I Corinthians 15, Freddie Mercury, and The Empty Tomb

Something about major sporting events feels almost primal. 

Us versus them.  Good versus Evil. 

stomp, stomp, clap

stomp, stomp, clap

stomp, stomp, clap….

How is it that two foot stomps and a single handclap, carefully choreographed and repeated, can sound so unbelievably cool?

You got mud on yo’ face

You big disgrace

Kickin’ your can all over the place singin'

We will, we will, rock you!

We will, we will, rock you! 

At some point one will hear the unmistaken sound.  From multi-million dollar NBA arenas to backwoods junior high courts, energy surges wherever Mercury’s lyrics are bellowed.  Queen taunts the opposition.

But Mercury and the Apostle Paul? 

A stretch?  Maybe.  But as I read I Corinthians 15 I can’t help but hear feet stomping and hands clapping.  For as this text reaches its apex Paul openly taunts Death:

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O Death, where is your victory?

O Death, where is your sting?

Paul sticks his finger in Death’s chest and pushes the issue.[1]  Death, you lose.  Death, you’ve no authority.  Death, you got mud on yo’ face.   

It wasn’t even a contest.  Sure, things looked bleak on Good Friday.  Yes, the Lamb’s heal was bruised, but my the difference three days can make!  On Resurrection Sunday our Lord Jesus Christ made it a blow out, death was swallowed up in Christ’s victory.  The enemy’s head was crushed. 

As the face cloth was being folded there was no need to rush.  It was neatly folded and placed so as to convey the complete absence of struggle or conflict.  No need to hurry; the work was indeed complete.  Victory firmly secured.  No threats. 

As Easter draws near I aim to post a few reflections on I Corinthians 15.  Along the way, let us find great peace, joy and comfort in knowing that Christ has indeed won the victory.  That Death has no place and the curse has been defeated. 

During these days leading up to April 8^th I encourage you to spend some time reading I Corinthians 15.  As one of the longer chapters in the NT, it can be confusing at times but I encourage you to invest in rereading.

While reading you may even hear the stomping…  

Grace and Peace

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[1] By reordering the textual rendering of both Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 Paul personified death making I Corinthians 15:55 a direct statement against the shadowy figure that has plagued mankind since the Fall.  If interested in referencing this change is sentence structure, etc.  I’d recommend The First Epistle to the Corinthians, TNICNT, Fee, 804.