The Conquest of Death
A Sermon on Death from 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Originally preached April 6, 1958
Scripture
54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The …
Sermon Description
How has God overcome death and sin? According to holy Scripture, it is by dying upon the cross in the place of sinners and rising from the dead. For sin can only be removed by a sacrifice, and Jesus dying upon the cross was the sacrifice for the sins of all who believe. He rose from the dead as a proclamation that He has overcome death Himself, and that all who believe in Him will also rise from the dead. In this sermon on death from 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 titled “The Conquest of Death,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on this great theological truth that also has profound implications for everyday lives. It gives hope and purpose knowing that there is life after this, because Jesus has died for sinners and saved them from sin. How is one to respond to the message of the gospel and Christ’s victory over death by the resurrection? Believers must forsake their sins and come to God. They must repent and believe in Jesus because He has truly overcome all evil and sin. Jesus alone can save sinners. For the resurrection is not merely something sentimental, but it is the power of God over all evil. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation for all hope in this life.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.
- These verses represent the climax and summary of Paul's argument about the resurrection of the body.
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a literal, physical resurrection. This is essential to understand.
- Our response to this truth indicates our spiritual state before God.
- Two essential things are always present in Christianity: the facts and the explanation/understanding of the facts.
- We must understand our condition by nature as a result of sin and the Fall. We are under the dominion of Satan, sin, death, and the law.
- We must understand what Jesus Christ has done to deliver us. He conquered Satan, sin, death, and the law. He died and rose again to deliver us from every consequence of the Fall.
- Jesus took the sting out of death by dealing with sin and the law. For believers, death is like sleep.
- Christians should have victory over death now and even look forward to death. Death has lost its terror.
- Salvation redeems us spiritually and physically. We will have glorified bodies like Christ's.
- The message of the resurrection is that God will redeem us wholly through Jesus Christ.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions on the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
What is the central message of Easter according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the central message of Easter is not merely a vague general hope like spring coming after winter, nor is it just about the immortality of the soul or Christ still being alive in some unseen realm. The true message is "the proclamation of the final conquest of death itself and of the ultimate final redemption even of our bodies, the salvation even of the body, which is going to be glorified and rendered perfect and entire, even as the body of the risen Lord himself." It's about the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of our bodily resurrection.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say understanding our natural condition is essential to appreciating the resurrection?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that we must understand "our own condition by nature, as the result of sin and as the result of the fall." He states that "you'll never really know the glory of the resurrection until you see the depth out of which it raises you." He describes our natural condition as being slaves under the dominion of Satan, sin, death, and the law. We are all "born in sin, shaped in iniquity" and live under "a sense of doom, a sense of fear and a sense of guilt" with death reigning over us. Only by understanding this terrible condition can we truly appreciate what Christ's resurrection has accomplished for us.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the power of death is sin" - meaning sin is what makes death terrifying and destructive. Sin is the cause of death, as it was "by the one man's transgression that sin came in." Meanwhile, "the strength of sin is the law" means that what makes sin lead to death is God's law - His commandments that, when broken, constitute transgression. The law not only defines sin but also "pronounces the sentence" of punishment. Christ's work addresses both aspects - satisfying the law's demands and removing sin's power, thus taking away death's sting for believers.
How has Christ given believers victory over death according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ has given believers victory by delivering us "from every single consequence of the fall." He conquered the devil, conquered sin and temptation, perfectly obeyed God's law, and bore our punishment on the cross. Most importantly, He rose from the dead, triumphing over death itself - "the last enemy." Because Christ did this as our representative, those who are "in Him" share in His victory. For Christians, "death has already been changed" - the sting has been removed, and death is now simply what the apostle calls "sleep." Believers can look forward with certainty to their own resurrection.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the completeness of salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that salvation is complete and perfect, affecting the whole person. He says, "Let's not detract from the perfection and the glory of salvation. The body is to be raised." He explains that "when man fell, man fell. Spirit, soul and body" and therefore our salvation must address all these aspects. While our spirits are regenerated now, "this old body that you and I have, it's the body of our humiliation... and it hasn't yet been redeemed." But Christ "shall change this, our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." Our redemption will be complete - "spirit, soul and body."
How should Christians respond to the message of resurrection according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a proper understanding of the resurrection should produce three responses in believers:
- It should make us want to thank God: "Thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory."
- It should give us "a sense of victory and of triumph and of prevailing."
- It should fill us "with a desire to look death in the face and to challenge him" saying "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
Rather than fearing death, true Christians should be able to "look at death in the grave and challenge them and defy them" and even, like Paul, look forward to death as gain because it means being with Christ.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.