Those of us involved with the Scattered Abroad Network are scattered around the world, and yet, we are all united in our hope. What is this hope, you ask?
“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again…If a man dies, shall he live again?”
Job 14:7, 14.
Maybe you have seen a tree that was cut down, and its stump was left in the ground. Sometimes, little sprouts appear on the stump, meaning the tree is growing once again. There is life! But, what about a person? Is there any hope of life once a person dies and is buried? After death, the hope of life is the foundational expectation of Christianity, and this hope is only found in Jesus Christ.
The Eye Witnesses of the Resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
According to the Scriptures, the Gospel (or good news) is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose the third day. His resurrection was witnessed by the apostles, by over 500 people at once, by James, and finally, by Paul. These are not baseless claims. These are reliable, eye-witness testimonies from over 500 witnesses. Jesus did not resurrect from the dead and then vanish. He provided rock-solid evidence that He had been raised from the dead (John 20:20-29).
No Hope if Christ is not Risen (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
The apostle Paul was clear that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then faith is empty of all meaning. Living the Christian life is pointless if there is no resurrection of the dead! If Jesus is not risen, then all Christians are still hopelessly lost in sin. Without the resurrection of the dead, there is no hope. Christ’s resurrection from the dead is truly the foundation of Christianity. If this claim is true (and it is), then the rest of the Bible’s claims are also true.
Hope found in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
Thankfully, Christ is raised from the dead, and by Him we too have hope of being raised. However, this hope is only found in Christ. Life is only offered in Him. In the end, He will deliver up to the Father those who have been made alive in Him, and then He will destroy the final enemy—death. I have heard it said before, “Death is not a friend to be embraced, but an enemy to be conquered.” Those who are in Christ will ultimately slip through the cold, murderous grasp of death—our common enemy. We have this confident expectation because Jesus has won the victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Victory over Death found in Christ (15:50-57)
Those in Christ will be able to taunt death after our corruptible bodies have been changed into incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [the realm of the dead], where is your victory?”
1 Corinthians 15:55.
Do you want to be able to rejoice in the Victorious One at the end and taunt death – His defeated foe? Then you must be in Christ, for that is where life is found. We get into Christ by being immersed into Him (Galatians 3:27). By repenting of our sins and being immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we contact His blood which justifies and cleanses us (Acts 2:38; Romans 5:6-11; Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5).
“If a man dies, shall he live again?” In Christ, we victoriously shout, “Yes!”
