The Resurrection Body - 1 Cor. 15:35-49

Form us so that we become the kind of people that you called us to be.

That we would live in the light of what we one day will be.

Father, by your power, come amongst us and teach us.

We pray this for your glory.

Amen.

It's inescapable and unavoidable.

It will happen.

It may come as a surprise through illness or it may come through a tragic accident.

It may come at the end of a long and healthy life.

But sooner or later, we will all die.

Diets can't stop it.

Gym routines won't stop it.

Medication can't stop it.

The painful reality is we will all die.

And we will either be buried or we will be cremated.

I wonder, have you ever stopped to face up to the reality of your impending death?

To just stop and think about one day I will breathe my last.

It can be an unsettling thought, can't it?

Well, for the Christian, the good news is death is not the end.

It is the beginning of something wonderfully new.

So, look back at verse 21.

Chapter 15, verse 21.

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 his own turn.

Christ the first fruits, then when he comes again, those who belong to him.

You see, just as sure as death will come, a day will also come when the risen Lord Jesus is going to return

and all those who trust in him, all those who belong to him, will be resurrected.

That's an amazing thought.

Dead, but made alive again.

You see, death is not the end.

It is only the door to a glorious eternity.

Now, I'm sure that like me and like others, you've thought,

well, what's this resurrection going to be like for the Christian?

What can we expect to happen?

Well, that was the question some of the Christians were asking in the church in Corinth.

So, look at verse 35.

Someone may ask, well, they certainly did ask,

how are the dead raised?

With what kind of body will they come?

Now, this is not the question of a confused Christian,

but a doubting sceptic.

As we've seen through 1 Corinthians 15,

there's some we're teaching, some we're believing,

that there wasn't a resurrection from the dead.

You see, when you bury the dead,

the body rots and it decays,

it gets eaten by worms.

Or if it's burned at a cremation,

it's turned into dust and ash.

You don't really expect us to believe

that there's going to be a bodily resurrection.

I mean, what happens if you're blown to smithereens in midair

in a terrorist attack?

Or what happens if you're attacked and mutilated

by some wild animal

and your part strewn across the ground?

You don't really believe

that your body is somehow going to be

put back together again, do you?

Well, not only will there be a bodily resurrection,

it will be a complete transformation.

Look at verse 36.

Paul, the apostle, the author who's writing,

responds to this question.

How foolish!

What a stupid thing to say

that there's going to be no resurrection.

How on earth could you possibly believe

that our bodies will not be raised

and that they will not be made new?

You better believe it.

Resurrection Day will be transformation day.

We will be utterly and completely changed.

We will become all that God intends us to be.

Well, let's see what we have to look forward to

on Resurrection Day.

Two things

are most surely going to happen.

First,

we will receive

a new physical body.

Now, I know I'm the perfect specimen

standing before you,

but

it's going to be made new.

Because some people think that,

well,

we're going to be nothing more

than invisible souls

drifting around the sky

from one cloud to another.

Or somehow,

we're just going to be

reincorporated

into the

kind of great

circle of life.

Well,

nothing could be

further from the truth.

If we are Christians,

first,

our bodies

will be

wonderfully

changed.

Look at verse 36.

How foolish!

What you sow

does not come to life

unless it dies.

Now, to help us understand this,

he's wanting us to think of our

dead bodies.

When we die,

our dead bodies

are just like a seed.

When you put a seed into the ground

and cover it over,

it doesn't stay a seed.

It is wonderfully changed.

So,

verse 37.

When you sow,

you do not plant

the body

that will be,

but just a seed,

perhaps of wheat

or of something else.

But God gives it a body

as he has determined.

And to each kind of seed,

he gives its own body.

So,

when you put an apple seed

into the ground

and you cover it

and you water it,

it's changed from a seed,

an apple seed,

into an apple tree.

You don't plant

an apple seed

into the ground

and expect it

to produce,

well,

just another seed

just like the one

you put in the ground.

No,

the seed

becomes something

different

entirely.

there's some continuity.

It's an apple seed,

but it turns into

an apple tree.

Verse 38.

God gives it a body.

He gives the seed

a body

as he has determined.

And to each kind of seed,

he gives its own body.

Now,

just as seeds

change into trees,

so our physical bodies

will be wonderfully changed

when we die.

But what kind of body

will it be?

What are our bodies

going to be like?

Well,

our bodies,

second,

will be similar

but different.

The example here

is just to open up your eyes

and look at nature.

Look at the creation

all around you.

Look up into the skies

and look at the earth.

Because nature

could be divided,

if you like,

into two categories.

But certainly,

this is how it's divided here.

So look at verse 40.

The two categories.

There are the

heavenly bodies

and there are the

earthly bodies.

So the created things

in the heavens

and the created things

on earth.

But the splendour

of the heavenly bodies,

so everything up there,

the stars,

the moons,

the planets,

well that's one kind

of splendour,

that's one kind

of beauty.

And then of the

earthly bodies

is another splendour.

Everything down here

on the earth

is another kind

of beauty.

These earthly bodies

are described

for us

in verse 39.

All flesh

is not the same.

Men have one kind

of flesh,

animals have another,

birds have another,

and fish have another.

They're all different

kinds of

created bodies.

And then if we

look up into the heavens,

they're described

in verse 41.

The sun has one

kind of splendour,

the moon another,

the stars another,

and stars differ

from star

in splendour.

So he's saying,

just open your eyes,

look at nature,

look up at the skies

at night,

look at the earth

all around you.

God has designed

different bodies

or created elements

up there,

and he's created

different elements

down here.

Now if God can do that

in nature,

don't you think

God could do that

with our physical bodies?

The point

he is making

is,

is that we have

one kind of body

for this present world,

and we will have

a different kind

of body

for the new creation

that is to come.

Our physical bodies

now

have one kind

of beauty

and splendour

and greatness.

we can do

incredible

and amazing

acts physically

and with our minds,

but our resurrected bodies

will have a different

kind of beauty

and a different

kind of splendour.

Yes,

there will be

continuity,

our bodies

will be similar,

we'll have arms

and we'll have legs

and we'll have eyes

and we'll have ears,

just like the risen

Lord Jesus

when he came back

from the dead,

when he met

with his disciples.

He ate,

he drank,

he spoke to them,

they could touch him,

they could feel him,

he was similar

to his earthly body,

but yet he was different.

And so it will be

with us.

We will be

wonderfully changed,

we will be similar

but different,

but what is that

difference going

to be like?

Well third,

our bodies

will be totally

transformed.

Look at verse 42.

So it will be

with the resurrection

of the dead.

The body that is

sown

is perishable,

so the body that

dies is perishable,

but it is raised

imperishable.

It is sown

in dishonour,

but it is raised

in glory.

It is sown

or it will die

in weakness,

but it is raised

in power.

Now live long enough

in this present

physical body,

this shell

that we have

that is us

right now,

and you will

experience

just how

fragile

we really

are.

We like

to think

that we are

going to be

here forever

and ever,

but we are

not.

Our physical

bodies

will perish.

We all

get sick,

we all

develop some

kind of

illness,

we get

cancers,

we lose

our eyesight,

we go

deaf,

we slowly

break down,

we decay,

and we

eventually

die,

we perish.

We continue

to look at

verse 42,

we are told

that our

bodies,

our physical

bodies,

are dishonourable.

A better

word is

humiliation,

for there

is nothing

pleasant as

our bodies

get older

and become

more

dysfunctional.

No longer

able to

control our

bladder,

we need to

be fed

and washed.

We revert

back to the

state of a

little infant.

Our bodies

are dishonourable,

shameful.

Our physical

bodies,

we're told,

are weak,

weak,

and as we

go on

through life,

they only

get weaker.

We lose

our strength,

we get

arthritis,

we no longer

have the

energy to

walk and

to run

and stand,

and we

even struggle

to have the

energy to

actually take

in a breath.

death.

We live

in a world

where our

physical bodies

ache and

groan and

cry out in

pain, and

there is

nothing that

we can do

to stop this

process of

decay.

Sooner or

later, we

will all

die.

die.

But,

what starts

off as

perishable,

and

dishonourable,

and weak,

is all

going to be

transformed.

Look what it

says in

verse 42,

it is raised

imperishable,

a body that

will never

get sick,

or never

feel pain,

or never

go through

the process

of dying

and decaying.

It will

be raised

in glory.

We will

always have

our full

and complete

faculties.

We will

be what

we are

meant to

be.

It will

be raised

in power.

We will

always be

strong and

healthy,

and be able

to enjoy

life and

the new

creation in

all its

fullness,

running,

swimming,

jumping,

doing all

the things

that we

could possibly

imagine to

do.

Imperishable,

glory,

power.

This is the

design,

this is the

beauty,

the splendour

of a

resurrected

body.

That means

we will not

need hospitals,

or doctors,

or pain

management,

or carers.

There will be

no more

funerals to

attend,

no tears

to shed,

no struggles

to endure,

no pain

to bear.

We will be

raised with

a transformed

new body.

Now I know

that some of

you suffer

with all

kinds of

physical pains

and struggles.

Mentally,

we struggle,

emotionally,

we struggle.

And some of

you have

carried these

sufferings and

these pains

from birth.

Others of

you have

developed them

over time,

and as we

get older,

more ailments

will come

along.

So I

want to

say to

you this

morning,

Resurrection

Day is

coming.

I cannot

answer your

questions as

to why

we have

all the

sufferings

that we

do.

We can

explain it

to some

degree,

and you

can talk

to me

about that

more

afterwards.

But in

the midst

of your

suffering,

God gives

us the

sure and

certain

hope,

of a

resurrected

body.

It will

not be

this way

forever.

It is a

blip on

the line

of eternity.

As sure

as Christ

rose from

the grave

with a

physical

body,

so you

too,

if you

have faith

in Christ

and belong

to him,

you shall

rise with

a new

physical

body.

And Christ

will make

sure that

you will

get from

this earth

to the

new earth

to the

new

creation.

That is

what awaits

those who

trust in

him.

But not

only will

we have a

new physical

body,

we will

have a

new

spiritual

body.

Look at

verse 44.

It is

sown a

natural

body.

It is

raised a

spiritual

body.

If there

is a

natural

body,

there is

also a

spiritual

body.

The

natural

bodies

that we

have and

can touch

and pinch

and feel

right now

is going

to be

changed

into a

new

spiritual

body.

What

will that

be?

Well,

let me

explain.

We need

to follow

the process,

the order

that's here.

First,

just like

Adam.

You see,

when we

were born,

when we

entered into

this world

and breathed

our first

breath,

we were

just like

Adam,

the first

man that

God

created.

So,

verse 45,

so it

is written,

the first

man,

Adam,

became a

living being

with flesh

and blood

and breathing

air in and

out,

a living

being.

That is

what we

became.

Verse 47,

the first

man was

of the

dust of

the earth.

We are

just like

Adam,

created

and made

and sustained

by God.

But remember

what Adam

did,

the story

in Genesis.

God made

him,

God gave

him life.

But what

did he do

with that

life?

Adam sinned,

he disobeyed

God.

He turned

against God.

It was no

longer God's

will,

but Adam's

will.

My way,

not God's

way.

And what

did God

say in

response to

their

rebellion?

Genesis 3

Genesis 3:19

verse 19

says this,

For dust

you are,

and to

dust you

shall

return.

The

consequences

of sin,

the curse

because of

sin,

is

death.

Not just

physical

death,

but a

spiritual

death.

we are

completely

changed.

And we

are no

different.

We are

just like

Adam.

Not only

do we

physically

die,

but we

spiritually

die.

We haven't

got the

capacity to

live life

continually for

all eternity,

and we

haven't got the

capacity to

keep doing

good and

right.

We're dead

spiritually,

just like

Adam.

Adam.

We only

need to

look through

history,

and the

world will

tell you

that.

We're not

getting

better,

we are

getting

worse.

The world

we live in

is broken

and corrupt

because we

ourselves are

broken and

corrupt.

We're not

just physically

dying and

going through

the process

of decaying,

we're a

people who

are spiritually

dead,

just like

Adam.

But

thankfully,

all of

that has

changed.

Second,

the second

Adam.

So look at

verse 45

again.

So it is

written,

the first

man Adam

became a

living being,

the last

Adam a

life-giving

spirit.

So we're

to draw a

contrast here,

it might be

a bit confusing

because we've

got two

Adams.

Okay?

So we have

the first

Adam,

that's the

first man

that God

created that

we've just

been looking

at, we

can read

all about

him in

Genesis.

And when

we are

born,

it's like

we are

under

Adam,

Adam

becomes

our

representative,

so who

he is,

we are,

so just

like Adam,

we're dead

physically or

we die

physically,

and we

are dead

spiritually,

we're

without

hope,

we are

like the

first

Adam.

And then

we have

the second

Adam,

or the

last

Adam.

The last

Adam is

Jesus

Christ.

Jesus

represents

the perfect

sinless

man,

of which

there is

only one,

and that's

Jesus

himself.

He never

sinned,

he always

obeyed,

and he

lives

forever.

He's

raised,

he's

defeated

death,

he is

in perfect

relationship

with God,

he is

everything

that we

should be.

So we

have the

first Adam,

and we're

just like

him,

we are

under

him,

he is

our

representative.

We have

the last

Adam,

who is

Jesus

Christ,

the

perfect

man.

now,

through

our

faith

in

Jesus

Christ,

by

trusting

in

him,

we

are

transferred

from

the

first

Adam

to the

second

Adam.

So no

longer are

we under

the first

Adam,

we are

under the

second

Adam,

so Christ

becomes

our

representative.

all that

Christ is

in his

humanity,

now

becomes

ours.

So go

back to

verse 22.

For as

in Adam,

that's the

first Adam,

all die,

so in

Christ,

the last

Adam,

all will

be made

alive.

If you

have turned

to Christ,

if you

have trusted

in Christ,

not only

will you

have a

brand new

physical

body,

but you

will have

a new

spiritual

body,

you will

be like

Christ.

So

verse 46,

the

spiritual

did not

come first,

but the

natural,

and then

after that,

the

spiritual.

So as

we trust

in Christ,

we become

not just

the natural

people,

but a

spiritual

people.

Verse 47,

the first

man was

of the

dust of

the earth,

the second

man from

heaven.

As was

the earthly

man,

so are

those who

are of

the earth.

And as

is the

man from

heaven,

so also

are those

who are

of heaven.

Christ

becomes

your life.

His

perfection,

his

beauty,

all of

his

goodness

and

rightness

is now

credited

to you.

So as

God looks

upon you,

he sees

you as

his own

son.

So you

are no

longer under

the curse

of the

first Adam.

No longer

will you

receive that

death

sentence.

For we

have received

the life of

the second

Adam.

We have

been made

new.

So new

he's given

us his

Holy

Spirit so

that we

have the

capacity to

choose and

to do what

is right

and good

because of

Jesus.

Because of

Christ,

we have

become a

new kind

of people.

So what

will this

mean for

our future?

Well,

we will

become just

like

Jesus.

Verse

49.

And just

as we

have

borne

the

likeness

of the

earthly

man,

so shall

we bear

the likeness

of the

man from

heaven.

If you

have trusted

in Christ,

if you

belong to

him,

if you've

been

transferred

from the

first

Adam to

the second

Adam,

from one

life to

our new

life,

you have

been given

a life

giving

spirit.

Yes,

we are

still in

our

earthly

bodies.

We still

bear the

image of

the earthly

man,

which means

we still

struggle and

battle with

our sinful

nature.

We are

not

perfect.

We sin

and we

fall and

we fail

all the

time.

We have

our

struggles.

But

because we

are under

Christ,

because he

is our

representative,

it tells

us here

we will

become

like him

at the

resurrection.

Look at

the end

of verse

49.

So shall

we bear

the likeness

or the

image

of the

man from

heaven.

Isn't

that

incredible?

That I

will bear

the image

of the

man from

heaven.

I will

be like

Christ.

Yes,

there is a

spiritual

change

taking

place

now.

Just

flick

over

one

page

or

maybe

two

to

2nd

Corinthians

chapter

3.

2nd

Corinthians

chapter

3

verse

18.

If we're

Christians,

there is a

spiritual

change

taking place

right now.

So verse

18 of

chapter

3.

And we,

the believers,

who with

unveiled faces

all reflect

the Lord's

glory,

are being

transformed

into his

likeness

with ever

increasing

glory which

comes from

the Lord

who is

the Spirit.

So as we

journey through

our life,

if we are

Christians,

the power of

the Holy

Spirit is

changing us

and shaping

us to

become more

like Jesus.

So as we

reflect him

to the world

around us.

But back

here in

1 Corinthians

15,

it goes

one better.

Not only

is a

transformation

process

taking place,

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:49

15 verse

49 is

telling us

that that

transformation

process will

be complete.

The broken

image is

going to be

restored.

Right now

we reflect

something of

who Christ

is.

But on

resurrection

day we

will become

like him.

Now that

doesn't mean

we're going

to run

around the

new heavens

and the

new earth

looking like

mini Jesuses.

We're all

looking the

same or

anything like

that.

But we

will be

like him

spiritually.

We will

have a

sinless,

obedient,

perfect

body.

now I

know that

life can

be hard

because I

feel it

and I'm

sure that

there are

times that

you feel

there is

more failure

than progress

in the

Christian life.

We struggle

and we fall

into temptation.

Sometimes we

don't even

put up a

fight.

We just

willingly

sin.

And the

battle with

our sinful

nature can

get us

down and

we just

want to

give up

and chuck

it all

in.

Well if

that's

you,

then I

want to

say to

us all

this morning,

look forward

in sure

and certain

hope that

on resurrection

day you

will rise

with a new

spiritual

body.

There will

be no

more sin,

no more

giving in

to temptation,

no more

falling and

failing,

just perfect

loving

obedience,

just like

Christ.

Have you

ever stopped

to think

about the

reality of

your own

death?

That one

day you

will breathe

your very

last?

It's

inescapable.

It's

unavoidable.

you can

try and

ignore it

and palm

it off

with jokes

and all

sorts of

things,

but you

can't hide

it.

Sooner or

later we

will die.

I will

either stand

before you

as you are

buried or

you will

stand at

my funeral.

It is

going to

happen.

But the

good news for

the Christian

is death

is not

the end.

It is

only the

doorway into

a glorious

and eternal

future.

One day the

risen Lord

Jesus is

going to

return again

and all

those who

are in

Christ will

rise.

And on

that day

all sin

and all

suffering

will end.

We will

receive a

new physical

body and

a new

spiritual

body and

we will

reign with

him in

the new

heavens and

the new

earth.

and the

promise of

God will

become a

reality.

Let me

read to you

the well

known words

of that

promise.

Revelation

Revelation 21:3

chapter 21

verse 3

And I

heard a

loud voice

from the

throne saying

Now the

dwelling of

God is

with men

and he

will live

with them.

they will

be his

people and

God himself

will be with

them and

be their

God.

He will

wipe every

tear from

their eyes

and there

will be no

more death

or mourning

or crying

or pain

for the

old order

of things

has passed

away.

And he

who is

seated on

the throne

said I

am making

everything

new.

then he

said write

this down

for these

words are

trustworthy

and true.

Resurrection

day is

coming.

Christ

will return

and will

raise all

those who

love him

and who

have trusted

in him.

And you

know what?

We are

to remind

each other

of this

resurrection

day as

we share

in the

Lord's

Supper.

We're going

to share

in the

Lord's

Supper

right now

and we're

going to

do it

in such

a way

that reminds

each other

of the

resurrection

day that

is to

come.

Go back

to 1

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter

11.

Just to

back a

couple of

pages.

1

Corinthians

11

and

verse

23.

1

1 Corinthians 11:23

Corinthians

11

verse

23.

For

I

received

from

the

Lord

what I

also

passed

on to

you.

So

Paul

has

received

this

teaching

from

the

Lord

and

he

now

passes

it

on

to

the

church

and

it's

to be

the

practice

of

the

church

in

every

age.

The

Lord

Jesus

on the

night

he

was

betrayed

took

bread

and

when

he

had

given

thanks

he

broke

it

and

said

this

is

my

body

which

is

for

you

do

this

in

remembrance

of

me.

So

in a

moment

we're

going

to

take

this

bread

together

and

we

remember

the

death

of

the

Lord

Jesus

we

remember

that

he

died

in

place

of

me

he

was

the

perfect

sinless

one

who

died

my

death

so

that

I

could

have

life

today

and

for

life

eternity

verse

25

in

the

same

way

after

supper

he

took

the

cup

saying

this

cup

is

the

new

covenant

in

my

blood

do

this

whenever

you

drink

it

in

remembrance

of

me

we're

going

to

drink

the

juice

that

we

have

here

and

as

we

do

so

we

remember

the

new

covenant

that

promise

from

God

that

tells

us

that

his

life

through

our

faith

in

him

his

life

becomes

my

life

his

future

becomes

my

future

because

of our

union

with

Christ

we

will

live

we

will

become

like

him

but

not only

do we

eat

and drink

and look

back

in

remembrance

and

thankfulness

as we

share in

this

simple

meal

together

we

are

to

look

forward

and

remind

each

other

of

resurrection

day