Message

---

The glory of the resurrection

(We shall be changed)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Key Verse: 15:51 “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.”

  Have you ever seen a picture of the life cycle of a butterfly, called a “metamorphosis”?  It is amazing to see the process of it transforming from an egg to a caterpillar, from a caterpillar into a chrysalis, and from a chrysalis to a butterfly. In particular, the stage between a caterpillar and a chrysalis is so mysterious that it is compared to transforming from a sedan car to a jet plane. Inside of a pupa, all the tissues and organs of the caterpillar break down and are reorganized and reformed into completely new structures for a butterfly. In the documentary movie, ‘Metamorphosis’, this butterfly metamorphosis is compared to our resurrection.  The movie says that as a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly, our body will also be changed into a new body, our resurrection body, which is fit to enter the kingdom of God. Do you want to be changed? Aren’t you excited?

  In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul explains the process of our own resurrection with several illustrations. He also teaches us about the hour and the impact of our resurrection. Lastly, he admonishes us how to live with this glorious hope of our resurrection in the conclusion of this chapter. May God give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to believe this passage. Amen.

First, a physical body is the seed of a resurrection body.(35-41) Look at verse 35. “But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” There were some people in the Corinth Church who opposed Paul’s teaching of the bodily resurrection. In fact, no one had seen the dead being raised. And they had negative pictures of the bodily resurrection such as corpses walking around here and there like zombies. How did Paul defy their assertion? Look at verse 36. “How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” In order to explain the bodily resurrection, Paul used laws of nature, especially the life of plants. Once a seed is planted, it should die. In other words, the seed’s hard shell must be rotten and decomposed in order for the seed to grow. According to Paul, death is not a negative process to new life. Death is essential and the prerequisite for resurrection. In the same token, to Christians death is not the end of everything, but is the beginning of new life.  It is the starting point of resurrection. As we go into deep sleep expecting a new and fresh day, we confront death expecting glorious eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Paul also described the physical body as the seed of the spiritual body. Look at 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.” No one plants tomatoes as tomatoes in their backyard. We just plant tomato seeds. After planting the seeds, we water them and wait. At a certain time, they will sprout, grow, and bear juicy tomatoes. In the same way, in order to receive our new resurrection body, our physical body must be buried and die like a seed.

  In order to make this more understandable, Paul illustrated the resurrection body in verses 38-41. He said that all flesh in this world is not the same because God gives them their own unique and specific bodies. Men are the only animals who walk on two legs. Monkeys can also walk but usually use their two arms when they move. They use their feet to catch bananas. Birds have wings to fly, while fish have fins to swim. There are heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars. There are also earthily bodies such as mountains, meadows, canyons, and the sea. Their splendors are all different. The sun emits light to brighten the earth and provides heat to keep it warm. Many poets write romantic poems under the moon light. Innumerous bright stars in the sky gave our father Abraham a hope for many children also. The brightness and beauty of stars differ from each other.

  18 years ago, my wife Msn. Mary and I visited the Grand Canyon on the way to Chicago from LA. The spectacular scene of the canyon overwhelmed me such that I could not but sing “How Great Thou Art!” The earth changes its clothes four times a year and vast oceans enable us to broaden our imagination over the horizon to the other side of the earth. Likewise, all the bodies in the sky, on the earth, and beneath the water are different and their functions and beauties are also unique and diverse.

  Here, what Paul really wanted to say is that like these earthily bodies, our resurrection body also has its own unique form and splendor. Look at verse 42. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead…”  How does the resurrection body look like? Let us continue to read verses 42-44a. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised 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…”  Let us go back to the process of planting seeds. Our body is a perishable seed. Ladies brag about their beauty and charm. Gentlemen show off their muscles. However, all these are perishable. The Bible says that all men are like grass and their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall. (1Pe 1:24) No matter how beautiful and attractive we are, all of us become ugly with many wrinkles when we get old. Our physical body is also weak. Some of us suffer from colds and allergies. Others suffer from aging. Still others suffer from all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. We can’t trust our physical body because it is weak and perishable. We have a natural body which inherited from Adam.

  However, our resurrection body is completely different from our physical, natural body. It is an imperishable, glorious, strong, and spiritual body. It never decays, never gets sick, and never becomes weak. It remains the same from the beginning to the end, from the moment when we are changed to everlasting. We will not become sick or weak anymore. We will not suffer from cold, flu, allergy, or aging. This is because we don’t have our physical body anymore. We will receive a new body, an imperishable and glorious resurrection body.  Imagine the day when we are liberated from this physical body and like eagles fly to heaven with our new resurrection body to meet our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

Second, we shall bear the likeness of the Risen Christ. (44b-52) In verses 44b-49, Paul explains that our resurrection body will inherit the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our resurrection is not only the transfiguration of our body, but also the transformation of our inner being. We received sinful nature from the first man, Adam. No matter how we struggle to be perfect, we cannot become perfect and cannot avoid God’s divine judgment. We are born in evil. I mean that our sinfulness was inherited from Adam. For example, no parent teaches their children to be jealous. However, children become jealous and spiteful when they do not get what they want. Cain’s jealousy caused him to kill his younger brother Abel. Cain’s sinful nature multiplied in his descendant Lamech, who killed more. We were born rebellious. Adam rebelled against God by breaking God’s command. The history of God’s chosen people Israel is the repetition of rebellion. Nicely behaved people around us suddenly become rebellious and hostile.  In our physical body which bears the likeness of Adam, the blood of rebellion is circulating 24/7.

  However, when we are resurrected, our sinful nature will be gone. Our sinful desire will be replaced with holy desire. This is because we are not descendants of Adam anymore but children of the Holy God. Our sin-stained blood will be transfused by the holy blood of Jesus and our inner being will be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. In other words, our spiritual DNA will be completely changed. Jealousy will be replaced with generosity. Hatred will be replaced with love, selfishness with sacrifice, sorrow with joy, fear with confidence, and so on. Look at 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.” In this verse, the earthly man indicates Adam and the man from heaven Jesus Christ. When we are resurrected, we will bear the likeness of Jesus Christ. We will be as holy as Jesus. We will be as gentle as Jesus. We will be as glorious as Jesus.

  Why do we need to be changed? We need a new body, a resurrection body in order to enter the kingdom of God. Look at verse 50. “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” You might be able to enter a gorgeous restaurant wearing just blue jeans and sandals. You might also be able to attend church service unkempt and unclean. However, you cannot enter the kingdom of God with your perishable and sinful body. In this verse flesh and blood refers to our perishable, smelly, and sinful physical body. You need a new glorious, imperishable, and spiritual body fit to live in the kingdom of God. You need to change your clothes.

  Then, when we are resurrected? When will we receive this glorious and spiritual resurrection body? Look at verses 51,52. “Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in 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.”  We will be changed when Jesus comes again. We will receive a resurrection body at the trumpet sound of Jesus’ second coming. Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was buried and raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. After his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. This same Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. When he came for the first time, he was born humble and poor. But when he comes again, he will come with power and glory. He will destroy all dominion, authority and power on this earth and hand over his kingdom to God the Father. When Jesus comes again in a cloud with the archangels, the trumpet will sound. Then, all those who belong to him will be raised. All those who are in Christ Jesus will be resurrected like our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, all the tombs will be opened and the dead will be raised. Those who are living on this earth will be lifted up in the air to see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

With the trumpet sound we will be changed. It takes a few weeks or a caterpillar to be changed into a butterfly. However, it will take less than a second for us to be changed. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we will find ourselves to be new creations. We will experience ‘metamorphosis.’ Hallelujah!

Third, victory in Jesus. (53-57) What will happen to this world when we are resurrected? What will happen to death, which has reigned over all people in every generation? When Jesus comes again, death will be dead! In verses 25-26, Paul said, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Death has been the worst enemy of every human being in every generation. No matter how great men and women were in human history, they knelt before the power of death. Death brings to this world sorrow, fear, anger, despair, and all kinds of spiritual and mental diseases. Death takes away the joy and meaning of life. Death covers this world with a huge blanket of darkness and suffocates everyone. The Bible says that death came into the world through sin. The wages of sin is death. All men without exception should pay the price for their sins, which is death. However, Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for our sins. Then, on the third day he rose again from the dead and overcame the power of death. Through his resurrection, Jesus conquered death. When he comes again, he will destroy death completely in order to liberate his people from the remaining power of death.  Look at verses 54-57. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immorality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is victory in Jesus. Eugene M. Bartlett was a hymn writer and founder of a music company in America in the 1920’s. In 1939, when he was 55 years old, he had a stroke. He was paralyzed, confined to a room and spent the rest of his life in bed. He could not speak or move. What could he do with his paralyzed body? The power of death seemed to overwhelm his life. However, he knew that there is victory in Jesus. He believed that death couldn’t do anything to him because the Risen Christ conquered death through his resurrection. With the glorious hope of resurrection and a triumphant spirit, he wrote a hymn, “Victory in Jesus.” He could not speak, but he shouted victory in Jesus from his bed.  “…O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood. He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.”

Since there is victory in Jesus, what should we do? What kind of life should we live on this earth? Let us read verse 58. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” The word “therefore” indicates Paul’s final admonishment. “Therefore”—“Since we will be resurrected, since death will no more master over us,” we should stand firm. Let nothing move us. We must always, not sometimes, give ourselves fully, not partially, to the work of the Lord. Why? Because we know that our labor in Jesus is not in vain. Is there anyone here who is afraid of death? Is there anyone here who is still under the power of sin and death? I ask you to repent of your sins and to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. There is victory in Jesus. There is forgiveness of sins in Jesus. There is eternal life in the kingdom of God in Jesus. Our glorious resurrection is waiting for us when he comes again. Therefore, with resurrection faith we may always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Amen.

---

Attachment

• The glory of the resurrection-messsage-2012.doc