We’re back on the In Light of the Cross podcast after missing a couple episodes due to a brief hospital stay, and we’re shifting from the cross to what new life means because Jesus is risen.

We reflect on 1 Corinthians 15:20–24 and the “firstfruits” image: Christ’s resurrection is the first part of a coming harvest, meaning those who belong to him will also be raised. We talk through how the whole biblical story—from Eden, the fall, and God’s promise to crush the serpent, through figures like Noah, Abraham, Joshua, and David—finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the true new Adam who defeats the enemy through self-giving love.

We emphasize the biblical hope of physical resurrection, new heaven and new earth, and invite listeners to bring their pain to God, ending with the Lord’s Prayer.

00:12 Back After Hospital

00:37 Resurrection Life Focus

01:14 Pause And Prayer

01:49 Why Resurrection Matters

02:23 First Corinthians Firstfruits

03:40 Meaning Of Firstfruits

05:35 Big Bible Story Recap

08:00 Jesus Fulfills The Types

09:49 Resurrected Bodies on a New Earth

11:36 Already Not Yet Hope

13:32 Reflection And Closing Prayer

Alright, so I wanna get you on record.

2

You said I sing better

than your wife Abby?

3

Nathan Beasley: Yep.

4

Daniel Jepsen: Okay, good.

5

Just wanted to get that on record.

6

Nathan Beasley: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

7

Congregation knows too.

8

Daniel Jepsen: Alright, we are back with

in Light of the Cross podcast, apologize

9

that we missed a couple episodes, but I

was in the hospital for a couple days.

10

Okay.

11

yeah, it turned out to be a

nothing burger, but they did a

12

lot of tests to rule out things.

13

And so totally destroyed Thursday and

Friday of last week when we were going

14

to record and edit and publish these.

15

So, again, apologies, but we

are back in the saddle, right?

16

Nathan Beasley: Yep.

17

And ready to talk about, Post

Resurrection Life that we have in Christ.

18

Daniel Jepsen: I'm real

excited about this.

19

Nathan Beasley: Yeah.

20

Daniel Jepsen: I just feel like I

could do another 30 days about this.

21

Nathan Beasley: It's been really

good to reflect on the cross in

22

recognition that the, the cross

is not the end in and of itself.

23

Daniel Jepsen: No,

24

Nathan Beasley: it's a, it's

a gateway into new life,

25

which is beautiful, beautiful.

26

But you gotta have those

two things together.

27

Daniel Jepsen: Sure.

28

Nathan Beasley: So you can't have

the resurrection without the cross.

29

And, um, thank the Lord that we don't

have the cross without the resurrection.

30

Yeah.

31

So let's begin our time now, with a, a

moment to pause and take some deep breaths

32

and to once again, invite the spirit into

this time, uh, to allow God to do his

33

good work in us through this podcast.

34

So let's do that now.

35

He is risen.

36

Daniel Jepsen: He is risen indeed.

37

Nathan Beasley: Amen.

38

Yeah.

39

Daniel Jepsen: Had a great worship

service yesterday celebrating

40

the resurrection of Jesus.

41

And today it's Monday.

42

Nathan Beasley: Yeah.

43

Daniel Jepsen: We thought it would

be good, even though most of this

44

was designed to flow up to the

cross, to have one week of podcasts

45

where we reflected on what new life

means because of the resurrection.

46

Nathan Beasley: Yeah.

47

So what does life now and

into the future look like?

48

Because of the cross, the death

and resurrection of Jesus.

49

Daniel Jepsen: Right.

50

Nathan Beasley: So let's, unpack this

a little bit over the next few days.

51

one of the things that we wanna bring out

is this idea that, for those of us who are

52

in Christ, we also will be resurrected.

53

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah, that's the most

fundamental thing about us now is

54

that we are a being whose life does

not end at our physical death here.

55

that is only changed

because of the resurrection.

56

Nathan Beasley: So in first

Corinthians 15, Paul unpacks

57

for the church in Corinth.

58

A little bit of, what life is like

now that we have this historical

59

fact of the resurrection.

60

And in, verses 20 through 24, he says

this, he says, um, but Christ has

61

indeed been raised from the dead.

62

The first fruits of those

who have fallen asleep.

63

For since death came through a man.

64

He's talking about Adam there, correct?

65

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah.

66

Nathan Beasley: He says, for since death

came through a man, the resurrection

67

of the dead also comes through a man.

68

For as in Adam all die.

69

So in Christ, all will be made alive.

70

But each in turn, Christ the first roots.

71

Then when he comes, those who belong

to him, then the end will come.

72

When he hands over the kingdom to God

the father, after he has destroyed

73

all dominion, authority and power.

74

Daniel Jepsen: People may or may not

be familiar with the idea of first

75

fruits, but there's a very specific

understanding of that in the Bible times.

76

So if you know your Old Testament,

there's a whole offering called the First

77

Fruits offering, and the idea was that

the first fruits of the first harvest

78

fruit can just mean any produce whether

we call it fruit, or vegetable or grain.

79

The first fruit, would be the first.

80

Part of the harvest, whether it

was weed or grain or anything

81

else would be offered to God.

82

So it would be offered as

a sacrifice that to him.

83

So the first things that you produced

that year, or the first things that

84

you harvested, you would bring it

to the temple and offer it to God.

85

It was a recognition that more was to come

and it was all because of God's grace.

86

Nathan Beasley: Mm-hmm.

87

Daniel Jepsen: So it was just

a way of saying thank you.

88

I'm honoring you and I'm recognizing

this is all a gift from you.

89

Nathan Beasley: So what does the,

uh, what does the metaphor mean here?

90

Then

91

Daniel Jepsen: the more is to come

that the first fruit is not the whole

92

harvest, it's just the first part of

it that shows the harvest is coming.

93

Nathan Beasley: Gotcha.

94

So, it says each in turn, Christ

the first fruits and then those.

95

Who belonged to him,

96

Daniel Jepsen: right?

97

Nathan Beasley: So Christ is the first

who has been raised from the dead.

98

Um, and then those of us who

belong to him will also be raised.

99

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah.

100

And later in the chapter, he says

101

in verse 49, And just as we have

born the image of the earthly

102

man again, Adam, so shall we bear

the image of the heavenly man.

103

So Paul is clearly saying that just as

Jesus had a physical resurrection with

104

a physical body, those who are in Christ

will also share that same transformation.

105

We will have a physical

resurrection and a physical body.

106

We will have a body like

Christ's resurrected body.

107

Nathan Beasley: Wow.

108

can you spend a few minutes just

reminding us of the biblical story

109

up to this point that we've been

looking at over the past, 40 days or

110

so, and help us see now pull all the

strengths together, how all of this

111

finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

112

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah, it's beautiful

because the cross and the resurrection

113

are really the culmination of

everything that's gone before.

114

And then they're the key moment that

lay the groundwork for what's ahead.

115

So if you remember right, we started

talking about how God is telling the story

116

all the way back in the Garden of of Eden.

117

God's desire was for humanity to

be his partners over this creation,

118

to extend the garden to perfect

creation in partnership with him.

119

So they were free autonomous moral agents,

but they were in relationship with him.

120

Individually expressing his wonders, his

wisdom, his skill, his beauty within this

121

world that he had made, and they forfeited

that because they rejected their place.

122

That's what the fall is.

123

They rejected their place before God

and cited with God's enemy instead

124

and trusted his word instead of God's.

125

And then we traced the whole biblical

story, how God said Be it in my

126

grace, I am still going to produce an

offspring of the woman who will undo

127

all that, who will crush the serpent.

128

And as one John three says, undo

all the deeds of the evil one.

129

And then we traced how Again and again.

130

You see a new start.

131

Well, it looks like a new start.

132

You know, first there was Noah, then there

was Abraham, and then there was Joshua,

133

and there was David and so many others.

134

We talked about is this the one, is this

the promised offspring of the woman who

135

will establish things and, undo the work

of the evil when I make things right?

136

But no, they all fail.

137

They all fail until we come to Christ,

who is the culmination, the one whom

138

all those other figures point towards.

139

And he, in his perfect obedience,

perfect fellowship and trust in God,

140

offers himself fully for the sins of

the world so that he can clear the

141

way that we can be restored to God.

142

And because of that, he has defeated

the enemy by accepting violence

143

and death, not by inflicting it.

144

And he's able to share that victory

with all those who come to him.

145

So that's in a nutshell, the, the

story that we've traced so far.

146

Nathan Beasley: I love that.

147

And I love how the way that the

stories of Jesus are crafted In

148

Matthew, mark, Luke, and John, you see

that he is depicted as the new Adam.

149

Daniel Jepsen: Yes.

150

Nathan Beasley: When he faces

the temptation of the enemy and.

151

Doesn't give in in Matthew four.

152

And you see the way that he's

like the deliverer of Moses, but

153

perfect, and who doesn't fail.

154

And you see the way that he leads, the

people through the, judgment like Noah

155

does, but he also doesn't fail, and he's.

156

Like all, all of the things that we

see, he's like King David and that

157

he talks about a kingdom and he,

rides into Jerusalem on Holy Week.

158

Um, the way that a king would've

ridden in, bringing peace on a cult.

159

And you see the way that he is,

like the, the, even when we talked

160

about some of the imagery, like the

tabernacle and the temple, he is.

161

The one who has come, God

with us, called Emmanuel.

162

You see the way that even in his

death, the temple curtain splits

163

and you see the access to the most

holy place from the, for the people.

164

so all of this biblical imagery,

all of these stories truly find

165

their, culmination in Jesus.

166

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah, exactly.

167

It's all centered around him.

168

Nathan Beasley: it's like we

talked about those movies where

169

you really only understand what

happens when you get to the end

170

Daniel Jepsen: Uhhuh,

171

Nathan Beasley: and you have

that, key, that unlocks the

172

meaning of the rest of it.

173

Daniel Jepsen: Mm-hmm.

174

Exactly.

175

Nathan Beasley: it's a beautiful thing

because it helps provide a theological

176

lens for what God is doing and the way

that he's preparing his people to be.

177

That people with whom he will

dwell and he says, you'll be my

178

people and I will be your God.

179

Daniel Jepsen: Right?

180

you see him through all this.

181

He is a center, and then he

reestablishes God's good plan,

182

that there will be a humanity upon

earth in partnership with God.

183

It will not be an Adam humanity.

184

It will be a Jesus humanity.

185

But the idea.

186

That we go off into the clouds and

live a disembodied existence like

187

ghosts or like angels is not biblical.

188

The biblical idea is we will have

a physical or resurrected body,

189

and as it says in, revelation

21, we will reign upon the earth.

190

Nathan Beasley: Mm-hmm.

191

Daniel Jepsen: This is our home.

192

And God's good plan is a culmination

of what he desired for Adam and

193

Eve and for, their offspring.

194

If they had fully trusted,

that was a good thing.

195

God doesn't abandon it because it's

the best possible good expression of

196

his love for human partners like us.

197

So it makes sense.

198

He doesn't just throw it away

and say, okay, well plan B.

199

We'll just have this disembodied

existence in the cloud.

200

No, I'm gonna give myself.

201

To reestablish this even

at cost out of love.

202

That's the flow of the biblical story.

203

Nathan Beasley: Yeah.

204

That's the, the theological

lens for understanding every

205

part of scripture, right?

206

That,

207

Daniel Jepsen: yeah,

208

Nathan Beasley: God created the

world and people and it to be good.

209

He calls it good.

210

In Genesis one, there is the human

failure that introduces, brokenness

211

and sin and all of the worst things of

life, and tarnishes the good things.

212

There's now toiling.

213

Work and there's pain and child rearing

all this stuff, but God is on mission to

214

redeem people through the blood of Jesus

and he's moving all of creation toward

215

renewal because of what Jesus has done.

216

Daniel Jepsen: Right?

217

Nathan Beasley: So now

we're in the in between.

218

Daniel Jepsen: We are, Paul says

elsewhere in Romans eight, in fact, that

219

though we have been legally adopted.

220

By Christ, by God in this way through

Christ, that we are still weighting

221

the redemption of our bodies because

the redemption of our bodies is

222

linked to the redemption of the,

of the world when God, it says,

223

makes a new heaven and a new Earth.

224

So those are linked in ways that

we probably can't understand.

225

It's probably above our pay

rate, but when that time is full.

226

Then heaven and Earth will be remade.

227

We'll have a new heaven and

a new Earth, and we ourselves

228

will be resurrected on that day.

229

So that's the idea for now.

230

We have the promise of that.

231

We have Paul says, Using the

metaphor a little bit differently.

232

We have the first fruits of

the Holy Spirit within us.

233

So we have the, spirit ministering to

us and teaching us and comforting us.

234

That's the first fruit of our

full relationship with God

235

that we will have at that time.

236

It's there, but it's not near

the fullness of what it will be.

237

Nathan Beasley: Yeah, and that's,

that's so good because it,

238

orients us in this life that.

239

We, as Ephesians says, while we

are dead in our trespasses, God

240

has made us alive in Christ.

241

And when we come to know Jesus

and, and surrender our lives to

242

his way and come underneath his

lordship, we begin to experience the

243

goodness, but also the rub of that.

244

But we know and we look forward to a

time when we are brought to full healing.

245

With our own selves and with

others, and with God and and,

246

and the renewal of all things.

247

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah.

248

And we can talk a little bit more about

what our transformation will be like.

249

We're given hints and analogies.

250

Not a full description, but we could

talk about that in our next episode.

251

Nathan Beasley: I think that'll be good.

252

Daniel Jepsen: Yeah.

253

Nathan Beasley: So for now, let's

just reflect on this idea now.

254

I don't know where you are right now and

how you're feeling listening to this.

255

I don't know what Mars and Mars of sin

and brokenness you're encountering in

256

your life, but I hope that your heart

is warmed by this truth that We are in

257

an in between state, but the fact of the

resurrection means that since Christ has

258

been raised from the dead into new life.

259

We will be too.

260

Daniel Jepsen: Yes.

261

Nathan Beasley: By the grace of God,

we will be raised from the dead and

262

that the resurrection changes the way

that we think about our own mortality.

263

So let's make space to, to

reflect on this a little bit.

264

I think a good way of doing that

would be to lean into the places

265

of pain that you're encountering.

266

Maybe that's relational pain.

267

Or physical pain or even spiritual

pain and, invite the spirit into

268

that and surrender and yield that

to the Lord in faith that there will

269

be a day when that will be no more.

270

And, ask the Lord to give you, a

peace and consolation about the places

271

where you're encountering the pain,

272

We want to conclude our time with

this prayer that we've been praying,

273

this prayer of yielding to the way

of God that we see modeled in Christ,

274

that God's name is hallowed, and his

kingdom come and his will is done.

275

Let's pray.

276

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

277

Your kingdom come, your will be

done on earth as it is in heaven.

278

Give us today our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts as we

279

also have forgiven our debtors.

280

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

281

Amen.