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.
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.