1 Corinthians 15:20-28
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 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. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death...
Paul said that Jesus was resurrected from death to become the first fruit for us. When a tree grows up, its first fruit is important. If the first fruit is sweet, it will bear more sweet fruit; on the contrary, if the first fruit is sour, then all the later fruits will be sour. Christ became the first fruit for us, showing that not only was He victorious, those of us in Christ will also be victorious because of Him.
After Jesus resurrected from death, he said that "all the authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Similarly, you and I can have the same authority because the Lord became the first fruit for us. If Christ has all the authority in heaven and on earth, then we, the later fruits, should also have the same authority. Even though God allowed the devil to temporarily hold power on earth, and Christians are also temporarily living under the constraint of our flesh and the sinful world, we have the authority to be victorious, and we can proclaim victory against sin, Satan and the world. That's why 1 John 4:4 says "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
On the day our Lord resurrected from death, the women went to the tomb to mourn for Him. Angels told them, "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Jesus is no longer on the cross, you and I, who are in Christ, are also no longer on the cross. Also, Jesus resurrected from death, so in Christ you and I will also resurrect with Him, just like what Paul said in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." May God help us, let the resurrected life of Christ come and rule our lives, so that we may proclaim victory against the enemy.
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