The Resurrection as the End of Despair (1 Corinthians 15)
By Dr. Brandon Steenbock
There’s a moment of grief when something good comes to an end. My wife and I went on an anniversary trip; it started with excitement about all that was ahead. But as we drove to the airport our last night, there was a lurking feeling. “It’s over.” And a grief settled in.
That’s a small thing. There was a bigger grief when we closed the door for the last time on our first home. Where our boys played and laughed. Where we held each other through storms. Where we worked hard to make it our own. The chapter closed, we walked away. “It’s over.” And the grief settled in.
I’ve felt that grief at the graveside. A loved one has died, the funeral is done, the family and friends have gone home, and the last piece of dirt covers the grave. There’s this final sigh. “It’s over.” The grief settles in.
Then there are gray days with no big trip, no final door, no graveside. Just the end of a gray day with a weary groan. “It’s over.” Grief seems a constant companion.
Do you know what happened the day after our trip? The sun rose. Do you know what happened the day after we moved? The sun rose. The day after every funeral I’ve attended? The sun rose. After every gray, lifeless night, the sun still rises.
Do you know what happened the day after Jesus died? The sun rose… but Jesus was still dead? Until the next day… when the Son of God rose. Imagine if you could have sat next to that grave through the night. Watching and waiting and wondering how anything could ever be good again. And then suddenly, at the break of dawn, an angel appears and throws the stone aside and there… there stands Jesus, risen from death. And every sad thing becomes untrue. Not just that morning, but for every morning to come.
Jesus’ resurrection means endings aren’t forever. Death doesn’t have the final word. Grief may linger, but it will give way to joy. And despair gives way to hope just as the darkness gives to light when the sun rises. “If Christ has been raised, your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The waiting is not in vain. All the endings and days of grief will give way to joy.
Don’t take this as, “Just hang on, it will get better.” That’s a limp line. It’s an encouragement to hold on to resurrection hope. The Son of God rose from death, and the sun will rise tomorrow, and the Son of God will come back. Let that joy and peace settle in.
Prayer: Risen Lord, give me the joy of knowing that because of your resurrection, my grief will have an end. Let every ending in this life be a reminder that a new day is coming when my joy with you will never end. Amen.
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