Our Victory in Jesus

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

 1 Cor 15:54–57

This week, we will celebrate two of the most important events on the Christian calendar, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.   From these two events come also the two most important doctrines of the church, Christ’s death on the cross for the atonement of our sins, and then Christ’s resurrection that secures our hope of eternal life over death. 

In the first letter of Corinthians, we find these two doctrines clearly taught.  In chapter 2:2 we read this about the Apostle Paul’s view of Christ’s atonement, “For I decided that while I was with you I would forget about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.”    Here we see the primacy of why Jesus came, to die for our sins.  Without the atonement of Christ, we would be dead in our sins and eternally separated from God.

When we arrive at I Corinthians 15, we see Paul put an exclamation point on Christ’s death, Christ’s resurrection.  He begins the chapter by making sure the reader understands the importance of both doctrines, “I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with Scripture that He was buried that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture.”  (vs. 3)

Jesus, who came to earth as God in the flesh, who was crucified by sinful man, who demonstrated a perfect sinless life to all of mankind, showed His ultimate power over sin and death by rising from the dead on the 3rd day.   “I deliver to you as of first importance.”  Here we see the primacy of both doctrines. 

When we go to the end of I Corinthians 15:56-57, the Apostle Paul concludes by applying these two doctrines to our personal lives.  “The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”   Here we have a promise that through our disobedience to God’s law, we are sinners and rightfully deserve God's judgment, sin and the law no longer has victory over us when we put our trust in Jesus. 

In fact, Paul declares us victors or victorious.  Victory over the one thing that holds us captive, our sin.  Victory over that which grieves us continually, death.  Victory over both spiritual death and physical death which separates us from God.  Indeed, this is what makes the gospel of Christ good news.  Victory, victory, victory!