Scripture:
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the resurrection of the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20–28; 50–57
Devotional Thought:
Paul gives us the sequence of the kingdom’s final restoration: Christ raised as the firstfruits. Then those who belong to him, at his coming. Then the end — when he hands the kingdom to the Father, having destroyed every enemy, the last being death itself. And then: God, all in all.
The resurrection of Jesus is not a standalone miracle. It is the beginning of the end — the firstfruits of a harvest that will include everyone who belongs to him. What happened to Jesus on Easter morning is what will happen to you. The perishable clothed with the imperishable. The mortal putting on immortality. Death swallowed up in victory.
This is not mythology. This is not wishful thinking. Paul insists: this will happen in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. The trumpet will sound and everything will change. The kingdom that began in a garden, that was promised to Abraham, that was embodied in Jesus, that has been proclaimed by the church — it will be fully, finally, completely restored. And death — the last enemy, the thing that has stalked every human life since Genesis 3 — will be destroyed.
Where, O death, is your sting? This is the taunt of those who have already won. You are living on the victory side of the cross. The outcome is not in question. The kingdom will be restored.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the certainty of your own resurrection — the imperishable clothing the perishable — change how you think about your body, your death, and the lives of those you love who have died in Christ?
2. In what ways are you living as though death still has a sting — as though it has the final word over something in your life?
Application:
Read 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 aloud as a declaration today. Let the taunt of death’s defeat become your prayer of gratitude. Then carry that confidence into whatever feels most uncertain or frightening in your life right now.