April 26, 2025

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 19:1-25; Hebrews 13:1-21

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Adam really messed things up for us. He had the perfect life. He had dominion over everything. He had the perfect wife in Eve and the perfect relationship with God. Everything was perfect. God even declared it to be “Very Good” at the end of Genesis chapter 1. Yet, in Genesis chapter 3, we read about the Fall of man. It isn’t Adam, though, who is doing the initial eating. It is Eve who is speaking to the serpent. It is Eve who takes from the tree. Adam gets the blame. Rightfully so, as it was Adam whom God spoke to about eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, not Eve. Adam was with Eve while the dialogue between the serpent and Eve transpired. He was questioning the validity of God’s command regarding eating the forbidden fruit. Did God speak the truth when He said, “You will surely die?” Let’s do a little beta-testing with Eve and see if she will die when she eats from the tree. She didn’t die right there from Adam’s perspective.

Man did die. Man lost the image of God. In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve are confronted by God, and the curses are delivered to the serpent, to Eve, and to Adam. Adam’s curse is death. You will die. Through Adam’s selfish act of failing to be a faithful groom, death is ushered into all mankind. No longer did they have the image of God. Sin now separated them from their creator. On account of Adam, we will all die. Our hearts will stop beating. Our lungs will no longer receive air. Our minds will be silent. We will die. The consequence of sin is death.

As Paul writes to the church at Corinth, he reminds them that their hope is not in their wisdom and understanding of the things of this world. He points the church back to Christ. In Christ, the world is reconciled to God. No longer are we separated but we are reunited with our creator through Jesus. In your Baptism, you have been reconciled to God. No longer does God look down upon us and see our sin and our deadliness. He sees Christ and His robe of righteousness over us. He sees all the works of Christ upon us. He sees us through Jesus. Sin still exists. Death is still coming upon us. In Christ, we are given the sure and certain hope that all is conquered. In our Baptisms, we are in Christ, and if we are in Christ, we are alive. His resurrection is our resurrection. He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

What these sacrifices promised From a God who sought to bless, Came at last a second Adam Priest and King of Righteousness; Son of God incarnate Savior, Son of Man both Christ and Lord, Who in naked shame would offer On the cross His blood outpoured. (LSB 572:3)

-Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God’s people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.