Before continuing with 1Corinthians 15, I want to look at the Hebrew word "Amen." Because I learned something new to me about this very important word used more than any other throughout the Bible. This word is the Bible's supreme expression of assent. By saying Amen, we mean much more than a simple agreement. It is a remarkable word because it allows us to succinctly articulate "Praise to the LORD" and "I agree." For example, Jeremiah agrees with the words of Hananiah, a fellow prophet, by saying: "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD fulfill the words that you have prophesied." (in Jeremiah 28:6) The true significance of Amen, this powerful word comes from the Hebrew root (a-m-n) that is also related to the word (emunah) which means "faith." Interestingly, Amen is classified as an adjective which describes states and moods. This word is not another "Yes" or "No." When a person says Amend, they commit themselves to a state of conscious agreement, judgement and faith. In the Bible, having faith is not just a question of being spiritually awake, but of being firmly committed to one's spiritual identity.
My first passage of the passages used in that of 1Corinthinas 15 is that of verses 22-23 which witnesses to this; "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ."
This is a qualifying phrase of limited scope because those who are "in Christ" being the Amen as shown above walk in total agreement with Him as required by Jesus Himself in the phrase "follow Me." Keeping in mind that the LORD God, LORD and LORD of the Old is the Jesus of the New. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22 [18-19] and Matthew 11:25-27, 28-30 [28]) The phrase: "so also in Christ will (shall) all be made alive," is a born again phrase of spiritual awakening. Now Jesus stated that, "He was the Way, the Life and the Resurrection" this in itself is a bold statement of great magnitude.
I want now to look at, Christ being Life.
Christ the Life;
Radiant Life,
John 1:4-5 and 5:26 "In Him was (is) life, and the life was (is) the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome (comprehend) it (Him)."
John 5:24-29 (Jesus is speaking) "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me (Deuteronomy 18:15-22) has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so HE has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. And HE has given Him authority to execute judgment, because HE is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life (Matthew 27:51-54), and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
Abundance of Life,
John 10:1-10 (Jesus is speaking) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber (revealing Satan's evil nature in mankind). But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Life for Death,
John 11:17-27 "Now when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes Me, though he die, yet will he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of GOD, Who is coming into the world (this is His Messianic title as Jehovah Sidkakue or EHYEH; "God is my Salvation" was also His title)."
The Way, the Truth, the Life,
John 14:1-7 (Jesus is speaking) "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in GOD; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "LORD, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. (fulfilling His old testament titles of which there are many) No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
Life Everlasting,
Romans 5:18-6:7, 8 and 1John 1:2 "Therefore, as one trespass of transgression led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the world of many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the Law (the first five books which condemned the works of the flesh) came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. (1Corinthians 15's revelation) We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body [flesh] of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we (will) also live with Him."
1John 1:1-4, 5 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest in us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all."
The Only Source of Life,
1John 5:5-12 "Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He Who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the One Who testifies, because the Spirit is the Truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water (His baptism which made Him Spirit among men) and the blood (His death in which I am identified); and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of GOD is greater, for this is the testimony of GOD that HE has borne concerning His Son (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe GOD has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that GOD has borne concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that GOD gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has Life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
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