1 Corinthians 15:16-23
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
can defeat the normal joy a person feels at Christmas time.
The
after someone dies are always hard.
When someone dies at Christmas time, Christmas may be partially
from then on.
Death is the greatest always the greatest enemy of
, Christmas or not.
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” —1 Corinthians 15:26
Back in 2016, I started a Christmas Eve series called, “Why Christmas.” The purpose of this series is to answer the question, “Why did Christ become a man on Christmas?” So far we’ve learned:
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to obey God for us (2016)
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to be our substitute sacrifice (2017)
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to make peace with God for us (2018).
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to put humanity back in charge of creation (2019).
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to give us an example of what God wants us to become in the future (2020).
- Christ came into the world on Christmas to represent us before God (2023)
What else does the Bible have to say about this question, “Why did Christ become a man on Christmas?”
Big Idea: Christ came on Christmas to
permanently.
His defeat of death was
before he came on Christmas.
“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” —Psalm 16:9-10
“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” —Hosea 13:14
He defeated death by
from the dead himself (vv. 3-6).
“This man [Jesus] was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” —Acts 2:23-24
“This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” —2 Timothy 1:9c-10