Title: THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY

Focus: The resurrection of the body is patterned after the resurrection of Christ; it concerns our physical body, and the teaching of the resurrection is central to the Christian faith.

Function: To encourage the people to draw great comfort and strength from the Bible’s teaching about the resurrection of the body. The resurrection of the body defies human logic and experience; yet it is certain to happen.

Text: I Corinthians 15:35-58

 

            I was nine years old when I was confronted with the reality of death for the first time. On March 5, 1960 my five-year old sister was struck by a truck and died. I don’t think that I’ll ever forget that day or that experience of facing death.

In those days, it was customary to mourn the dead in one’s own home. So, people would wash and dress the body of their loved one, and place it on a bed in some room in the house. Friends and relatives would come and express their condolences, and pay their final respect to family and the deceased. On the day of the funeral, the corpse would be placed in a coffin and then transported or carried to the local cemetery for burial. This also happened when my sister died.

            I’ll never forget that moment when my parents led us, kids, into the room where my 5-year old sister laid. From a distance it appeared that she was sleeping. But close-up she was so…still. So lifeless, so deafening still and cold.

            Even though a medical doctor was on the scene of the accident only one or two minutes later, there was nothing he could have done to save my sister’s life. As I mull over this memory of watching the lifeless body of my sister, I inevitably go back to that question in the text: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” This first encounter happened in 1960.

            When I was 15 years old, I had another encounter with the reality of death. In 1966 the local governing authorities decided to dig up the churchyard surrounding the historic St. Catherijne Kerk in Den Briel. That church was built sometime in the latter part of the 12th century. It was the custom of the church in the Middle Ages to bury its wealthy members inside the church, in graves under the tiled floor or in vaults and burial chambers. And ordinary folks were buried outside the church, in the yard surrounding the church.

            In 1966 the local authorities authorized the archeological society to dig up the churchyard, to rebury in another cemetery any physical remains that would be found. This was all with a view to survey the church property and to determine the actual foundations of the church. (It turned out that originally in the 12th century the people of Den Briel envisioned a huge cathedral, twice as large as the actual structure still standing today).

            Anyway, my high school was near this churchyard. And thus it happened that in our free time (lunch hour) students would roam around the churchyard and explore the dug-up graves: we found bones, skulls and skeletons scattered all around the church. It was fascinating and scary—all at the same time. And my encounter with death brought back again that question: “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”

 

                This is an old question raised by millions throughout the centuries. To speak of a physical resurrection from the dead seems insane to many. It defies logic and human experience. And this is why the Christian faith with its core preaching of the resurrection of the body seems ludicrous to people today. In Jesus’ days, the Sadducees refused to believe in the resurrection of the dead. And in the days of the early Christian church, there were plenty of others who were skeptical of the Christian message: “How are the dead raised,” they would ask. “With what kind of body will they come?”

            Today the scriptures declare with great assurance: the resurrection of the body is patterned after the resurrection of Christ; it concerns our physical body, and the teaching of the resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Draw comfort and strength from this astonishing good news. For, as the apostle Paul assures us, the resurrection of the body is certain to happen.

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            The apostle’s teaching in I Corinthians 15 stands at the heart of the Christian faith. To doubt or deny the resurrection of the body destroys or undermines in essence the good news of the Christian faith. If you take out and throw away the teaching of the physical resurrection from the dead, you are left with no hope, no comfort, and no encouragement to face the future. If there is no resurrection, then why bother with Christ and the Christian faith?

Paul’s passage on the resurrection of the body is serious in tone—he does not ignore the hard questions about How? or With what kind of body shall the dead be raised? Also, Paul’s teaching is relevant and relational; he connects the resurrection from the dead with our lives, our daily living, and our daily doubts and questioning mind. Paul’s teaching is also lyrical—it’s full of joy, because the resurrection from the dead leads to the defeat of the power of death itself. Thus Paul can cry out jubilantly and defiantly: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Let’s follow Paul’s answer to the question of how or with what kind of body shall the dead be raised? Paul looks around in creation and he observes all kinds of bodies: heavenly bodies such as sun, moon, and stars. And he observes earthly bodies: human bodies and animals, such as birds and fish. Each of those bodies has its own splendor and glory. So, it will be with the resurrection of the dead, says Paul. There is such a thing as a resurrection body.

And thus Paul goes on. Using the analogy of a seed that is planted in the ground and gives rise to a plant (given the right soil conditions and weather conditions), so we may contemplate the resurrection of the human body from the dead.

“The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable,” says Paul. Those of us called “seniors” know what Paul is talking about. When you get older, or sick, or when you deal with physical handicaps and ailments, it does not take much to hear your body “yell” at you. We are frail. And our bodies are always subject to the power of death and decay. They are perishable indeed.

            But when our bodies are raised, there will be a fundamental change. Our bodies will no longer be perishable. Death no longer will have any claim on our resurrected dust. We shall be raised imperishable!

 

            “The body is sown in dishonor,” says Paul. But “it is raised in glory.” How true! Morticians can do wonders making a corpse look fine or near normal. But death does its dirty work well. Some people die quickly, even in their sleep; others, however, die inch by inch. At the end of their earthly journey, you can hardly recognize them as your loved one or friend. Death dishonors or ravages the body and takes away its shine, its beauty, its marvel.

            But that’s not the end of the story. For when the resurrection of the body takes place, our bodies will be raised in glory. It will have a resurrection beauty; it will reflect divine shine or glory. Our resurrection bodies will magnify our Lord Jesus Christ and reflect his glory and majesty on that great day of resurrection.

            Our bodies are sown “in weakness,” but they will be raised “in power,” says Scripture. A child’s body is subject to all kinds of viruses and illnesses. A young man’s heart can take only so much pounding. A tiny blood clot can finish his life. A mother giving birth to 4 children may be a “tough individual.” But slight complications in childbirth have slain many brave women. A man may surpass the age of the strong ones, and become a hundred years old. His body is weak, however. It will turn to dust.

            But on the day of resurrection, our bodies shall be raised “in power.” No longer will death surround us like a shroud. And no longer will death diminish and batter our resurrection bodies. The power of God’s Spirit shall pervade our glorified, resurrection bodies.

            The body that is “sown is a natural body,” says Paul. But “it is raised a spiritual body.” By “natural body” Paul means that our body is governed by our soul or spirit or breath of life, which God blew into the nostrils of Adam when he formed man from the dust. Our bodies are made of flesh and blood and water into trillions of cells held together mysteriously by the power of God in all things. Our spirit governs our bodies, though not perfectly. The powers of sin, sickness and death are always at work to create havoc with our bodies.

            But on the day of resurrection, Christ’s Spirit will animate our bodies and our bodies shall be fully, perfectly governed by the Spirit of God. A spiritual body is not a ghostly apparition; we shall not have the appearance of a spook. Oh, no! Made alive by the Spirit of God, our bodies shall be reunited with our soul or spirit; and then, while being fully in tune with the Spirit of God, we shall be truly human—human in the fullest sense of the word; as God intends for us to live eternally with him on the restored new heavens and earth.

            Our resurrection bodies shall be like Jesus’ resurrected, glorified body. Just as we now bear the likeness of the first Adam, so we shall bear the likeness of the resurrected, glorified Christ, the second Adam. The resurrection of the body is patterned after the resurrection of Christ; it concerns our physical body, and this teaching of the resurrection stands at the core of the Christian faith.

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            So let’s be clear today: Even though the teaching of the resurrection of the body defies logic and throws many people into a “tizzy” of skepticism, doubt, or mockery, we shall not shy away from embracing the good news in Jesus Christ. Here’s what we shall do:

(1)   We shall not second-guess our God. He who created every speck of dust, who shaped Man from clay and blew the breath of life into our bodies, can also gather our dust from the four corners of the earth, reconstitute our bodies, and raise them in glorified fashion from the dead. Resurrection is not a problem for God. We have seen it in the works of Jesus; we have seen it in Jesus himself. For God raised him from the dead on the third day. Do not doubt or second-guess our Creator God! Here’s what we do:

(2)   We shall see the resurrection of the body in light of the contrast between the 1st Adam and Christ, the 2nd Adam. Jesus is the pattern of our resurrection. Never lose sight of him! Never stop contemplating and reflecting upon his person and work. Always turn to Jesus. Always yield to him and rest in him. Here’s what we shall do:

(3)   We shall buckle our knees before the majesty and greatness of God. The mystery, the how of the resurrection will not lead us to despair and disbelief. We shall embrace the wonder of resurrection. And we shall rejoice in God’s promise that as Jesus was raised from the dead, so shall we. As Jesus is the first fruit of the resurrection, so all his followers shall make up the harvest of resurrection on that great day when Christ comes again. Here’s what we do:

(4)   We shall view our bodies as having intricate and great value to God. We shall not idolize our bodies; we shall not glorify our bodies; we shall not abuse our bodies; we shall not minimize the beauty and the marvel of the human body. We shall view our bodies as God views them: dust redeemed by Christ; temples indwelt by his Holy Spirit; objects of value, worthy of resurrection and glorification when Christ comes again. This is the gospel! This is what we declare with great joy to the world: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.” And all who turn to him in faith and trust, all who live out of his Word and Spirit—will be raised with him and live with him forever more!

 

Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now and always! Amen!