By a Man Has Come the Resurrection of the Dead

First Corinthians 15:17–28 anchors a high-altitude view of history and hope. The resurrection of Jesus appears as the decisive reversal of Adam’s fall: Jesus rises as the “first fruits,” the new Adam whose victory opens resurrection life for all who belong to him. The resurrection validates the cross—Jesus absorbs the penalty for sin and proves that payment as effective by rising—and thus assures that those who place faith in him will also be raised. The text frames belonging to Christ as a matter of faith: confessing Jesus as Lord and trusting God’s raising secures entrance into that promised new life.

The passage also portrays Jesus as a conquering king who will dismantle every opposing rule, authority, and power. The final enemy, death itself, will be destroyed when the king returns and raises those who belong to him. God’s patience in delaying that final day finds purpose in offering more people opportunity to repent and join the kingdom. The delay does not negate the promise; it amplifies God’s mercy and the urgency of turning to Christ.

Paul’s surprising climactic image shows the Son returning authority to the Father after subduing all opposition, so that “God may be all in all.” That reversal of delegated authority reveals a triune love that accomplishes justice and then yields glory to the Father. The resurrection therefore shapes a future where justice, restoration, and relational worship converge.

Practical application flows directly from those truths. Belonging to Christ becomes the single most urgent need, because resurrection hope overrules every earthly anxiety. The resurrection transforms present trials—financial strain, relational brokenness, sickness—into temporary battles within a larger, secure story. The text closes with an invitation to examine the evidence, turn in faith, and fight the real fight: trusting Jesus. A personal testimony about a health battle exemplifies the struggle to trust, while the closing prayer reinforces assurance that for those who belong to Christ, the best is yet to come.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus is the Second Adam The resurrection functions as the decisive new beginning: Jesus appears as the first-fruits who undoes Adam’s broken line and opens a new lineage of life for those united to him by faith. This reconstituted humanity depends not on birthright but on trusting the risen Lord, whose victory signals an irreversible turning of death’s trajectory into eternal life. [08:02]
• 2. Jesus conquers every enemy, including death The resurrection inaugurates a reign that will dismantle every hostile power and system that opposes God’s rule. The final enemy, death, receives its definitive defeat when the king returns to raise his people and consign opposition to judgment, showing that present injustices do not escape final reckoning. [14:19]
• 3. Jesus delivers the kingdom back to the Father The resurrection vision culminates in a paradoxical handing over: the Son executes divine victory and then yields authority so that God may be “all in all.” That gesture displays the goal of history—restored relationship within the triune life, not permanent singular domination. [19:25]
• 4. Belonging to Christ secures resurrection hope Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the resurrection places a person into the new order that defeats death and grants future restoration. This belonging reframes present struggles as temporary and orients life toward faithful endurance and gospel urgency rather than mere worldly fixes. [26:12]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:40] - Mountain view and Easter cross
• [04:16] - Perspective from higher ground
• [05:06] - Life at ground level: chaos
• [06:18] - Paul’s mountain invitation
• [08:02] - Resurrection: Jesus the firstfruits
• [13:23] - Jesus as conquering king
• [16:12] - Why God delays the end
• [19:25] - Son returns authority to Father
• [23:08] - Personal testimony: a fight for trust
• [26:12] - Two life implications
• [28:09] - Invitation, prayer, and send-off

Bible reading: 1 Corinthians 15:17-28 (ESV)
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every 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 “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Observation questions

1. What does Paul say is the direct consequence for our faith if Christ has not been raised from the dead?
2. What two men are contrasted in this passage, and what does each one bring to humanity?
3. What is the specific "order" of events that Paul lays out for the resurrection?
4. What is the final enemy that will be destroyed?

Interpretation questions

1. The resurrection of Jesus is called the "firstfruits." What does this agricultural term tell us about the nature of Jesus' resurrection and what it means for those who belong to him?
2. The passage describes Jesus as a king who must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. Why is it significant that death is called the "last enemy" to be destroyed?
3. The vision culminates with the Son being "subjected" to the Father so that "God may be all in all." What does this reveal about the ultimate goal of history and the relationship within the Trinity?
4. The text frames "belonging to Christ" as the key to being made alive. How does someone move from belonging to Adam to belonging to Christ, according to the truths presented here? [11:17]

Application questions

1. The resurrection validates that Jesus' payment for sin was finished. How does knowing your sins are fully paid for change the way you handle guilt or shame from your past mistakes?
2. Jesus is described as the conquering king who will one day destroy every enemy, including death. [15:48] When you feel overwhelmed by the chaos and injustice in the world, how can this future reality provide comfort and patience today?
3. The passage says the Lord is patient, "not wishing that any should perish." [16:59] How does understanding God's patience as an act of mercy toward sinners change your perspective on people in your life who don't know Jesus yet?
4. Life at ground level is described as a constant fight. [24:56] What is the specific "battle" you are facing right now—be it financial, relational, a health issue, or something else? In what practical ways can you "fight the fight of faith" and trust God with this battle today?
5. Belonging to Christ is presented as our single greatest need, more than health, wealth, or any other thing. [26:12] If you were to truly live as if that were true this week, what would you do differently? What worries would you let go of?
6. Because of the resurrection, everything is going to be okay and the best is yet to come. [27:32] How can this hope become a practical source of strength and courage for you in your current circumstances?