What is the significance of Christ's resurrection? It was not simply a surprising development in the ongoing story of Jesus - an event with no abiding significance to His work other than to baffle the religious authorities.
On the contrary, Christ's resurrection is the beating heart of the gospel; the fulfillment of Israel's prophetic hope and - as I hope to show here - the event which ensures the resurrection of every believer!
In my last post on the resurrection we explored Paul's reference to Jesus as the first-fruits - His fulfilling the symbolism of the festival of the first-fruits outlined in Leviticus 23:9-14. Besides pointing out the prophetic fulfillment Paul wants the Corinthians to realize a larger connection - that Jesus is "the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep." What does he mean by this?
Paul says, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first-fruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him." 1Cor. 15:21-23.
Paul envisions both Adam and Christ as individual representatives of a larger group, and what each of them do, or what happens to them flows necessarily to those whom they represent. Where Adam's sin brought death to the whole human race; Christ's resurrection brings life to the whole of a new race - "those that belong to Christ," v.23 - believers. Beyond that, just as Adam's death brought death and ruin to the whole cosmos, so Christ's resurrection is bringing life and renewal to the same.
The resurrection, then, is the glorious antithesis to that tragedy which took place in Genesis 3. To reject the resurrection is to reject the very fountain of life.
