Jesus Rules Forever!

Last Sunday of the Church Year, Christ the King, 11/26/23 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 Jesus Rules Forever! I. He rules over death. II. He rules over his kingdom. Many years ago, I heard another pastor say, “It’s hard to keep a good pastor, and it’s even harder to get rid of a poor one.” I say that, not so you begin to ponder my service as your pastor, but so that you reflect on how that is in other facets of your life. For instance, if you are an employer or a supervisor, you have surely experienced how difficult it is to keep a good employee and how it’s even harder to terminate a poor one. Thus, in many work environments, mediocrity is tolerated. And, to some extent, that’s true with those who govern us. The Bible makes it clear that government is one of God’s representatives through whom he blesses us. And we’re overjoyed when we are being blessed by those who govern us. It makes life so much easier for us. But, it’s hard to keep a good government and even harder to get rid of a poor one. Today we celebrate the truth that Christ is King. We heard in today’s Gospel Reading of the saving irony by which Jesus became our King. He suffered the unholy taunts of his enemies and the hellish agony of the cross. On that Good Friday he looked like anything but a king. But King he is! Our Christian faith and our forgiveness of sins and our eternal lie are based on this saving truth: Christ our King not only died, he also rose again and rules forever. The Apostle Paul expands on that great truth in this morning’s text from 1 Corinthians 15. Unlike other ruling forces in our lives, Jesus rules forever. He is our eternal King. But as our King, what does he have in store for us? How does he affect our lives now and how will he affect them forever? Pay attention to his words before us this morning and take to heart his powerful and saving truths for your life. I. You’ve heard it said that there are only two things that are certain in life—death and taxes. We smile now as we hear those words, but you might not be smiling when you file your 2023 tax returns and are confronted with the cold reality of how much you pay annually in taxes. Imagine what you could do with that money if taxes weren’t a reality of life. Things are much the same with the reality of death. We might not think about it, we try not to think about it, we might spend a great deal of time and money trying to delay it, but it’s inevitable. One of my seminary professors used to say, “For all of our modern medical advances, the death rate remains the same: one for each person.” I’d like to think the Apostle Paul would say, “Yes, but...” Yes, but what? Listen again to his words, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits 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 turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” A little further on he states, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Paul states plainly what we all know, “As in Adam, all die.” The father of the human race eventually died as the result of sin. The Bible states only a few exceptions to this gloomy rule of life: all die. Even though we’d like to go on living, death is inevitable. But that’s where the rule of Christ our King comes in. Paul calls him “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Firstfruits? Are you familiar with that biblical term? In the Old Testament, the Lord demanded that the Jews offer to him the firstfruits of their crops. So, as a field full of wheat ripened, the farmer was required to bring the first of the ripe wheat to the Lord as an offering. This offering expressed at least a couple things. First, it was an offering of thanks to the God who had caused the wheat to grow and ripen. The first part of it was given to the Lord; the rest of it was to be used by the farmer to provide for his family. Second, it was an offering of trust. The farmer wasn’t allowed to make sure he had enough ripe grain harvested and then bring the final ripe grain to the Lord. His offering expressed his trust in the Lord to provide what he needed. Just as the first wheat ripened, so would the rest of the crop. Jesus is the firstfruit when it comes to the resurrection of the dead. He was the first to raise himself from the dead at dawn on the third day, just as he promised he would. That’s the foundation of the Christian faith—Jesus rose from the dead. We’re the rest of the crop. He has promised to raise our bodies from the dead on the Last Day and glorify them so that we can enjoy the bliss of eternal life for both soul and body. As impossible as that sounds, it will happen. We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. And then the last enemy—death—will be destroyed. Where science will fail—eradicating death—Christ our King will succeed. He is the Victor! Jesus rules forever! He rules over death. I’m sure you’ve heard it said that death is a natural part of life. And it’s true. Unless we are alive on the day Jesus returns to this earth, we will all die. But death is also unnatural. In what way? Because God’s original intent for human life was for human beings to live forever here in a perfect world. But sin destroyed God’s perfect intent. And, as God told Adam, sin brings death. So, I get it when you and I want to avoid the topic of death. I get it when we want to avoid death, even if it costs us time and effort and money. I get it if we are enjoying the blessings of this life so much that the last thing we want to think about is being suddenly torn from this life. I get it when we have our fears and doubts about death, because there is no earthly preparation for it. You don’t get a trial run. Especially when death is untimely it can be horrific. The fallout for those of us still living can be devasting. So, what hope do we have? What comfort exists? What peace can be found? Christ your King! He destroyed death with his death and has brought life and immortality into reality. Yes, not just a dream, but a reality! In fact, it’s the focal point of everything he has done for us and will do for us. He wants us to live with him in soul and body forever. He redeemed both our souls and our bodies by his death and guaranteed it with his resurrection. Because he lives, we, too, shall rise and live. Jesus rules forever over death! II. We’ve learned our lesson. History teaches it over and over again. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It’s inevitable. It might as well be one of the universal laws of nature. But with one exception. Listen to Paul describe it, “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. For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” Jesus has all power, and he always uses it for the absolute good, not evil. Paul refers to the kingdom of Jesus. That’s his gracious rule in our hearts. It’s a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly or visible kingdom. On the Last Day he will bring every member of his kingdom into eternal glory with him. And on that day, he will finally, once and for all, overcome evil. He will reverse everything that Satan caused when he lured Adam and Eve into sin. Everything that makes this life sorrowful, frustrating, stressful, and miserable will be overcome. Jesus rules! And then God will be supreme. But isn’t he supreme now? Yes, he is. But when Paul states that God will be all in all, he means that there will no longer be any human or spiritual forces that oppose him. They will be confined to hell, and nothing will ever oppose the Lord and his people again. And that glorious reign will endure forever. It will never end. Jesus rules forever! He rules over his kingdom. “Nothing can stop it.” That phrase often fills us with fear and dread. I’ve heard that there are fears over the use of Artificial Intelligence. Some think that if it gets into the wrong hands, it could be used to destroy all human life. A couple years ago, we wondered if we would ever be able to stop COVID-19. I read an article the other day that stated it’s probably here to stay. Nothing can stop it completely. But there is one situation in which “Nothing can stop it” is reason for us to rejoice. And that’s the rule of Jesus. It’s his kingdom. It’s you and me and all others who trust in Jesus as their Savior from sin. Nothing can stop the plans our Lord has for us to rise from the dead and enjoy his glorious kingdom forever. Find your hope in that great truth, Christian friends. No doubt this week will be just like last week and all the weeks prior to it in this terrible truth: evil will surround us. It will vex you. It will cause you to shake your head in disbelief. You will wonder again and again what this world is coming to. You might even think it can’t possibly get worse than it is right now. But it will end. Jesus will make sure of it. Right now, he is ruling over all things for the good of his church—you and me and all Christians. He will ultimately take his kingdom out of this sinful world and hand us over to his heavenly Father. Why? So that we can experience life with our God and all the blessings God has in store for us without any interruption from Satan or any other evil power. So, what can you expect out of Jesus, your King? Just bliss, eternal bliss. It’s all yours. Your King promises it to you by faith in him. He’s making sure it happens right now as he rules over all things. Jesus rules forever! Enjoy it! Amen.