Victory Over Death
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:55
In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, he addresses many doctrinal issues. Some of these they asked him to teach them on. In other cases, he had heard that false doctrine had spread among them. One of the issues he addresses is the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). Some of them were claiming that there would be no resurrection of the dead.
These professions go against the entire core of the gospel. As Paul points out in verses 1-11, the justification for our belief in Christianity is the death, burial, and resurrection. Without it, we would have no reason to hope.
There are two main reasons for this. The first is that the resurrection fulfills Christ’s prophecies and establishes Him as the Son of God. The second is that Jesus’ resurrection is a foreshadowing of our own. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul tells the church that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection. It is because of His resurrection that we can follow in His footsteps. We will also resurrect on the last day.
We have confidence in that because of Jesus’ resurrection. As Paul says, Jesus’ resurrection was not just a miracle to prove who He was. It was also a crushing victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). Satan introduced death to mankind when he enticed Eve to sin (Genesis 3:19). God promised at that time that ultimately he would defeat Satan and the death he had introduced (v. 15). That fulfillment came in Jesus Christ. No longer does man have to fear death. Jesus has destroyed its power over us.
This victory is why Paul exhorts the brethren to remain steadfast. Christians are always facing internal and external pressures that threaten to shipwreck their faith. In Corinth, false doctrines and divisions abounded. They might have lost hope in their Christian walk. Yet all disciples need to understand the victory was already assured. Jesus has done the hard work. He has neutralized the power that death and sin have over us. We need only to remain faithful to Him to claim the reward.
When we partake of the Lord’s Supper we memorialize His death. It is through His death that we have forgiveness of sins. But that is realized through His resurrection. In it, we have received that power to overcome death and to receive the resurrection on the last day.
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:55