A Resurrection Body

In our first chapter were thinking about the certain promise of the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus will return, although God has not told us the answer to the 'When?' question. In the second part we saw that the time between Jesus' return to the Father and His coming return to earth in glory will not be easy. Both creation and followers of Jesus will experience 'birth-pains'. But the positive message is that the sufferings of the present will be far exceeded by the glory to be revealed. 

So, Christians live with hope, which is not merely a sincere human wish, but rather a confident expectation that God will fulfil His promise. We persevere and we pray, even if those prayers are at times inarticulate groans.

This promise of Jesus' return only brings comfort and makes sense for all followers of Jesus if all believers who have died are raised from the dead. This is precisely what scripture teaches. Paul makes it clear that it is not just those who are alive at the time who will see Him. The dead in Christ will be raised with a new resurrection body. We will all meet Him!

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ

In the Corinthian church there was some misunderstanding about the resurrection. Some were denying that there can be such a thing.

'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?' 

1 Corinthians 15:12

Paul gives a whole chapter to putting things straight. Chapter 15 divides into three sections.

First, in chapter 15 verses 1 to 11 he reminds them of the basic gospel he preached - that Christ died, was buried, and then raised, all according to the scriptures. He goes on to mention many groups of people and individuals who witnessed the risen Lord, including himself.

2. The resurrection of believers in Christ

Second, in verses 12 to 34 he explains that Christ's resurrection is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (that is died).

'But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits 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.' 

1 Corinthians 15: 24-27

He explains that at the present Christ is reigning (v25) and will continue to do so until everything is under His rule. The end will come when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father. The last enemy to be destroyed is death itself. Without the resurrection, the gospel would be an empty, meaningless and futile sham and Christians would be the most pitiable of people.

'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.'

1 Corinthians 15: 24-27

In the third section he talks about the resurrection body. He anticipates a Corinthian question about the kind of body this will be. The expression resurrection of the dead in the original Greek could be thought of as raising of corpses which hardly does justice to the wonderful reality and Paul is keen to paint a truer picture for them. So, in the remainder of the chapter, verses 35 to 58 he describes some of the features of the resurrection body. 

3. The resurrection body

The body that dies is like a seed that dies in the ground. The seed determines what grows. So, the resurrection body will be recognisable as the same person although transformed:

'But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.'

1 Corinthians 15: 38

The resurrection body will be imperishable. It does not decay:

'So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable...'  

1 Corinthians 15: 42

The resurrection body will be glorious:

'...it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory...'  

1 Corinthians 15: 43a

The resurrection body will be powerful not weak. Paul does not expand what he means here, but most likely he is thinking of moral and physical weakness. There will be no lapses into sin or disease:

'...it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power...'  

1 Corinthians 15: 43b

It will be a spiritual body, that is one which is directed and controlled by the spirit. There will be no war with fleshly desires that Paul describes elsewhere:

'...it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.'  

1 Corinthians 15: 44

It will be a heaven-connected body rather than earth-connected. Our bodies will be brought in line with our citizenship. Again, Paul does not say more on this:

'As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.'  

1 Corinthians 15: 48

It will bear something of the image of Christ. This is surely associated with the glory mentioned earlier:

'And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.'  

1 Corinthians 15: 49

This change will happen in the blink of an eye to those who have died in Christ and all who are alive in Christ:

'...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.'  

1 Corinthians 15:52

Paul summarises in the phrase: Death will be swallowed up in victory:

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." '

1 Corinthians 15: 54

What difference should this knowledge make in our lives?

When we face hardship or suffering, especially because of our commitment to Jesus Christ, this truth helps us to keep a sense of proportion. Paul talked about his momentary light afflictions. In some situations, faithful Christians will be called on to face discrimination, persecution or even martyrdom for their Christian testimony. In so doing they are following the example of the Master they serve. The sufferings are temporary.  But the glory to come will be permanent!

When we find ourselves groaning inwardly as we look at the world around us, we recognise this as a form of prayer to God and instead of holding back, allow it to serve its constructive purpose. 

This knowledge removes the fear and sting of death. Death is not the end. Death for the Christian is a temporary sleep. Death for a Christian marks the end of an earthly existence but there will be a glorious awakening when Jesus returns.

This knowledge helps us as we grow old, and our bodies begin to fail. There are many who spend large sums of money trying to delay feeling or looking old! Of course, we should pray for health and strength to enjoy the gift of life and to serve God, and we should look after our bodies, but the knowledge that we will be raised with a glorious new spiritual body more than compensates for the aches, pains, limitations, and sometimes declining health that come with the season of old age.

In all these situations we can meditate on the prospect of a resurrection body because we have something utterly glorious to look forward to.

Chris Moffett