Final Jeopardy!
John Hester
Our Blueprint for a New Testament Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
One of the most popular game shows ever is Jeopardy! When Jeopardy first aired on television it was great hit putting a spin on the traditional question and answer game show. It gave the answer and the contestants had to provide the question. Even to this day, this show continues to be successful. After 40 seasons and over 8,000 episodes, people are still challenged to provide the questions to the answers.
One of our verses in today’s text caused me to think about this show.
30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
Now, in its context, the thought is “why stand we in danger every hour.” However, I thought it was ironic that today we associate the word “Jeopardy” with a game show build around providing questions to the answers of life. Yet, the greatest answer to life is also the greatest jeopardy of our eternal existence.
If this were a game of Jeopardy, we might be choosing our final answer for eternity.
Here is the clue. This one action of Christ is the single most important action impacting our entire future existence.
The answer is: What is the resurrection of Christ?
Without a doubt, Christ’s resurrection is the key to life or death.
Now, before I get into today’s text and message, I want to briefly wrap last week’s message. We spent an enormous amount of time on the subject of Christ as the firstfruits. In particular, we zeroed in on the fact that He, as the firstfruit, is the starting point of spiritual life. The part that I did not get to is this.
Look again at our text last week and note this point.
Christ’s Resurrection is SURETY for Each Believer’s Future!
Christ’s Resurrection is SURETY for Each Believer’s Future!
Look again at our text.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Again, the Holy Spirit states, “Christ the firstfruits; afterward...” The word “firstfruits” has two connotations. We note that firstfruits are the first or beginning products of a harvest. An additional connotation is that firstfruits is the first profit of an undertaking. In other words, His resurrection is the first of many blessings. The first major blessing of Christ’s resurrection is our own spiritual resurrection. That was the point of verses 20-22. Now, as we move into these next 6 verses, the Holy Spirit gives us additional blessings that result from Christ’s resurrection. These are future blessings. In a sense, Christ’s resurrection coupled with our spiritual resurrection become SURETY of these future blessings. So what are those blessing? I am glad you asked.
Christ’s Resurrection STRENGTHENS our hope of a coming Rapture!
Christ’s Resurrection STRENGTHENS our hope of a coming Rapture!
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
The next big event for us, as believers, is the Rapture. We see this blessing depicted in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Whether we are asleep (physically dead) or alive, we are all going to be “caught up together…in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” There is no denying this coming event. In fact, it is this assurance of the Rapture that we “comfort one another.”
Christ’s Resurrection SECURES His future Kingdom
Christ’s Resurrection SECURES His future Kingdom
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
After the Rapture, the great seven year tribulation begins. It is during that seven years when Christ will “put down all rule and all authority and power.” He will then establish His kingdom and will reign putting “all enemies under his feet.” If you want to hear more about this future blessed Kingdom, then come to our Bible Study on Wednesday nights. We are doing a careful, detailed study of the Tribulation as well as the Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.
Christ’s Resurrection SEALS Death’s Fate
Christ’s Resurrection SEALS Death’s Fate
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For sake of time, I will not into great detail about Christ’s victory over death. We know that His resurrection secured a great victory of sin and death. Later, in this same chapter, we will be considering verses 54-57 which state...
54 So 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.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will deal more that that at that time. But as for the future blessing of death, I want to draw your attention to Revelation 20:13-14
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Now consider Revelation 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Folks, there is coming a day when death will be completely abolished. There will be “no more death.” Praise the Lord! What a blessing to come!
Here is the last blessing and we are done.
Christ’s resurrection STANDS BEHIND the reality that God will be all in all.
Christ’s resurrection STANDS BEHIND the reality that God will be all in all.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
People can deny God’s existence and authority all they want. In the end, He will reign.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God will be all in all! You can take that one to the bank.
Now, as we come to today’s text, we read....
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Of particular interest in verse 29 is the phrase “baptized for the dead.” What is even more interesting about this phrase is this. You will not find anywhere else in Scripture. This is the only verse that this phrase is used. So the question automatically becomes this.
Clarifying the Often Misunderstood “Baptized for the Dead”
Clarifying the Often Misunderstood “Baptized for the Dead”
What does “baptized for the dead” mean?
Many have tried to answer. And, in doing so, many have offered several interpretations. I will give some different interpretations and then offer my own observation.
First and, perhaps, the most commonly accepted interpretation is as follows. Many have taught this verse means believers, Christians, are baptized for or in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, this entire chapter centers on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, each believer as they enter the baptismal waters, immersed under the water, and brought up out of the water are, in a sense, baptized for the dead, the One Who died and rose again, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, Scripture teaches that water baptism symbolizes Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. If you believe this interpretation, I would have no problem with that. It is easy to see this in our text. However, I think that there is a different point that the Holy Spirit is seeking to drive home here. We will get that in a moment.
A second interpretation of the phrase, “baptized for the dead,” teaches is this. At the time we are baptized, we, through this symbolic act, bury the old life or sin. As we come out of the water, we symbolically are raised or “resurrected” to a new life in Christ. Thus, the baptism of the dead speaks of our old life being buried and no longer valid. Now, we are to walk in newness of the changed, spiritual life that we now possess. Again, if this is your interpretation, I would not disgree. Surely, baptism symbolizes the death of our old life and the beginning of a new life in Christ. In fact, whenever I baptize someone, I often say as they are coming back out of the water “risen to walk in newness of life.”
There is one more interpretation and, by far, it is the grossest interpretation of them all. The first two that I just mentioned are viable and Biblical. However, this one is one that is the result of Mormon teaching and I absolutely reject as Biblical. Mormon theology teaches that baptism is the means of salvation. Thus, “baptism for the dead” is also a legitimate means of salvation for those who have already died. They teach that since a great many people have died without having the opportunity to be baptized, somebody else, a current baptized member of the Mormon church, can be baptized for those people who have died and, as a result, they will be saved as well. However, the catcher is this. You have to be baptized for each person who has died and not been baptized. In this way, Mormons teach that living believers can be baptized vicariously on behalf of people who have died unbaptized. Thus, it is not an uncommon practice in many Mormon temples to hold baptism cermonies for the dead urging their member to be baptized repeatedly for dead people. There is a story that a very wealthy Mormon lady was baptized 30,000 times in Salt Lake City. Now, here is the real kicker to this belief among Mormons. Each time a person desires to be baptized for the dead, the Mormon church requires they make a considerable donation to the church.The lad who was baptized over 30,000 times spent her entire fortune doing so. Now, folks, there is no place in Scripture that teaches baptism is necessary for salvation. Baptism does not wash away any sin. Additionally, this phrase “baptism for the dead” has nothing to do with the salvation of those who died. It is a false teaching that comes from false prophets.
So what then is my interpretation of this phrase? I am so glad that you asked. I love it when people ask.
Let me begin with the Greek. Look again at the the verse.
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
As we know, the word “baptism” means to be dipped into or to be immersed and is often used in conjunction with water. Thus, baptism is to be immersed into water. Throughout Scripture, baptism or immersion into water is used symbolically of cleansing. Christ gave us the ordinance of baptism as an act to demonstrated our own personal cleansing through His death, burial, and resurrection. We already covered a number of these thoughts. As think about this phrase, we note that it says “baptized for the dead.” Note the preposition “for” is used here. The word “for” means on behalf of. However, it is the word “dead” that stands out. In the Greek, this word is plural. Thus, it means a group of dead people and not just one dead person. We can conclude then that this phrase means baptized on behalf of dead people. Now, you might say how is that different than the interpretations given before?
Firs of all, we are not talking about baptism for one person. Thus, it cannot mean we are baptized for or in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ even though that is taught in other places within the New Testament. Second, being baptized on behalf of someone is quite different than being baptized for the benefit of someone. This is where the Mormon church gets it wrong. Baptism is not salvation to begin with and surely we cannot be baptized to benefit someone else much less someone who is dead.
Now, let me take you back to a previous verse in this chapter. Look at verse 17.
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
You might recall our study of this verse. This verse simply reminds us that we, as believers, stake everything upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. If He not resurrected, our faith (everything we believe) is absolutely useless (vain). Remember Scripture teaches that Christ was delivered up to death for our offenses and resurrected for our justification.
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
However, it Christ be not raised (resurrected), redemption is not accomplished and the question of our sin is not settled. We remain our sins. Additionally, we know from our text that those who have died before us are perished.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
What a horrid thought to think that all the millions of believers, including us, have staked our entire lives on Christ’s resurrection only to find out that is not true! If that is the case, then we have made a horrible mistake. Praise God for this chapter which says that Christ did indeed rise from dead and it is not in vain!
Now,as we come back to today’s text, verse 29 picks up where verse 19 left off.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
Now, verse 29 states.
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
Essentially, verse 20-28 is a parenthesis giving us the thought of Christ as the firstfruits. Now, in verse 29, the Holy Spirit returns to His main argument that there is no hope if Christ be dead and not risen.
As you look at verse 29, you might read it this way.
“What shall they do which are baptized in the place of the dead ones if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized in the place of the dead ones?”
Now these questions become clear! Remember, what is the argument here? There is no resurrection of the dead. Thus, if there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ is not risen. If Christ is not risen, our faith is vain. If our faith is vain, we are most miserable. It is in this context the Holy Spirit asks “What shall they do which are baptized in the place of the dead ones if the dead ris not at all?”
Consider it this way. Back in verse 18, the Holy Spirit stated that without Christ’s resurrection then “they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” We know that the words “they…which are fallen sleep” describes those believers who have already physically died. In fact, all across this world and even while I preach this message, many of God’s family are dying physically. Every minute 150 people die. Every day over 150,000 people die. Without a doubt, there are many fellow believers who are counted in that number. By the same token, many people are discovering Christ as the answer to their life. They are believing and following Christ in believer’s baptism. Thus, we have a constant cycle of believers dying physically and unbelievers coming to Christ replacing those who have already died. They, are in a sense, filling up the places made vacant on earth by those believers who have died professing Christ.
Thus, in that way, IF CHRIST BE NOT RISEN, THEN THOSE WHO DIED ARE LOST, THEY HAVE GAINED NOTHING BY THEIR PROFESSION.
WHY THEN SHOULD WE GO ON FILLING UP THE RANKS BY PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PLACE OF DANGER IS NOTHING IS GAINED BY CHRIST’S RESURRECTION?
That is the question of verse 29. Why then do we continue baptizing converts in place of saints who have already died?
Now, I gave all that so that you might see the true essence of our text this morning.
Baptism is the first step of obedience in any believer’s life. A person who truly accepts Christ understands all the Christ has done for them in spite of their sin and rebellion. Such a person, says, “I must make this known” and easily agrees to water baptism. Through the act of baptism, this new believer confesses openly and publically that he or she stands with Christ and they are now a “Christian.” Their neighbor now calls them a Christian. How do they know this person is a Christian? They submitted to baptism confessing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, the whole world now knows that they believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a sense, they are risking everything for Him.
Paul was no different. We see this in our text.
30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
Every day Paul placed his life in “jeopardy.”