The Resurrection of the Body

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Apostles’ Creed

I believe in the Resurrection of the Body

This sermon series is on the Apostle’s Creed

The creed or the set of beliefs that are ascribed to an apostle. That is the creed that the apostle’s believed and that is passed down apostolically to the church

That means if you are a sent one, someone who Christ is sending into the world… there should be no doubt that you should believe these things

And again, not just mentally acknowledge these things, but allow them to shape your life

Today we are talking about our belief in the resurrection of the Body

Before we get to our scripture a little context

First split in “denominations” that we really see in scripture is between the Pharisees and the Saduccess

Saduccees didn’t believe in the resurrection

Pharisees did

The debate between if and when the dead will be raised has been in the roots of our faith since before Christ walked the earth

Crazy side note… these two groups of religious people hated each other… the only thing that could bring them together was their mutual hate for Christ

With this being the background… lets look at today’s scripture

John 11:11-27

John 11:11–27 ESV

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

We see in this passage Martha’s understanding of resurrection… having to do with the last day

This we fully believe

That on the last days there will be a resurrection of the dead.

Paul talks about it in Thessalonians and Romans

Jesus talks about it in John 6 and Luke 14

The understanding is that at the final judgement you wont’ be some spirit

You will be standing in front of the Lord in your rebirthed body

A body just like Christs resurrected body

In fact he is our archatype

We will be resurrected in the same manner

This believe in the resurrection of the dead goes even deeper and carries in it more punch for your everyday life

We fully believe not only that we will one day be reusrrected.But that those who are in sin now can be resurrected to spiritual life

No one is too far from the love of the Lord and the life that he offers

We fully believe that the church… the body of Christ on earth… can be resurrected

There are a lot of areas of the body that need resurrection

We need jesus. because he is the resurrection