November 27
November 27
Do you ever wonder what Jesus is doing at this very moment?
I will never forget the first time 1 Corinthians 15:20–26 got my attention. I knew that 1 Corinthians 15 was the Bible’s premier resurrection chapter. Paul’s discussion of the necessity, power, and implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is unlike any other discussion in Scripture. You walk away from this chapter convinced that, if Jesus hadn’t risen out of the tomb, our faith would be vain and we would be spiritually doomed. First Corinthians 15 digs deep into the riches of Christ’s resurrection. But one day, during my devotional reading of this passage, I saw something else. I don’t know how I hadn’t seen it before, but that day it jumped off the page with comfort and glory. Right in the middle of his discussion of the resurrection, Paul gives us an amazing picture of what Jesus is doing for us now. Once you see this, your view of life as a child of God is altered forever:
In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every 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. (1 Cor. 15:20–26)
Notice the last few sentences of this passage. Paul explains what is happening between the resurrection of Jesus and the moment when he will deliver the final kingdom to God the Father. What is Jesus doing? He is reigning. Jesus’s reign began at his ascension to the right hand of the Father. As the royal, reigning Son, he is destroying every authority, power, and enemy that stands in the way of the final victory of the redeemed. He will not stop exercising his royal power until every last enemy is under his feet, including death. Then he will welcome us into his final kingdom forever.
This means that you are never alone in your spiritual struggles. Your royal King is right now defeating all the enemies that seek to defeat you. He is conquering foes that you do not have the power to conquer. He is putting under his divine feet the things that seem to overpower you,. His reign is not just your future hope; it is your hope right now. Yes, you serve a risen Savior, but it’s vital to remember that he is also a conquering King. He is right now harvesting the spoils of the victory of his life, death, and resurrection. That harvest is for you. In the reign of Jesus the King, you have hope for today—and for all time.