Beyond the Grave: Understanding the Cost of Eternal Life

Apr 3

If the resurrection is false, our faith is futile. This blog explores the reality of the resurrection and how it outlines the hope that we have for an afterlife. This blog explores life’s purpose, the reality of the afterlife, and the priceless gift of eternal salvation. Amid the world’s fleeting connection and existential longing, discover why the resurrection matters to everyone.

The Resurrection of Christ
1 Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

What Does The Resurrection Have to Do With Me?

In our Scripture passage, the Apostle Paul outlines the premise that if the resurrection didn’t happen, or if we don’t believe it happened, it leads to absurdity. Granted, absurd isn’t the word he uses, but it’s what he implies.

This isn’t rocket science, but if there was no resurrection, then Jesus is still dead. That would imply that our preaching and every sermon, theological book, and Christian conversation are dead. It would mean that every worship gathering is meaningless. It would also mean that your faith is an exercise in delusion, and the message of Christ is futile.

For a futile faith, we still reside in our sins when we die. If Christ isn’t risen, then the implication is that we’re still in our sins, and we have no eternity. I say this tenderly, but this also means you’ll never see your loved ones again.

Let’s investigate three questions that we can infer from the implications of Christ’s resurrection based on how the Apostle Paul addresses this premise in our passage.

1) Is There More To Life Than Just Living?

I have four children, and on the days of each of their births, I wasn’t just existing; I was alive. When I held them in my arms and gazed at their small faces, I was more than existing; something happened, and I was alive.

When I came to know Christ alone in my bedroom, I wasn’t just existing; I was alive. I may not have had the terminology to understand what was happening, but I was born again. You cannot be born again and merely exist. To be born again is to be alive.

We are designed for something more. God created us for living connection and life in the person of Jesus Christ.

According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. Since social media is a relatively new technology, little research exists to establish its long-term consequences, good or bad. As new research emerges, we’re becoming aware of what social media does to us and its long-term consequences.

Have you ever noticed someone mindlessly scrolling while your spouse or children sit with you in your den? There’s a strong link between heavy social media use and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. And because nearly 70% of adults and more than 80% of teens use social media, therefore this puts a large amount of us at an increased risk of feeling anxious, depressed, or “ill at ease” through the effects of our social media use.

At a basic level, we see people scrolling on their phones rather than having conversations when they share a space with others, including friends and family. To put it bluntly, social media actually isolates people from one another.

My point isn’t that social media is evil; instead, we’re seeing increased levels of isolation. Yet, we’re not designed for isolation.

Think about the Garden of Eden. God created the heavens and the earth and crafted a beautiful place called Eden. In that Garden, every need was met for all that He created, yet “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18a-b, NIV).’” God created this perfect world but declared that isolation isn’t good.

So, what does this have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Everything.

Jesus is real, and because of the resurrection, Jesus is alive. This is designed to be personal for you. The Apostle Paul declared that He’s not just the Lord and Savior, but He’s the one who desires and designed you to draw near, know, enjoy, journey with, and be empowered through Him.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (emphasis added)

Let’s be existential for a moment. Are we designed to be born, live, grow up, get jobs, get married, have some kids, work, retire, and die? There has to be something more, right?

As humans, we all have longings. For some, we might say, “If I could just get the right job,” or “If I could only meet the right person.” When we search our souls, we all realize that we long for something. These longings are often deep and passionate. They are also universal, as we all have them.

C.S. Lewis pointed out that these longings are not ultimately satisfied in this life, indicating that we’re designed for something more. We’re designed for something this world can’t satisfy. You are designed for the things that Jesus expressed when He said, “I’m the bread of life (John 6:35), “I am your nourishment (John 6:51-54),” and “I am living water (John 7:37-39).”

The 17th Century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal is often attributed to saying, “There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us that only God can fill.” The problem is, and this is two-fold, he didn’t actually say that exact phrase. That is a condensed and transliterated version of his actual (complex) quote, which is:

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God Himself.”

This is why resurrection matters. This isn’t just a warm sentimentality. Instead, this is the ultimate reality. Jesus is alive, and you’re designed for communion with Him.

2) Is There Life After Death?

There’s an entire field of science devoted to the study of immortality (living forever). I’m not going to explore this, but simply put, we’re not going to live forever; however, I want to validate that people are interested in this topic.

James 4:14 tells us, “Life is a vapor.” In other words, our lives are rapidly passing. Your most precious possession in life is life itself, which raises the question: What happens when we die? The Apostle Paul, in our text, teaches that life is futile if you don’t consider that there’s something beyond the grave (1 Corinthians 15:19). He also deals with this question of life after death in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Listen to how he begins:

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-2a

The root system is the gift of the Gospel. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to bear your sins on the cross. When we put our faith in Christ, He reconciles us to God. Scripture declares that it is the pathway to salvation through the mediator (Jesus Christ) of people and God.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 (emphasis added)

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have a subjective side or a bias that causes us to see what we want to see.

However, Scripture tells us that we have multiple witnesses to the reality of the resurrection. Not only did Jesus reveal His resurrected body to the disciples, but the Bible says more than 500 people saw Him after He was resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:6). Today, worldwide, people proclaim that Jesus Christ has saved their lives and turned them around. They give witness and testimony to His reality.

Old Testament Scripture predicted that Messiah was going to die. It said that He would be led like a sheep to the slaughter. So, Jesus’ death was not the accidental death of a martyr. It was the deliberate death of a person who offered His life as a sacrifice.

It also predicted that God would not allow the Holy One to undergo decay. Jesus was laid in a borrowed tomb. Thus, if you borrow something, you will only use it temporarily.

On that first Easter morning, Jesus Christ strolled out of that tomb, very much alive. When the women went to the tomb to anoint His body, they discovered the tomb was empty. The angel said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen, just the way He said that He would (Luke 24:5-6)!”

The Apostle Paul wrote this revelation in 1 Corinthians 15 to help us understand that we are designed to be with God and the implications of the resurrection regarding the gift of life after death.

3) What Is Life After Death Like?

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

Firstfruits are an indicator of what’s to come. 1 John 3:2 tells us, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.” (Emphasis added)

Those five words are so important: We shall be like Him. If you want to know what it’s like for a Christian to die and live again, then look at the experience of Jesus because we’ll be saved just like Him.

On the cross, Jesus told the thief, “Today, you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).” When we die, our bodies may go to the grave, but our spirits go to be with God (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Let’s be clear: there are a lot of beliefs that surround the afterlife.

We don’t return to inhabit other bodies like reincarnation.
We don’t to go a place where our sins our purged over several years.
We do go directly to be with God when we die.
As Jesus returned in the same body, we will also have resurrected bodies.

In John 5:28 (NIV), Jesus said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice.” If God has the power to make matter out of energy, if He has the power to make Adam out of the dust of the ground, then He has the power to recreate our decomposed bodies.

In John 11, when Jesus suggested that He was going to open up the tomb of Lazarus, Martha objected. She said, “Oh no, he’s been dead four days. There is already a bad odor. His body is already beginning to decompose.” Jesus said, “Martha, you are going to see the glory of God.” He rolled the stone away and called out, “Lazarus, come forth!”

This man, who’d been dead for four days, came out of the grave! It won’t matter if you have been dead for four days, four centuries, or 4,000 years because when Jesus Christ commands it, there will be a resurrection of the body!

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

A skeptic may say, “That’s too supernatural and fanciful to believe.” Let me lovingly remind you that this is God we’re talking about! It would benefit all of us to rediscover the way Christianity is designed to be: enchanted, spirit-powered, and supernatural.

In Luke 24:38 and following, Jesus appeared in the upper room with the disciples, and they thought He was a ghost. However, Jesus responded:

JESUS: “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish.” Luke 24:38

Jesus ate after He rose from the dead, and we’ll be able to eat in heaven. The Bible talks about sitting down at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). We aren’t going to spend eternity as disembodied spirits floating around on a cloud strumming a harp. We’ll have bodies like Christ’s resurrected body.

That’s good news because they’re going to be immortal bodies. These will be imperishable bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52). If you are 80 and have arthritis and a hearing aid, you don’t want to pick up where you left off; You want a perfect body. If you’re too tall or too short or too thin or too bald, that’s good news. You are going to have a glorified body.

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

Additionally, our bodies will be active. In the Gospel of John Jesus was on the shore and made a campfire after His resurrection. He cooked some fish He had caught, and He walked with the disciples on the shore. Heaven is going to be a place of activities.

Even though Jesus’ body was somewhat changed, our bodies will be identifiable. His disciples recognized Jesus when He wanted to be recognized. The Bible teaches us that when we are raised from the dead, we will retain our personalities and have fellowship with one another. You will be drawn further into your design and more alive than ever.

The Bible says we are to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom. If we know those guys whom we’ve never met, then we will be able to identify each other. To me, that’s one of the warmest thoughts about heaven—to be with people we’ve loved on earth, to be reunited with no threat of disunity or separation again.

You Can’t Afford It

Several years ago, my sister-in-law, while serving on the mission field outside of the United States, became deathly ill. Through some medical contacts, the family brought her back to the States so she could receive treatment. A private jet flew to the country with medical equipment, doctors, and specialists. Thankfully, they brought her back, and she recovered after some time in their care.

While insurance covered most of the bill, when my brother-in-law was settling up, he asked the hospital administrator, “How much do I owe for the jet plane and medical team that got my wife?” The administrator laughed, saying, “It was a gift, and if it wasn’t, you couldn’t afford it.”

You can’t afford eternal life. The only purchase price is the blood of a perfect person, and we don’t qualify. So we can’t earn or deserve it, but the good news is that Jesus Christ stepped in to pay the debt for us.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law…” 1 Corinthians 15:56

Not only has sin hurt relationships and brought brokenness in so many ways, but it’s also deadened us to God. It suppresses what’s true and distorts beauty. However, all of us have broken God’s law and are like sheep who’ve gone astray.

So, in light of our brokenness, how will we come into the presence of a Holy God? That’s why God sent Jesus. Something of equal or greater value had to pay for our sins. He’s a loving God, so He sent His son, who never sinned and was of higher value, to atone for our sins.

“…But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:56

There is more to life than existing and a dynamic life after death. You cannot earn this; It’s a gift of God.

TL;DR

The blog goes deep into the significance of Christ’s resurrection, as depicted in 1 Corinthians.
We see why Christ’s resurrection touches upon life’s purpose, the reality of life after death, and the priceless gift of salvation.
It also highlights the enduring relevance of the Easter message amidst the challenges of modern existence.

The Two Sides of the Crucifixion by Bro. Chris Carter

Investing in Eternity: A Parable of Choice and Consequences by Rev. Paul Lawler

Embracing Eternity by Rev. Paul Lawler

What Does It Cost to Follow Jesus? by Jacky Gatliff

How Does Jesus Pursue Us?by Rev. Paul Lawler