Yesterday morning I received news that a dear sister, the wife of the elder of our former church has passed away. In the words of the apostles in the New Testament, she has fallen asleep in the Anointed One (Christos).
My wife and I made the five hour journey to Temerloh in Pahang to be with Dr Liew and his family at the evening funeral wake. While singing the solemn hymns and listening to the heartfelt messages, several verses from the First Epistle to the Corinthians came to mind, with a question:
"When a loved one departs from this world, what hope is left?"
Do we hope that the deceased will somehow come back to us alive and well?
Do we perhaps hope that the departed person will communicate with us? Perhaps, call us and talk to us on the phone? Or appear in a vision or dream?
We know that none of these would be possible.
What then do we hope for? What hope do we hold on to?
This hope is explained by the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15 by way of a strong caution, a warning if you like, against some who deny the resurrection of the dead.
19 "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable,"
It is easy for any Christian to affirm his or her hope in the Anointed One (Christos). If, however, our hope in the Lord is merely for better days in this life,
if everything ends at the grave,
if a loved one who dies remains dead forever,
if "in this life only" we have hope
THEN, the Apostle tells us, we are to be the most pitied of all people in this world! For then we have put our hope in vain. We have even become false witnesses, as written in verse 15
15 "Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise."
Dear brothers and sisters, the Apostles in the New Testament testified that God raised up Yeshua His Anointed One (or Iesous Christos in Greek). Likewise, we have been called to bear the same testimony today, that Our Father in Heaven has raised up his Anointed One from death.
Herein lies our hope. Just as God has raised his Anointed from death, God will also raise us from death. In verses 21 through 23, we read:
21 "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power."
Yes, our Lord the Anointed One was resurrected, and on the last day, we who belong to him will also be resurrected from the dead.
Earlier, in verses 17 and 18, it is recorded that if the Anointed is not risen, then our faith is futile. And all who have "fallen asleep" in the Anointed One are as good as perished!
1 Corinthians 1517 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Our Lord was raised from death by God to be the first fruits of many more, including us, to be raised likewise by God on the Last Day, the day of resurrection, when our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One will deliver the Kingdom to God.
Brothers and Sisters in Iesous Christos, our hope does not end at the grave. When a dearly beloved among us departs, we hold on to our hope that God our Father will raise us all from death one day just as he has raised his Son.
Towards the end of 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle presents a contrast of Adam the first Man against our Lord Iesous Christos, the Last Adam, the Second Man.
Adam was the first Man created by God. In Genesis 2:7, we read that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living being.
In other words, the first Adam received life and became a living being. In contrast, the last Adam was raised from death and became a life-giving spirit. (v.45)
Also, the first Man came from the dust of the earth. The second Man is the Master who came from Heaven. (v.47)
Finally, while we now bear in our body the image of the first Man, of dust of the earth, one day, at our resurrection, we shall also bear the image of our Master, the heavenly Man. (v.49)
Let us hold on to this hope.
Dedicated to Brothers and Sisters of Temerloh Gospel Chapel who have received us warmly and shown us hospitality generously, particularly, Albert SK Yong, Kim Lee, Cassey and many others.
