Saturday, April 16 Christ has been raised from the dead.​—1 Cor. 15:20.

[Áine]

Saturday, April 16

Christ has been raised from the dead.—1 Cor. 15:20.

 

By calling Jesus “the firstfruits,” the apostle Paul implied that others thereafter would be raised from death to heavenly life. The apostles and others “in union with Christ” would follow Jesus. (1 Cor. 15:18) In due time, they would experience a resurrection similar to that of Jesus. The heavenly resurrection for those “in union with Christ” had not yet begun to occur at the time Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Rather, Paul pointed to a future time: “Each one in his own proper order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.” (1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:15, 16) Today we are living during that foretold “presence” of Christ. Yes, the apostles and other spirit-anointed Christians who died had to await that presence to receive their heavenly reward and be “united with [Jesus] in the likeness of his resurrection.”—Rom. 6:5. w20.12 5 ¶12; 6 ¶16-17

Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 14) John 19:1-42