1 Corinthians 15:20-24 (NIV)

20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NIV)

1For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Reflection

The first days of classes set our expectations of how the upcoming semester will be. When we read through a syllabus and sit through the first lecture we can often get a pretty good sense if a class is going to be filled with boring lectures and busywork or really engaging. This is the kind of first fruit that Paul talks about, the first taste that makes concrete what is to come. There seems to have been some confusion around how to think of life after this one and if we will actually physically come to life again. Paul’s answer is a resounding “yes”! He says look at Christ and let His resurrection set your expectations of what is to come. Furthermore, we have a second guarantee as he points out in the second passage: the Spirit! This life is not in vain. God has purposed us for something greater that we can eagerly wait for.

Responding to the Transmission

As we face struggles and longing for something more, let it be a reminder that we are to eagerly anticipate the life that is to come. But through Christ and the Spirit the future reality is already being made concrete in our lives. We are getting a very real taste of heaven. Let’s pray that we would live in this resurrection of Christ reality and also that our generation would know in real and tangible ways what heaven will be like one day.