Beyond the Weekend: The Final Hours
From the Last Supper to the cross, Jesus’s final hours reveal his heart for the world. This series walks through the moments leading to Good Friday and the celebration of Easter, showing us his surrender, suffering and the hope found in his sacrifice.
Easter and Our Future
READ: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 LISTEN: 1 Corinthians 15
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?” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
God commanded the Israelites to offer their firstfruits to him—a portion of the initial crop produced for that season (Deuteronomy 26:2,10). Paul uses this language to describe Jesus’s resurrection. His resurrection is the firstfruits, or a preview, of what is coming. Because Jesus rose from the dead, his followers will also be raised to new, resurrected life. Followers of Jesus will be changed and “clothed with the imperishable,” so God’s people will be raised to new life, never to die again.
The resurrection gives us hope and comfort regarding our future. Death is not the last word. We may suffer pain, disease and death in this life. However, because of Jesus’s resurrection, we know the story is not over. The resurrection is our antidote to both fear and overwhelming grief. Because Jesus conquered death, we don’t have to fear death. There is life after the grave. Because Jesus rose, we can grieve but not like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Since there is life after the grave, we rest in Jesus’s finished work while we wait to be reunited with loved ones in the Lord who have passed away.
TODAY: Join Ada Bible Worship as they sing “The Finished Work of Christ.” As you worship, consider these lines: “You came out of the grave, You came bursting to life, You shattered the darkness with Your glorious light.”
