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How Are the Dead Raised? I Corinthians 15:35-49 (vv. 35-38)
Think Spring! Just 3 weeks & 3 days away! Most of us have had about enough of snow, snow, snow and cold, cold, cold. Spring brings New life—grass, leaves, flowers, baby animals, etc. A rebirth—a resurrection, as it were.
Today we consider the resurrection of the body. Each of the 3 ecumenical creeds mentions it as a key doctrine/teaching of the Christian faith.
Apostles’ ends: “I believe in…the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene: I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Athanasian: At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
So this doctrine is indeed an important part of our faith, and possibly one that we do not think or talk enough about. Today’s text will greatly help us in this respect.
There are some mistaken ideas about what happens when we die. Some think that we simply cease to exist—that this life is all that there is. The Sadducees of Jesus’ day were like this—they we the liberal theologians who said there was no resurrection. If there is not resurrection, we Christians are a pretty miserable lot!
Some think that we become angels when we die. Not so. Angels are angels, and people are people. Jesus did say that we would be like angels in that we do not marry in heaven. Nor do we become stars in the sky, though Daniel 12 teaches us that those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
A further false teaching or belief is that we are reincarnated when we die. We might come back as another human being, or even some sort of animal. Again, the Bible knows nothing of this sort of thinking which is common to the Hindu faith.
So, what do the Scriptures teach? They teach that we will be raised on that last day when our Lord returns to judge the living and the dead. It teaches that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked (Acts 24:15). Because Jesus lives, we shall live also. (John 14:19)
In the book of Acts, the history of the early church, the resurrection of Jesus and our own upcoming resurrection are mentioned no less than two dozen times.
Our resurrection body will be a real, flesh and blood body. When Pastor Bob Hines was at Redeemer he would often have people touch each other briefly as part of a funeral service to show this truth. But our resurrected body will also be different than our present body in a number of important ways.
Our text tells us in verse 42: The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable. You know what the word perishable means. It means subject to decay and death; to spoil or deteriorate. When you bring food for the food shelf, they do not want perishable foods, for they will soon rot and be of no use. Our new body will not be subject to decay or death. That is because sin brought decay and death into our world, and there will be no sin in the life of the world to come. Our new bodies will be immortal—never to die again.
Verse 43a: It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. As a pastor, I have seen plenty of dead bodies in the last 37 years. Some bodies look purple after a massive heart attack. Some bodies look battered after a serious accident. Some bodies look withered after a long fight with cancer. Some bodies look wrinkled after 80 or 90+ years on this earth. Most people look considerably better after they have been “fixed up” by a mortician.
But what of our new body on the day of resurrection? It will be simply glorious! It will be flawlessly beautiful! No more warts, no more disfigurement, no more defects or imperfections, no more disease, infirmities, or sickness. By the grace of God, we will be the perfect age, with a perfect body, a perfect mind, and perfect desires. Pain, frailties, and strife will be things of the past! No uglies in heaven!
Verse 43b: It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. There are things in life that we just don’t have the ability to do in this life and body. Can you lift 500 pounds? Can you run a marathon in 2 hours? Can you stay up for 168 hours without dozing off? Can you go a week without eating or drinking? Can you fight off every temptation to sin? Can you give all correct answers in knowledge bowl contests or trivia? Can you recite the entire New Testament from memory? You get the point.
Our new bodies will not be subject to the limitations we now know. We will be able to do truly great and marvelous things with strong, vigorous bodies! We will not be hampered with the problems of health that all of us face at least periodically on this earth.
Verse 44: It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Now this is where some people get the mistaken idea that we will just be spirits floating around in outer space for eternity. Not really that appealing, is it?
So what does this mean—it is raised a spiritual body? One of the principles of Bible interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture. So in context, the spiritual body is one that is imperishable, glorious, and powerful.
Also, at the cemetery committal, Philippians 3:20-21 is often read, which says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”
Did you catch that? “Like His glorious body.” So think of what the body of Jesus was like after He rose from the dead on the third day. You could see and recognize Him. You could touch Him. He could eat food—broiled fish, to be exact. He could walk and talk with others. But He could also go through locked doors without opening them. He could travel into space without an airplane or helicopter. His was a “spiritual body” which means that there was some continuity with the body He received in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and yet there were some significant changes.
Here’s a quote from the new catechism we are using in Adult Bible Class. Q 223: What happens to me as a Christian when I die? “When I die, the God-given unity of my body and spirit will be broken. I will immediately be in the presence of Christ, in heaven, but my body will remain in the grave until the resurrection.”
Remember our object lesson today. Especially about the amaryllis. Not a pretty bulb, but a pretty, precious flower in due time, after being planted in the earth. God has a new body for us. It is worth our time to anticipate it and be encouraged.
What about unbelievers at death? Their spirit does not go to God. On the Last Day, their bodies will arise and they will be condemned to hell forever, where there is no God, no hope, and no end to their troubles.
So, what makes us certain of our Christian hope of the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come? Are we worthy of eternal life? Have we done enough good and avoided enough bad to merit heaven and avoid the eternal fires of hell?
The answer to those questions is “No.” I am a sinner, and so are you. We have failed to keep God’s commandments. We have failed to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In thought, word, and deed we have sinned and deserve God’s eternal condemnation. Those who depend on the Law for salvation are under a curse.
But our hope is not in ourselves. Our hope is in Jesus. He perfectly kept God’s holy laws. He suffered the wrath and punishment that each of us rightly deserves from a just and holy God. He rose from the dead on the third day. He sent His Spirit to believe in Him. As we have been baptized into His name, He calls us His brothers and sisters in the faith. He went to prepare a place in glory for us. He is constantly interceding/praying for us.
There will be perfect satisfaction and security in God’s presence throughout eternity.
So friends of the Savior Jesus, be encouraged. We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come. Live in hope. Rejoice in hope. Share that hope. It is our Christian faith and heritage. It is like the warm winds of spring blowing in the midst of a frigid winter. Thanks be to God! Amen.
