Title: Resurrection
Contents
resurrection
(1 Corinthians 15:16-19)
‘Resurrection’, which means that a person rises from the dead, is a word that gives hope to all human beings on this earth as well as the greatest power of our Christianity. The grave is the limit of human existence. However, most of the world's remains are tombs. In other religions, death is the final destination. The pyramids of Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the world, are also tombs. The Taj Mahal in India, the 13 tombs of the Ming Dynasty in China, and the representative relics of Korea are also tombs. After all, the only thing left behind by countless emperors and people who have brightened up human history was the tomb. But our Jesus made the tomb an empty tomb and was resurrected. The resurrection of Jesus is an event that temporarily changed the problem of death for mankind in this world. Resurrection is the essence of the gospel. The beginning of Christianity also started with the resurrection. It is a very important event that the word resurrection appears 40 times in the New Testament.
So, can a person come back to life after death? Those who are in Jesus will come to believe that when the time comes, Jesus became the first fruits of the resurrection, and we will be resurrected someday. Even the microscopic creatures living in this world can see their life change. In the water, the caterpillar also peels off its skin and flies up to become a singing cicada at the top of a tree, and the slug in the ground becomes a dragonfly in the sky when it peels off its skin. Then, if human beings who are the primates of all things simply end in death, then what could be so miserable as this? If we do not have the resurrection, do we need to strive to live a good life and a good life? What is the reason to weep and mourn? If there is no resurrection, why do we need morality or religion? However, since we have souls and living on this earth is not the last, but we must stand in the form of resurrection on the day the Lord calls us, we must live our lives as precious and prepare for life in heaven.
1. The perception of death must change.
Death isn't really that pleasant. So I hate to sit alone where death is. Death is dark and gloomy, heavy and terrifying, gloomy and even grievous. So where there is death, light a candle and bring flowers. But by rising from the dead, Jesus turned the darkness of death into praise. Is it possible to sing next to the dead? Can you say a prayer of thanks? This is possible because of the resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus was resurrected, even the dead who believed in Jesus can believe that He will rise, sing praises and pray thanks.
When I went to the intensive care unit, a priest asked for my last will. However, there was no fear or fear in his appearance, and he was at peace. Because the resurrection of Jesus changed our perception of death. So, those who believe in Jesus do not fear death. I'm not afraid of death.
2. The perception of the grave must change.
In the East, especially in Korea, there is a lot of interest and regrets about tombs. That is why some people attach great significance to graves. Considering the tomb as an eternal resting place, they build it large and decorate it with marble. Even in Taiwan, there are places where the tombs are painted with gold, and there are places where the tombs are air-conditioned. This is because they believe that they live an afterlife on earth. In actual ancient tombs, there are tomb robbers because they prepared living tools, earthenware, and even carriages and put various decorations. When the master dies, there was a system of shunjang (殉葬) where 100 living servants are buried together. When it became difficult to bury a living person, they made hundreds of human figures out of clay and buried them together in the ground. The 13 tombs of the Ming Dynasty are huge tombs of kings. Among the pyramids that were the tombs of the Egyptian kings, the pyramid of King Khufu in Gize is a rectangular pyramid with a height of 140m and a base of 140m. It is said that 100,000 slaves were mobilized every day to build it for 30 years.
Why did they build such a huge tomb? Because there is no resurrection. That's why we're only interested in the grave that will be buried forever when we die. People who go to church but are very interested in the grave are those who do not have faith in the resurrection or are weak. But those who believe in Jesus do not prepare the grave. Even Jesus did not prepare a tomb while he lived for 33 years. But he was ready to die. As Jesus was preparing to die in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed that his sweat would become drops of blood. And he had the Last Supper with his disciples. This was to arrange all human relationships while he was alive. Jesus did not prepare a tomb because he would be resurrected. We too will be resurrected. “Christ rose from the dead and became the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Therefore, the upright Christian should prepare for death, not prepare the grave. We must live by keeping the word of God, and we must live by loving God. I hope that you will become precious saints who dedicate themselves according to God's word, evangelize, live on this earth, and prepare beautifully until they stand before the Lord.
3. He made us have faith in Heaven.
The resurrection of Jesus is our resurrection. “Christ has risen from the dead and became the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). “First, Christ the firstfruits, and then those who belong to him at the coming of Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23).
People crucified Jesus. And he was buried in a tomb. The body was embalmed and wrapped in linen cloth. The entrance to the tomb was blocked with a large stone and sealed with the seal of the Roman emperor. Hundreds of Roman soldiers guarded it. This was to prevent manipulation of the resurrection because Jesus said that he would rise again three days after he died while he was alive. However, by the power of God, he was resurrected three days after being buried in the tomb. What they did to prevent manipulation of the resurrection became evidence of the resurrection. No one can stop what God is doing.
The Lord is Almighty. He is the one who broke death. He is the one who has overcome the power of death. Death is what humans fear the most in this world. What problem cannot be solved by the one who solved this problem of death? Therefore, those who believe in Jesus have nothing to worry about because the power to solve the problem of death is also given to us. Nothing to worry about. Therefore, I hope you have a victorious life with the hope of this resurrection.