Resurrection Bodies

Introduction

It’s really wonderful to be preaching to human beings in front of me and not my iPhone. What an appropriate time in our culture to have the opportunity to preach about the resurrection of the dead. I look around at the sin in our world. I look at the arguments and political unrest over how to deal with Covid-19. I look at the brutal murder of George Floyd and others that we have witnessed on video. I look at the willful destruction of property and violence that has gripped several cities over the course of the last couple of weeks. One day it’s all going to go away. Jesus is going to return and make all things new. Until then, it’s our job to be ambassadors of the kingdom, seeking to reconcile people to God in Christ Jesus. We are gospel people. The gospel does speak to all of these issues and how we live in response to them. Here at RBC I want to state very firmly that we will confront racism of any kind with admonishment to repent. Racism is sin. We all have blindspots. We all have areas where we think we’re doing well but it’s only because of the way sin hides in the crevices of our life and waits to bite or slowly wears away at our resolve bit by bit. I want to encourage you to listen to your brothers and sisters who have different ethnic backgrounds and experiences and strive to war against sin in your life and in the world by the truth of the gospel. Love your neighbor. Think before you speak and post on social media… you know what, it would probably be better if most of us didn’t post on social media. Words matter. Love your neighbor. Your neighbor may be dealing with intense pain and hurt over what they have seen happen. They may be exhausted by continued pressures and injustices. Love them. Listen to them. Seek to do good to them in the name of Jesus.

Prayer for these issues and for the sermon.

Today we are beginning to wrap up the last three or four sermons in the Wild Times in Corinth series through the letter from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth that we call I Corinthians. Today finds us in chapter 15, verses 35 through 49 as Paul turns from talking about Christ’s resurrection and how it relates to ours and the fact of the resurrection of the dead to an explanation of what the resurrected bodies of Christ followers will be like.

1 Corinthians 15:35–49 ESV

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

PRAY

In preparation for preaching this passage, I listened to John MacArthur and what he had to say on it. He pointed out that the promise of a redemption of the body can be found in many places in the scriptures.

Romans 8:23 ESV

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

2 Corinthians 5:4 ESV

For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

John 11:21 ESV

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 6:44 ESV

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 5:28 ESV

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice

There are other places that could be looked to but this gives you a good idea of how the Bible affirms a resurrection of the dead. It is a physical, bodily resurrection. And if you’ll recall from last week, the dead in Christ will be raised to eternity with Jesus but those outside of Christ will be raised to judgement and condemnation.

The question that Paul recounts in verse 35 is probably a question that has been on all of our minds at one point or another.

Here he sits, writing this letter to the church in Corinth, addressing problems and issues going on in the church.

The Greeks denied the resurrection of the body for two separate reasons.

1. Their philosophy taught that the body was evil and the spirit was good. So they didn’t want a body in eternity.

2. They considered this kind of a resurrection impossible. The question must be asked: “How could you admit God’s existence but then limit His power?”

Paul had already spent a section of his letter explaining that they could not buy into this Greek philosophy because they claimed to believe in the resurrection of Christ.

Paul spends this section of the letter seemingly answering the question, “If the resurrection is possible, what will the resurrection body look like.” That seems like the question the Corinthians were asking. As MacArther pointed out, “Paul gives them a heartwarming answer.”

We know these people right? People that think they have found a chink in the armor of Christian belief and they jump on it like a cat with a laser pointer. But that is a foolish way to live.

As this question has likely been on everyone’s mind at some point, we are going to take a look at what Paul teaches them and us about our resurrection bodies.

To begin we are going to look at three illustrations Paul uses for the resurrected body and then we will look at five contrasts between the natural and resurrected bodies. Then, Lord willing, I’ll show you ways that this can change our lives.

First, Paul gives three illustrations of the resurrected body.

## I. Three illustrations of the resurrected body.

The first illustration Paul uses is:

a. The difference between a planted seed and a harvested seed. (V.36-38)

Paul uses this illustration as an example to show that life can come from death. The wheat seed dies in the ground in order that it may come to life as a plant. Our physical bodies will perish but God will raise and transform them into glorified spiritual bodies. Each seed produces plants of various kinds because that is how God ordained it to happen. This is evidence that God can do the same with the resurrection of the dead.

Bethany loves to grow things. Vegetables, flowers, spices, boys… Apparently, I have learned that there are basically three types of peas that you can grow. for most of us, and I dare say, even my sweet wife, if I went to the store and bought five packages of each kind of pea seed and dumped them all out in my hands and threw the packages away: Bethany would likely not be able to tell what plant was going to come from each seed. Maybe a detailed botany or horticultural scientist could but most of us couldn’t. When you look at a seed you see the seed only. You don’t see the plant that will grow from it. You see the seed but not what it will become. So it is with our resurrected bodies. We see the seed that is planted dead in the soil but not what they will become when transformed by the power of the Lord.

Paul turns from plants to the difference between animal flesh and human flesh.

b. The difference between animal flesh and human flesh. (V. 39)

God created everything to fit its environment. We are here in this finite place and have these finite bodies. But one day, those in Christ will have bodies suited for an eternal existence.

From animals and humans, Paul gives a third illustration of this in the difference between the moon and the sun.

c. The difference between the moon and the sun. (V 40-41)

In verse 40, Paul uses the word doxa that is translated glory. Doxa here

refers to the radiance or light of the heavenly bodies.(2) There is what one scholar writes about as a “polarity” between heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars) and earthly bodies (humans, plants, animals). But this polarity does not make it impossible for a bodily resurrection of the dead. The new body is different. It’s suited for a different life and for eternity.

So Paul has given the Corinthians three illustrations but as we come to verses 42-49 I want us to look at five contrasts in the natural body and the resurrected body. You will no doubt notice that some of these echo the truths from Paul’s previous illustrations.

## II. Five contrasts in the natural body and the resurrected body. (V. 42-49)

1. Perishable and imperishable.

The corruption of the seed is in correspondence with the mortal, finite, bodies of human beings. Our current state is perishable. From the moment we are born, we begin dying. BUT - our resurrection bodies will be unable to die. They will be eternal, built for eternity in the new heaves and the new earth. Paul uses nature as the example.

2. Dishonor and glory.

We live in a corrupted creation, marred by the effects of sin. But our new bodies will be raised in glory. When God raises the dead in Christ, we will receive our glorified spiritual bodies.

Jesus died a criminal’s death on the cross, in the place of sinners, as our substitute. He took the wrath of God due sinners. Because of that, those who place their trust in Jesus get His righteousness imputed to them. The world dishonored Him in His death at the hands of sinful men but His resurrection was in glory. He proved who He was. He defeated death. He shall be forever glorified.

3. Weakness and power.

Again, our mortal bodies are weak and when we die we are weak. And yet our bodies will be raised in power, by the power of God.

4. Natural and spiritual. He did not say it will be a spirit body, but a spiritual body. The term “spiritual body” refers to that very real body the Christian receives in the resurrection.

The Faithlife Study Bible says: “This refers to a body fashioned and controlled by the Holy Spirit. This body belongs to the new age under the reign of God.” (3)

5. Adam and Jesus

A. The natural comes before the spiritual.

The words spiritual and natural here are referring to two kinds of bodies. Spiritual in this instance is referring to the body that is brought to life by the last Adam, Jesus Christ. (4)

B. In Adam, we have the earthly likeness.

The body that bears the image of Adam, the man of dust, the first Adam, has to be changed into something incorruptible and immortal that bears the image of the second Adam, the man from heaven, Jesus Christ the Son of God…

C. In Christ, we have the heavenly likeness. (1)

Our earthly bodies can’t inherit the kingdom and must be transformed.

## Conclusion and Application

When Jesus Christ returns, the dead in Christ will be raised and changed. This results in complete victory over death.

We should give thanks and stand firm in the truth of the Gospel, fixed on the hope set before us.

How?

- Think about it.

- Read about it.

- Sing about it.

- Meditate on verses about our future hope.

- Live in light of it. My friend Peggy Keul is well known around my home church for a statement she always says. I can vividly remember her telling us at church one day that when she got worked up about something she would stop and ask this question: “In light of eternity, does it really matter?” Now the answer to a lot of those questions is going to be no. But there are some that are definitely going to matter in light of eternity. What I am suggesting is that we spend the majority of our time on those things that matter for eternity and not concern ourselves as much with those things that are perishable.

The only way to experience this resurrection: Be IN CHRIST.

Trusting in Jesus alone for salvation.

If this gospel message has made your heart cry out for God, please contact me. I want to sit with you and share with you how you can know this Jesus and know you have salvation and an eternity with Him to look forward to.

## PRAY

_Footnotes_

(1) Ben Merold, Sermon Outlines on 1 Corinthians, ed. Sam E. Stone, Standard Sermon Starters (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1995), 60.

(2) John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 15:40.

(3)Faithlife Study Bible

(4)CSB Study Bible