1 Corinthians 15:22-28 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He has put all things under his feet. But when He says all things are put under him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
The Victory of Christ
In the beginning, when God created the world, everything was perfect. Adam and Eve were placed in a beautiful paradise, created to live in harmony with God, each other, and the world around them. Their purpose was to experience life in its fullest sense—joy, peace, and the wonder of God’s creation—without any pain, suffering, or fear. There was no death to worry about, no sadness, no separation from God. It was a life of perfect relationship and unbroken communion with the Creator.
But something went terribly wrong. Adam and Eve, given the freedom to choose, made a decision that changed everything. They chose to disobey God’s command. Sin entered the world through their actions, and with it came death. Death wasn’t just a one-time consequence for Adam and Eve; it became a part of the fabric of human existence. From that point on, every person born into this world would face the reality of death—physical, spiritual, and relational. The perfect world God had created had been marred by sin, and humanity inherited this brokenness.
Yet, even in the midst of all of this, God didn’t leave humanity without hope. His mercy and love are so great that He couldn’t bear to leave His creation in despair. So, God made a way for things to be made right again. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to undo the damage caused by sin and death. Where Adam’s choice brought death into the world, Jesus came to bring life. His victory over death offers hope for all of us. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus opened the door to a new beginning—a fresh start, not just for individuals, but for all of creation.
This new beginning, however, is not immediate. It’s a process, one that began with the resurrection of Jesus. When He rose from the dead, it was like the first spark of new life in a world that had been overshadowed by sin and death. His resurrection was the “firstfruits” of a new creation, just as the first fruits of a harvest signal that more is to come. Jesus’ rising from the dead wasn’t just a one-time event—it was a preview of what is to come for everyone who believes in Him. It was a glimpse of the new world that is on the horizon, where death and suffering are no more.
But it doesn’t end with Jesus’ resurrection. His victory over death is only the beginning of a much larger restoration that is still unfolding. One day, when Christ returns, all who have trusted in Him will be raised to new life, just as He was. The ultimate hope we hold onto as Christians is that death will not have the final say. Christ’s return will usher in a world where death, sin, and suffering no longer have any power. This world, broken by sin, will be renewed. It will be made right again, just as God originally intended.
Right now, we are living in the “already but not yet” of this restoration. We have experienced the first fruits of new life in Christ, but the full restoration is still to come. We still experience the effects of sin in our world, pain, suffering, and loss. Death is still a harsh reality, and it can feel overwhelming at times. But Jesus’ resurrection has already broken the power of death. Death does not have the final say. We know that one day, when Christ returns, death will be completely defeated. It will be done away with forever, and for those who belong to Christ, this will be the ultimate new beginning.
When Jesus returns, He will restore all things. Everything that has been broken by sin, everything that has been tainted by death, will be made new. This is not just the renewal of individuals, but the renewal of all creation. In this new world, death will be gone, suffering will be no more, and God will reign as King over all. The creation itself will be fully restored, free from the curse of sin and death. It’s hard to imagine a world without pain, loss, or death, but that’s what’s coming; a world where everything is as it should be.
Right now, though, we live in a world that is still broken. We see the effects of sin all around us. People get sick, loved ones pass away, relationships break down, and injustice abounds. It can be easy to lose hope when we’re faced with the harsh realities of life. But even in the midst of these struggles, we can hold on to the promise that Christ has already defeated death. His resurrection has broken its power, and the day will come when death will be completely eradicated. For all who belong to Christ, this is our great hope, the ultimate new beginning.
Jesus is now reigning over all things, and He will continue to do so until the day comes when He hands the kingdom back to God the Father, completing the work He started. This will be the fulfillment of God’s kingdom, a kingdom where every enemy, every force of evil, every manifestation of sin and death, has been defeated. This is when Christ will reign in perfect harmony with God the Father, and God will be glorified in all things. The kingdom of God will be fully realized, and we will experience the world as it was meant to be—a world without death, without pain, without sin.
As we wait for that day, we are called to live with the reality of this new beginning in mind. We don’t just passively wait for the future; we actively live in the light of what is to come. Our lives should reflect the hope we have in the resurrection, showing the world that death is not the end. We are to live as people who have already experienced new life in Christ, demonstrating to the world that there is hope beyond death.
Though we still live in a broken world, we know that this world will not last forever. The final restoration is coming. Because of Jesus, we can endure the hardships of life with the assurance that death is not the final word. We can face the challenges of this world knowing that one day, everything will be made new. God’s perfect reign will come, and all things will be restored under His perfect rule.
We are not meant to wait passively for this restoration to happen. We are called to actively live in light of it, sharing the hope of new creation with the world. We are to be living witnesses to the reality that death does not have the final say, and that God is working to make all things new. In the midst of life’s pain and suffering, we can hold on to the promise that, because of Jesus, our new beginning is secure. And as we wait for Christ to return, we can live with the confidence that His perfect reign is coming soon, bringing with it the ultimate restoration for all of creation.
This is the good news of the gospel: that Jesus, through His resurrection, has already made a way for all things to be made new. And when He returns, He will bring that restoration to its full completion. Until then, we can live with hope and confidence, knowing that the new beginning that started with Christ’s resurrection will one day be fully realized for all of creation.
And THAT is…
I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.
AMKCH 2025
The images are AI generated on chatgpt