The Present Age is Easter Time

One author has written this: ‘the present age is Easter time. It begins with the resurrection of the Redeemer and ends with the resurrection of the redeemed. Between lies the spiritual resurrection of those called into life through Christ. So we live between two Easters, and in the power of the first Easter we go to meet the last Easter.’ Isn’t that a wonderful thought? In the power of the first Easter, which we celebrate today, we go to meet the last Easter. Because of the resurrection of the Redeemer, we can look forward to the resurrection of the redeemed.

We read about the Redeemer, Jesus, in verses 20-22, look at those with me. The resurrection is all about the Redeemer. Remember Paul has just said in verse 19 that if the resurrection is not true, then we are of all men most miserable. But now, he says, Jesus is risen from the dead! This is news that should make us rejoice, and he tells us why in these verses. First of all, we see that Jesus is the first fruits. In the Old Testament farming community, the first fruits were what you offered to God at the Temple. As soon as your wheat, or your corn, or whatever sprung up, you’d take an offering to the Temple. And the first fruits were a guarantee there were more fruits on the way. 

You can see then, how Jesus is the first fruits of them that slept. First of all, He is our offering to God. When we come and pray, we do it in Jesus name, when we ask for our sins to be forgive, we point to the work that Jesus has done. We have no merit before God except Jesus’ merit. We have nothing to offer except what Jesus has done. And just like a first fruit, because Jesus has risen, we can rest assured that one day, we, and all our loved ones, will rise in glory and be with God, just as Jesus is.

How does Jesus resurrection prove all these things? Because Jesus undid all the damage done by Adam. Look at verse 22, ‘for as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive.’ Adam was our representative, and he sinned, and that sin was counted to all of us. We’re born sinful, you only have to walk though the daycare to know that. But we can be born again, and then Jesus will be our representative, and in Him, all who trust Him are made alive. Adam brings death, Christ brings life. Adam separates us from God, Christ brings us to Him. 

How can we be miserable, if these things are true?

In verse 23 Paul turns his attention to us, to the redeemed. Read that verse with me. Again, the first thing we see in this verse is that our resurrection is as safe, and as real as Jesus’. I love how Paul constantly shows us that all we need to be saved, and safe, is a relationship with Jesus. Paul doesn’t tell us to do anything to gain our own resurrection, he just tells us that Jesus was raised, and we will be too! He frees us from constantly feeling like we’re not doing enough, or that we’re not good enough, he frees us from comparing us to other people. If we are saved, we will rise on the last day, just as sure as Jesus did. 

This should be a great spur to us. There is nothing standing in the way of our relationship with God, so we can get up tomorrow and rejoice in Him, and love Him, and serve Him and obey Him, all because He has saved us.

And it should be a great comfort to us. There’s no need for us to fear death, because death just brings us closer to God. And our loved ones that have passed away this year will be raised, just as Jesus was.  You can see why if this is not true, verse 19 is right, and we’re miserable. But it is true? How can we do anything other than rejoice?

And Jesus resurrection has an impact that goes far beyond our own relationship with Jesus. Look at verses 24-28 with me as we think about the restoration. I wonder if the restoration of all things is one of the most overlooked doctrines in the church today. We believe Jesus will return and we’ll be with Him, but where? Well the Bible tells us that we’ll live, not on a cloud, but in a physical, perfect, restored world. Just as we’ll be restored, so will everything we see around us this morning. That’s why Romans 8:23 tells us that the whole creation groans waiting for our redemption. So it can be restored. 

Christ will do this, at the end, by putting all enemies under His feet. What happens at the end of the Bible? Jesus wins! Jesus reigns over the Earth, over the universe, on His throne, and all His enemies are gone forever. Every thought system, every policy, every law, every personal sin, all defeated forever. And Jesus on the throne! What an amazing though that is. And forever. There will never be a rebellion, there will never be an overthrow. And we’ll be with Him forever!

Paul reminds us the last enemy to be defeated is death. You can defeat nearly every sinful pattern in your life, you can have the closest walk with Jesus of anyone, but the enemy of death will still defeat you in the end. But not for long. We know Jesus has defeated death, he has struck it a mortal wound. We know the King has landed, and is marching toward the throne. We know that death, though not defeated, has been disarmed. We know those who die in faith go to be with Jesus. and one day, no one will die, and we’ll all be with Jesus, redeemed, resurrected and restored forever, and God will reign unopposed, and He will be our all in all. 

Paul says if these things are not true, then we would all be miserable. And we should be miserable, because we’d be wasting our lives. But these things are true. The first Easter leads inexorably toward the second Easter, where we’ll see the risen Jesus, He’ll wipe every tear from our eye, and we’ll rejoice forever with Him.