Soon we will proclaim: The Lord is risen! In the midst of this life's tribulations, our attention is focused on this joyous refrain. In today's Epistle we read:
I Corinthians 15:20ff
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. ...
St. Paul asserts, with triumphant certainty, the reality of Christ's bodily resurrection and the significance for those who are members incorporate in Christ's mystical body (cf. BCP p.83). Christ is the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. In the OT, the first fruits were the portion of the harvest offered in thanksgiving to the Lord, and represented the consecration of the entire harvest (Lev 23:10-21; Dt 26:1-11). Christ's resurrection is the firstfruits of the harvest of His Body, the Church. At Christ's return, all humanity will arise bodily, the just to an eternity with Christ in His heavenly kingdom (Mt 13:39b-43; 1 Thes 4:16; Rev 20:11-15).
Adam and Christ, death and life ...
In Christ "all will be made alive" through Jesus' death and resurrection: For since death came through man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead came also through a man [Christ]. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be made alive. The Church Fathers saw many parallels between Adam and Christ, and especially between the creation of the woman and the Church. The Church Fathers interpreted the creation of woman from Adam's side in Genesis 2 (bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, Gen 2:23) as a foreshadowing of the creation of the Church, the Bride of Christ, created from the blood and water that flowed from Christ's side at the crucifixion (John 19:34). St. John Chrysostom writes: "I said that water and blood symbolized baptism and the holy Eucharist. From these two sacraments, the Church is born ... As God then took a rib from Adam's side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from his side to fashion the Church. God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep, and in the same way, Christ gave us the blood and the water after his own sleep of death" (Baptismal Instruction, 3.17). Jesus' death and resurrection gives life to the His Body.
This theme is echoed in the great hymn, The Church's One Foundation: "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is His new creation by water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her to be His Holy Bride. With His own blood he bought her, and for her life He died."
The Lord is risen! Death no longer has dominion. In Romans 5:12 St. Paul writes: Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men ... . Death is the ultimate enemy. Christ defeats death through His death, and the destruction of death is the "coming to life" of those who belong to Christ. The Resurrection of the dead is the ultimate triumph of Jesus to whom God the Father gave all authority as King of kings and Lord of lords (Dan 7:13-14; Rev 19:16).
What does Christ's death and resurrection mean for us?
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Alleluia, Christ is risen!
In the Morning.
O GOD, the King eternal, who dividest the day from the darkness, and turnest the shadow of death into the morning; Drive far off from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep thy law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that having done thy will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when the night cometh, rejoice to give thee thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who alone gavest us the breath of life, and alone canst keep alive in us the holy desires thou dost impart; We beseech thee, for thy compassion's sake, to sanctify all our thoughts and endeavours; that we may neither begin an action without a pure intention nor continue it without thy blessing. And grant that, having the eyes of the mind opened to behold things invisible and unseen, we may in heart be inspired by thy wisdom, and in work be upheld by thy strength, and in the end be accepted of thee as thy faithful servants; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
JSH+