April 20th, 2025

Today, Easter Sunday, Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, at Southside Church we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every Sunday yet today is an extra special day. This celebration is not a memorial, where we remember what Christ has done, but it is a day of great rejoicing. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul commands us to rejoice always, so we gather today to rejoice, not in an act, but in a Person, Jesus Christ. Rejoice means to praise, and this is related to giving thanks. When Paul told us to rejoice always, he was speaking of an attitude. Today we will explore what it means to rejoice and give thanks for the Resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gives us four reasons for giving thanks to God.

I. We Give Thanks for a Risen Savior (vv. 3-11)

Rejoicing is a celebration of the grace reflected in our salvation. Thanksgiving informs, gives the content and the substance to the praise, and it is a response to grace. We give thanks especially on this Sunday because the resurrection of Jesus changes everything about our life. With all the preparation and anticipation leading up to Resurrection Sunday, we think the specialness of this day will remain with us; however, without substance, the realities of life, the hardships, the disappointments, and the disasters in our life, our praise, our song and our worship will fade. We find that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

• Our Foundation

If our faith rests on surface-level spirituality, vague feelings about God, religiosity, empty tradition, and false piety, then, when the rains come, our foundation will not hold. However, if we are in Christ, our faith has a solid foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Our thanksgiving will not be surface level but will be built on the sure foundation of God’s Word and God’s work. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Paul is saying that the message he was delivering was based on the teaching of the apostles and the well-established Old Testament Scriptures. These words of Paul constitute a portion of a creed, a statement of what Christians believe.

We rejoice today, not because of empty tradition, but because of an empty tomb. We praise God because of the sure hope of our salvation. Christ’s death and resurrection are the materials for the substance on which our thanksgiving is built. Resurrections continue today as the Holy Spirit brings dead hearts to life and changes sinners to saints. The death and resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical event but, as Paul explains, Jesus died for a purpose. He died for our sins, a substitutionary atonement paying our debt of sin. Isaiah 53 reminds us that “He was crushed for our iniquities”. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death” and Romans 4:25 explains that “He…was raised on account of our justification”, proving that the penalty for our sin was paid in full, and that Christ’s atonement reconciled us to God (Romans 5:10).

• Our Confidence

Claiming the reality of the resurrection of Christ is proclaiming a living, reigning, returning Savior. The Lord’s Supper is not a memorial celebration; it is not a time of mourning but a time of thanksgiving. A memorial equates to an absence, but Christ is with us in the Communion ordinance through the Holy Spirit. He communes with us spiritually. We give thanks because our confidence comes forth in great truth. Our confidence in the Resurrection begins with God. The phrase “according to the Scriptures” is the reason for our confidence; God gave us confidence based on His eternal plan. 

The death of Christ was predicted in Psalm 16:10 where David wrote of his Greater Son, Jesus, “For You will not forsake my soul to Sheol.” His resurrection was foreshadowed in Genesis 22:1-14 when Abraham was instructed to sacrifice Isaac. Hebrews 11:19 interprets the Genesis account by explaining that figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead. Resurrection is spoken to throughout Scripture: Job – the solution to all evil, Psalms – dependent on the Messiah, Hoshea – the proof of God’s love, Isaiah – the key to a new creation, and Daniel – the culmination of human history. The Resurrection is not wishful thinking; it is the fulfilled will of a faithful God. 

“According to Scriptures” also indicates that this is a doctrinal tradition. This doctrine was given to the apostles by God, not something they concocted. This doctrine changes everything about the way we live. Fear does not rule us any longer, faith does; guilt no longer defines us, grace does; death is not the end, it is the beginning; we don’t grieve like those who have no hope; it means we love our enemies; we serve with joy; and we sacrifice willingly. Understanding that death has no hold on us motivates us in these ways. We can forgive because we have been forgiven. We are to go into the world proclaiming that the resurrection of Jesus is true and sharing how it has changed us. 

• Our Humility

In 1 Corinthians 15:5-9, Paul lists some of the appearances of the Risen Christ. He revealed Himself to Peter, then to the twelve, then to more than five hundred at one time, most of whom are still alive, then to James, then to all the apostles. Then he says “and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am.” Paul turns the account of the Resurrection from a creed to a personal confession. Untimely born is a graphic term that relates to abortion or miscarriage. Paul knew that his unworthiness resulted from his persecution of the church. His past was very violent toward the church, and he understood that all the credit goes to Jesus who sought him out and transformed him, a most unlikely follower of Christ. It is only by the grace of God that any of us are made Christ’s disciples.

As with Paul, our labor, our citizenship, and our identity are all the outworking resurrection power of grace. Paul’s tone was not prideful when he said he delivered this message to the Corinthian Church, and when he claimed that he had worked harder than any of the other apostles. It was a tone of gratitude for the privilege of serving Christ. So, it is with confidence and humility that we serve a Risen Savior.

II. We Give Thanks for Our Future Resurrection (vv. 12-22)

We praise God that the resurrection of Christ guarantees our future resurrection. In verse twelve Paul begins a logical argument for the consequences that result from disbelieving in a resurrection. Thus, those who say that there is no resurrection are forced to believe that Christ was not raised. They would argue that a person could be a disciple of Christ without believing in His resurrection. However, Paul argues that if Christ has not been raised, his preaching is in vain, their faith is in vain, that he is misrepresenting God, that they are still in their sins, and that those who have died in Christ have perished. Paul argues that if there is no resurrection, the prophets are wrong, the Old Testament is wrong, Genesis is wrong, God is wrong, the apostles are liars, and life is a lie. He says in verse nineteen, “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

• Made Sure by the First Fruit

Paul argues that if we don’t have faith in the resurrection, then we don’t have faith in Christ, and our faith is worthless. He begins verse twenty with but now, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” All the vanities listed above are not true. What is true is that Christ is the first to be resurrected with a glorified body. Leviticus 23 describes how the first fruits of a harvest consecrated to God guaranteed that an abundant harvest would follow. Christ’s resurrection guarantees that all who are in Him will experience a resurrection like His (Romans 6:5). 

• Secured by Victory Over Adam’s Curse

Verse twenty-one says, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.” Verse twenty-two identifies the first man as Adam and the second man as Jesus Christ. Adam is the federal head (the representative) of the unrighteous while Jesus is the federal head of the righteous. All since Adam were born with him as our representative, all were born as sinners and share the same guilt and the same outcome, which is the wrath of God. Obedience, resurrection and righteousness are secured for those who are in Christ. By faith, believers receive that which Christ accomplished. In Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive, meaning a bodily resurrection. All will be made alive does not imply universal salvation; it means all who are in Christ receive eternal life with God. This is an already-not yet hope. Ephesians 2:5 says that we have been made spiritually alive now and we will be made bodily alive when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

• Evidenced in Our Present Life

Romans 8:11-14 says, “But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – 13 for if you are living according to the flesh you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” The resurrection power of Christ dwells in believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. For those who know Christ and walk by faith, the resurrection of Christ changes everything. Because Christ rose from the dead, we can have forgiveness of sins, grace to live, comfort that our debt is paid, and joy based, not on circumstances, but on the truth of God.

We can have a new identify, no longer defined by our past, but by a unity with Christ, so that when God looks as us, He sees Christ’s righteousness imputed to us. While we work out our sanctification, we identify and overcome sin in our life by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. We can live with purpose, we can have a different life, and we can live for a different kingdom. We have a living hope, a sympathetic High Priest who intercedes for us, we walk with Christ in glory, and we will never be the same. The Resurrection is not an event, it is a person, Jesus Christ. Encountering this Person change us forever; for He is the fragrance of life to some but the fragrance of death to others (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Being a new creation in Christ means that we go in a different direction, we do different things, we have different affections, we don’t live in the same way. Our hope is not just in our future resurrection, it is also today. We marvel at the newness of life as we live in resurrection power today.

III. We Give Thanks for Coming Glory (vv. 42-49)

• A Glorious Transformation

First Corinthians 15:49 says, “And just as we have borne the image of the earthly, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.” We marvel at the glorious transformation that is coming when Christ returns for His church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18); this will occur in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). Verse 47 tells us that the first man, Adam, is from the earth but the second man, Jesus, is from heaven. Adam represents the perishable, the fallen, the limited while Christ represents the powerful, the glorified, the eternal. Those in Christ have a glorious future but this carries practical applications now. Believers no longer must struggle with identity and self-worth; we are not identified by weakness or failure or sin or any limitation; our identity is taken from the image of the imperishable, the image of the resurrected Christ. As we age, our bodies begin to wrinkle and we experience more pain, but we give thanks for the reminder of the glorified bodies we will inhabit at the resurrection. 

• From Perishable to Powerful

Verse forty-three tells us that we are sown in weakness but raised in power. A seed being planted in the ground doesn’t represent the end of the seed, it represents the start of something new, the beginning of a transformation. Isaiah 61:11 declares that, as the earth brings forth its sprouts, God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth. The resurrection represents a new creation, a powerful vitality, eternal strength, a divine enablement, something fit for eternity. For the believer, death is not to be feared – it is the doorway to glory! 

IV. We Give Thanks for our Final Victory (vv. 50-57)

• Paul’s Praise

Verse 57 is a thanksgiving – “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The final enemy, death, has been swallowed up in victory. The sting of death, condemnation, is gone; the power of the Law and the shadow of the grave have been overcome. We don’t just reflect on the empty tomb; we rejoice in the empty tomb. Our thanksgiving has been transformed into a song of praise for the victory we have in Christ. 

• Our Resolve

Because of our final victory, we run the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1). John 20:2-4 explains that when Mary Magdalene told Peter and John about the empty tomb, they ran together to the tomb. They didn’t just ponder and evaluate the things that Jesus had told them – they ran! More than ten times in the New Testament we are commanded to run. These commands refer to discipline, endurance, purposeful living, faithfulness, joyful obedience, and divine strength.

So, with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise on our tongues, we run in anticipation of seeing our Lord. We run toward death, exerting all the energy we have in serving the Lord, knowing that we will stand before Him in His glorious presence. We run with excitement for the glory to come. We run because our condemnation and the sting of death have been removed. We run with joy because the grave no longer speaks the final word. We run through sorrow, knowing that resurrection joy is on the other side; we run through weakness, confident that glory is shown even in our frailties. We run with endurance because Christ’s victory ensures our finish. We run with hope, knowing that our every step of faith echoes into eternity. We run with freedom, because the chains of sin have been broken. We run with boldness because the One who conquered death runs before us. We run through tears because we have hope. We run together as the people of God. We run rejoicing because of the crown set before us, and we run because our labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

Paul concludes this section in verse fifty-eight with, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” We are always abounding, never idle; we are running. Rejoicing comes from a heart filled with gratitude as we run the race set before us.

If we are rejoicing in the Resurrection today, we must understand that a thankful heart is required to keep our joy from fading. Joy flows from truth believed and grace received.

Selah:

1. What is the source of your confidence in the Resurrection?

2. How has the Resurrection affected your life?

3. To what do you most look forward at your future resurrection?

4. What will you resolve to do to prevent the excitement of the Resurrection from fading?