died. There are at least three good ways to understand this.

First, Jesus is the first to experience resurrection. You may object that others in the Bible died and were raised—the widow's son through Elijah in 1 Kings, Jairus's daughter in Mark 5, Lazarus in John 11, the widow's son at Nain in Luke 7, even Eutychus, who fell asleep during Paul's long preaching in Acts 20, dropped three stories, died, and came back to life. But every one of those people was raised in the same body and would die again, because death reigns over all who have sinned. Jesus alone died and rose in a new body, ascended forty days later, and is still alive. As He says in Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore." He is the first—but not the only one—because those in Him will follow.

Second, the Greek word translated "firstfruits" is used in other writings of an entrance fee. We understand entrance fees—Disneyland, the movie theater. Jesus is the firstfruits passing from death into eternal life, and He has paid in full the price for our sin so we can enter eternal life.

Third, in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, this word speaks of the offerings of the Feast of Firstfruits. Israel observed seven feasts annually; in the spring came Passover, then Unleavened Bread, and the third day after, the Feast of Firstfruits. Jesus rose on the first day of that feast. The Feast of Firstfruits celebrated God bringing Israel out of the deadness of slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land. So Jesus makes the way open for us to come out of the death and slavery of sin and into the true, eternal Promised Land of everlasting life.

In Adam All Die; In Christ Made Alive

Where did death come from? Verse 21: "For since by man came death." Jobs said life created death; the Bible says death came from man. In Genesis 2 God told man he could freely eat of every tree but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve partook, their eyes were opened, and they hid from God. They died spiritually immediately—the joining of God's Spirit and man's spirit was severed—and afterward they would die physically.

So by man came death, but by man also came the resurrection, because Jesus, fully God and fully man, died and could not be held by death. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Circle those words: in Christ.

About four months ago Rob Bell wrote a book called Love Wins, teaching universal salvation—that in the end God is so loving that everyone, regardless of belief, goes to heaven. Those who hold this often point to this verse: all died in Adam, all are made alive in Christ. But notice verse 23: "afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." All humanity was in Adam when he sinned, because we all came from him—John Courson calls it "the great Adam bomb," with fallout ever since. But not all humanity is in Christ. Only those in Christ experience resurrection unto eternal life.

It is pictured in Joshua. When Israel came against Jericho, the harlot Rahab hid the two spies, and they promised that everyone in her house would be safe when the city fell—but anyone outside, their blood was on their own head. They had to be in the house. We must be in Christ. For He came the first time with grace and mercy; He will come the second time to judge the living and the dead. As Romans 5 says, sin entered by one man, and death by sin, but grace abounds to many through Jesus Christ—only for those in Him. That is why Paul says in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."

The End and the Last Enemy

To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6–8); those who die before His coming are not excluded from the resurrection. But there is a day He will come again. What comes after? Verse 24: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father." He must reign—He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and nothing can hinder His reign—"till he hath put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

In the kingdom of God there will be no more death, because this enemy will be destroyed. Jesus's second coming means absolute and complete victory, and God the Father will be fully glorified. He will put down all earthly governments and establish His reign in righteousness, and all who opposed God will be brought under His authority.

We should look forward to that. If it causes you concern, you need to repent. For those in Christ, His coming means victory—we are more than conquerors. For those not in Him, it means the righteous wrath of God revealed against all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Matthew 25 pictures it: like a shepherd He will separate the sheep from the goats, calling the sheep into His kingdom and saying to the rest, "Depart into everlasting darkness and torment."

All Things Under His Feet

Verses 27 and 28 can confuse on first reading. Paul quotes Psalm 8: "Thou hast put all things under his feet." Jesus is the focus. In John 5 He says the Father has given Him all authority; in Matthew 28, "All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me; therefore go and make disciples."

But practically, on October 9th, 2011, do we see Jesus ruling over all the world? No—we see governments, kingdoms, kings, parliaments, judges. So Hebrews 2:8 says, "thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet... But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." He is King, and He has opened the way into the kingdom. Jesus preached, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

We struggle with this because in America we have a patriotic attachment to our nation, which is not the kingdom of God and which will be dissolved. There are good things in our nation, but we cannot ignore the bad. A student at the Bible college texted me last week arguing that it was wrong for people to refuse to fight for our nation. I told him that is patriotism, not Christianity, and he should be thankful we have those rights. He concluded, "I just think they should have a little more love for country." I have no problem with that—unless it gets in the way of our love for God. We are citizens of heaven; He is our rightful King and will one day reign over all. We do not yet see it practically, but in our lives, who are part of His kingdom, we should manifest His rule. That is why He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

When that day comes, death will be defeated, because Jesus is King over all things. The resurrection shows that He is greater even than death—that which is inescapable by humanity. Kings, presidents, and powers cannot escape it. Though we try, with Botox and facelifts, death still comes. You might look very good in a casket with a lot of plastic that won't biodegrade for a century—but you're gone.

The New Living Translation helps with verses 27–28: God has put all things under Jesus's authority—except, of course, the Father who gave Him that authority. Then, when all things are under His authority, the Son will put Himself under God's authority, so that God will be utterly supreme over everything, everywhere. This speaks of the triune nature of God: Father, Son, and Spirit, co-equal and united, yet the Father has given the Son all authority, and the Son still submits to the Father—so that God will be glorified throughout eternity.

The whole creation obeys God—the stars are where He set them, and when He calls down and says, "Big fish, swallow that man—don't chew," it obeys. But we don't obey; in our rebellion we have subjected creation to futility. It will not always be so. Man is not God, and God will have His rule. Better to subject ourselves now, for a day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is God. No angels will force you down—when you stand in His presence you will do as Isaiah did and say, "I am undone."

Baptized for the Dead

Verse 29 has caused much confusion: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" This is the sole proof text the Mormon Church uses for vicarious baptism, or baptism by proxy, believing someone living can be baptized on behalf of a deceased non-Mormon to help them into the kingdom—which is why they are so interested in genealogy. That is false teaching. Nothing in the New Testament supports it; the early church recognized it as heresy, though some Gnostic and pagan groups practiced it.

Adam Clark calls this "certainly the most difficult verse of the New Testament." There are three primary interpretations. First, held by John Calvin and many after him: that these baptisms refer to people baptized just before death. I don't find that convincing in context. Second: that Paul refers to a Hellenistic pagan practice of proxy baptism, saying even pagans recognized life after death. Third, held by John Chrysostom, Adam Clark, and others, and which I think fits the context best: that this baptism for the dead speaks of martyrdom.

Clark writes: "If there be no resurrection of the dead, those who in becoming Christians expose themselves to all manner of persecution, crosses, severe sufferings, and violent death can have no compensation, nor any motive sufficient to induce them to expose themselves to such miseries." If there is no life after this, why would anyone follow Jesus and proclaim His name if it means certain death? We live under amazing peace, but go to Iran, Sudan, or Pakistan—stand up for Christ and you may be killed. Just last week an Iranian pastor was on trial to be put to death for his faith.

Clark continues: as believers receive baptism as an emblem of death, going down under the water, so they receive it as an emblem of resurrection unto eternal life, coming up out of the water—thus they are baptized "for the dead" in the full faith of resurrection.

Where do we see baptism speaking of this? In Matthew 20, when James and John's mother asked that her sons sit at Jesus's right and left, He said, "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"—speaking of martyrdom. They said, "We are able." He answered, "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with." In being baptized with Christ, going down under the water, you tell the world, "I relinquish all right to myself. Whether by life or by death, Christ will be magnified in my body. To live is Christ, to die is gain."

Awake to Righteousness

So Paul asks, from a purely existential view, why would anyone continually place himself in danger by saying, "I will follow Jesus"? Verse 32: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?" Why submit to being beaten with rods, whipped, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and beheaded for Jesus's name if there is no resurrection? His conclusion would then be the same as the atheist's: "Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die." If Christ is not raised, denying yourself, giving your money, your time, your life for the gospel is pointless.

Some people actually conclude that. So Paul says in verse 33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." That kind of thinking—that life is only about this world, that this is all there is—will spoil your faith.

He concludes in verse 34: "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." Righteous living apart from the resurrection is pointless—you might as well live it up. But if the resurrection is true, awake to righteousness, because this world needs to see a demonstration from the church that we actually believe this is not all there is.

To our shame, many people get a false impression from the church, because we, like no other people in history, live as though we must hold on to this life and hoard it. People look at us and rightly wonder whether we really believe there is life after this—because if we did, that would not be our focus. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." What do people see when they look at my life? My lips may say I believe, but does my life show that I believe this is all going to burn, and eternity is a breath away?

Closing Prayer

Father, we need Your help by Your Spirit to live in that way, because there is no possible way in our flesh that we can. Would You equip us by Your Spirit to walk in such a manner that says, "I do not count my life dear unto myself." Thank You for the example we have in the Scriptures—Jesus Yourself, and Your apostles who lived in that way. Work that out in our lives today, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.