One Word Changes Everything
Eastertide 2025
We’ve all been there: texting someone and hitting “send,” only to realize that autocorrect has completely changed the meaning of your message. It can go from sweet to awkward, from funny to embarrassing, all with a single misplaced or misspelled word. Here are a few examples:
- “I’ll be there in five pancakes.” (…minutes…oops)
- So sorry. Is there anything I can do? No, your fried shrimp is all I need. (…friendship)
To the macabre:
- “How many people are you executing?” (…expecting—whoops!)
- “Happy Birthday to you… dead husband” (…oops–dear!)
To the Easter variety:
- “Are you ready to die Easter Eggplants?” (of course, it’s eggs, but did you notice die instead of dye? This person really wants those Easter Eggplants out of the picture!)
Once I reached out to a parishioner: “Is 6 pm okay?” The response: “Sex is great!” Okay, thanks for divulging that bit of information, but can we still meet at 6 o’clock?
One word—just one word—and everything changes—the entire meaning of the conversation shifts. The message can go from sweet to confusing, from funny to terrifying, from appropriate to… inappropriate!
In many ways, one word—whether misplaced or carefully chosen—has the power to completely shift the narrative, the meaning, and the outcome of any situation. Think about the one word that might shape or change a life: guilty, innocent, betrayed, abandoned, adopted, forgiven, hired, fired, loved, abused, approved, denied, married, divorced, single, infertile, addicted, positive, negative, cancer, inoperable, accepted, rejected, moving, staying, chronic, terminal, depression, death.
These words have the power to elicit joy, fear, anxiety, hope, despair, anger, grief, and expectation. They hold the potential to change: your health, past, future, location, vocation, relationship, situation, or circumstance.
And one word has the potency to change the contours and trajectory of human history. Christians believe this one word changed everything from cosmogeny to teleology, from start to finish. This is the good news of Easter! The one word proclaimed: Egerthe! (in Greek). In English: “He is Risen!”
This series will explore how Egerthe, the Resurrection of Jesus, has changed the historical trajectory of the world and can also transform the very core of your life. Just like that one autocorrected word can change everything in a text conversation, Egerthe changes everything for the follower of Jesus. Join us in the coming weeks as we unpack the lengthiest teaching on Resurrection in all of Scripture, found at the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15).
Table of Contents
Week 1: Egerthe: He is Risen
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 | April 20, 2025
"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
The Resurrection is the one word that changed everything. In Greek, Egerthe means “He is Risen.” That one word is the foundation of Christianity. Without it, there’s no good news. Without it, the cross has no meaning, and our faith is in vain. But because He is Risen, everything changes. Egerthe is more than a simple statement; it’s a declaration of victory over sin and death, a proclamation of eternal hope, and the anchor for our faith.
This first message of the series, Easter Sunday, will explore how this one word has reverberated through history, altering the course of creation, human destiny, and eternity. We will see that without the Resurrection, Christianity falls apart. But with it, everything has the potential to change—your present, your future, your identity, and your eternity.
Theme Word: Egerthe – He is Risen!
Week 2: By the Grace of God I Am What I Am
1 Corinthians 15:9-11 | April 27, 2025
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."
Grace is the unearned, unmerited favor of God. And the Resurrection certifies the work of grace on the cross and substantiates the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace toward us. Paul’s declaration, “By the grace of God, I am what I am,” reminds us that because Christ is Risen, we are no longer defined by our mistakes, past, or failures. We are defined by God’s grace alone.
In this message, we will reflect on how the Resurrection redefines our identity, offering us a new life, hope, and future, all grounded in God’s grace.
Theme Word: Grace – By the grace of God, I am what I am.
Week 3: Or Your Faith is Futile
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 | May 4, 2025
"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."
What if the Resurrection hadn’t happened? Paul puts it bluntly: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” Without the Resurrection, Christianity loses its power. The Resurrection isn’t just a nice add-on; it’s the heart of the faith. Without it, we’re left with empty rituals and no hope.
In this message, we’ll examine why the Resurrection is everything. If He is Risen, our faith is alive. If not, it’s futile. We’ll explore how the Resurrection validates everything Jesus taught and everything He promised.
Theme Word: Faith – Without the Resurrection, your faith is futile.
Week 4: All Will Be Made Alive
1 Corinthians 15:20-26 | May 11, 2025
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
The Resurrection is not just a past event; it’s a promise for the future. Just as one word can change the meaning of a conversation, the Resurrection changes everything about how we view death and life. Because Jesus has risen, so will we. His resurrection guarantees our resurrection. It’s the firstfruits of a new creation, where death no longer has the final say.
In this message, we will dive into the hope that all will be made alive. Through Christ, death is no longer the end of the story. The Resurrection brings eternal life; because He is risen, so will we be.
Theme Word: Alive – All will be made alive in Christ.
Week 5: Death Has Been Swallowed Up in Victory
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 | May 18, 2025
"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Finally, we celebrate the ultimate victory over death. In the Resurrection, Jesus swallowed up death in victory; because of that victory, we no longer fear death. It has lost its sting. The grave has lost its hold. Through Christ’s resurrection, we can live in the hope that death is not the final word.
Theme Word: Victory – Death has been swallowed up in victory.