1 Corinthians 15: 21-28 (NRSVCE)
21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be madealive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end,[a] when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God[b] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
Reflection
This past Sunday, we were blessed to hear a joyful message from Rev. Christinia Lelache about what she called “The Easter Laugh.” She reflected on the moment in John 20 when the risen Jesus appears to His disciples, who were fearful, anxious, and hiding behind locked doors. In that sacred moment, Jesus breathed on them and told them to, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Rev. Lelache invited us to imagine that breath not just as air, but as laughter. The laughter of resurrection. The laughter of victory. The laughter of life breaking through death. And that image stayed with me as I turned to today’s scripture and wrote this devotion.
In today’s scripture, Paul reminds us that “as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” This is not just a future promise, it is a present reality. Through Jesus’ resurrection, something fundamental has changed about who we are. We are no longer defined by fear, sin, or death. We are people who have been made “alive in Christ.”
To be “alive in Christ” is more than simply existing or going through the motions of everyday life, it is to live with a new kind of freedom. A freedom rooted in the truth that death, the greatest enemy, has already been defeated. Paul tells us that Christ is reigning now, and that all powers, every fear, every anxiety, every uncertainty, are being placed under His feet. Even death itself will be destroyed. If that is true, and it is, then what do we really have to fear?
The disciples had every reason to be afraid. They had witnessed brutality, betrayal, and death. Their future was uncertain. Their safety was at risk. And yet, when the risen Christ stood among them, fear gave way to joy. Not because their circumstances immediately changed, but because their reality had changed. They were no longer living in a world where death had the final word. And neither are we.
The resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing. It means that anxiety does not get the final say. It means that fear does not define us. It means that even in the midst of uncertainty, we can stand firm, knowing that Christ has already secured the victory. This is where joy and even laughter enters in.
Not a shallow, temporary happiness. But a deep, resilient joy that flows from knowing we are “alive in Christ.” A joy that can laugh, not because life is easy, but because death has been defeated. A joy that allows us to face the unknown with courage, to endure hardship with hope, and to walk through life with a lightness of spirit rooted in the resurrected Christ.
So whatever fear we are carrying today, whatever is making our hearts anxious, let us remember this, fear and death does not have the final word. Christ does. And through Christ, we are alive!
by Manny Estevez
For Pondering and Prayer
- What fears or anxieties are you holding onto that the resurrection invites you to release?
- What would lit look like to live today as someone who truly believes the are “alive in Christ?”
- When has laughter and joy helped you break through difficult circumstances?
Prayer: God of all joy, peace, and laughter, thank you for the gift of life you have given each one of us. Help us to hold onto joy and laughter and to realize we are “alive in Christ” no matter the circumstances around us. Breathe your Spirit of joy on us again today and let it embrace us like it did the disciples that first Easter Sunday. So that we can move forward and do our work in this world. May the power and love of your Holy Spirt sustain us today and forever more. In the joyful and glorious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
