Our Victory Over Death
Bob Yandian
I want to take you into 1 Corinthians 15, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, which is completely devoted to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the future resurrection of every believer.
The Message of Easter
We make a big deal about Christmas—and that’s fine. But Easter is where the power is. You see, it wasn’t Jesus’ birth that saved us. It wasn’t even the crucifixion that saved us. It was His resurrection. That’s why He came. He came to die, yes—but also to rise again, so that we who were born spiritually dead could be raised into newness of life and ultimately receive resurrection bodies of our own.
The resurrection is not a side note to the gospel—it is the gospel. Paul made that crystal clear in chapter 15, verse 1, when he said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand.”
A New Creation Reality
The Corinthians were struggling with this. They came out of Greek philosophy, which taught that the soul was good and the body was evil. They looked forward to death because they thought it meant escaping the body and floating into some kind of spiritual nirvana. So when Paul taught them they’d be raised and given a resurrection body, they were horrified. But that’s what the Word teaches. And if you received Jesus, you received the whole gospel—resurrection body and all.
You didn’t receive a dead Savior. You received a living one. And you’re headed toward a body just like His—glorified, incorruptible, and eternal. That’s part of your salvation package. As Paul put it, “By which also you are saved.” Not just were saved. Are saved. That means you’re living in a continual state of salvation, and the resurrection is already part of your future.
If There Is No Resurrection…
Now Paul uses a debater’s technique here. He assumes the argument of his critics to show its flaws. “Let’s just say for a minute there is no resurrection,” he says. “Well, then Christ isn’t risen. And if Christ isn’t risen, your faith is useless. Our preaching is a lie. We’re all still in our sins. And every believer who died is gone forever.”
If this life is all there is, then we are, as Paul says, “of all men most miserable.” But praise God, that’s not the end of the story.
But Now Christ Is Risen!
Verse 20 says, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Firstfruits is a beautiful Old Testament image. The priest would walk through the harvest fields and wave the first handful of grain before the Lord, guaranteeing that the rest of the crop was on the way. Jesus is our firstfruits. That means our resurrection is guaranteed.
We are in Christ. We are not in Adam anymore. Adam brought death, but Jesus brings life. When we were born, we were born in Adam. But when we were born again, we were transferred into Christ—and because He rose, we will too.
The Resurrection Body
What kind of body are we talking about? One like His. His resurrection body could be touched and handled, yet it could walk through walls. He ate with the disciples, but He also appeared and disappeared. He still bears the marks of the cross—nail prints in His hands and feet, and a scar in His side. You and I will receive the same kind of body—perfect, eternal, glorified—but without the scars.
No sickness. No sin. No aging. A body that moves at the speed of thought. And this happens at the rapture of the Church—when the trumpet sounds, and the dead in Christ rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Five Resurrection Ranks
Paul outlines five “orders” of resurrection:
Jesus Christ, the firstfruits.
Church Age believers, resurrected at the rapture.
Old Testament saints and Tribulation martyrs, resurrected after the Second Coming.
Millennial saints, resurrected at the end of the 1,000 years.
The unjust, resurrected for judgment at the Great White Throne.
Resurrection isn’t just a doctrine—it’s your destiny. And it all started when Jesus conquered the grave.
Victory Secured
Jesus didn’t just die. He spoiled principalities and powers. He descended into hell and stripped Satan of his authority. He rose again, and in doing so, He gave us eternal life. That’s what Easter is all about.
The empty cross was necessary—it dealt with sin. But the empty tomb is what gave us victory. I’ve said before, you could wear a little rock with a hole in it around your neck, because that’s where the power is—the empty tomb.
Resurrection changes everything. It gives hope in life and in death. It gives purpose to our suffering. It gives substance to our faith. And one day, when the trumpet sounds, you’ll step into that eternal body and live forever in the presence of God.
So don’t be discouraged. This world is not your home. You are on your way to something better—much better. That’s why we rejoice. That’s why we preach. And that’s why we celebrate resurrection.
Keep walking in faith, stay grounded in the Word, and remember—your victory over death has already been won.
Pastor Bob Yandian
