Bible Materials

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

by Paul Choi   03/24/2013   1_Corinthians 15:35~58

Message


THE RESURRECTION BODY

(The Glory of the Resurrection)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Key Verse 15:49 “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”

  Happy Easter! Easter Sunday is just as important as Christmas Day to us Christians because it is the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. This year we celebrate Easter Sunday at Camp Jo-Ota at the Easter Bible conference. We are praying for the conference day and night. Ben West has written a message for Easter Sunday, and our HBF praise band is preparing special music and dancing. We’ll celebrate the resurrection of Christ with other brothers and sisters in the Missouri Valley area. May God help all attendants meet the Risen Christ personally and experience the power of resurrection. Amen.

  Today we’ll study about the resurrection body. Some people in the Corinthian Church refused to believe Jesus’ bodily resurrection even though Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead. They asked, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” (35) These questions are not only for them, but also for us. We are curious about how we will be resurrected, and with what kind of body we will appear, because we learned that we all will be resurrected. Will our dead body walk around here and there like zombies in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean? How about those whose bodies are decomposed or cremated? How will they be raised?

   How did Paul answer them? Paul called them ‘you fools,’ rebuking their ignorance about the power of God and about the resurrection body. In order to explain the resurrection body Paul pictures the life of a plant. He compares our physical body to a seed and our resurrection body to a plant. He said in verse 36b. “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” We plant a seed in the ground. We don’t plant the body itself. As time passes by, the seed decays in order to give birth to a new life. Its shell decays and a fresh plant sprouts. In the same way, our physical body is buried in the ground and a new body, a resurrection body comes out. Our physical body is a seed for our resurrection body. Death is the prerequisite for resurrection. As our physical body is necessary for our resurrection body, so death is necessary for our eternal life. We Christians acknowledge death as preparation for new life in God’s kingdom.  Death is not the end of everything, but it is the new beginning for eternal life. That’s why we call it a ‘home-coming ceremony’ or ‘victory ceremony’ instead of a funeral ceremony.

  Paul continues to explain the glory of the resurrection body with the contrast between seeds and plants. In verses 37-41, Paul says that the resurrection body has its own form and glory (splendor). A seed itself, whether it is of a flower or a fruit, is not attractive. A seed is just small and round. But the plant which comes out of the seed looks gorgeous, revealing its own unique beauty and scent. In springtime in St. Louis, many beautiful flowers such as those of magnolia and dogwood blossom, enticing bees and butterflies. We eagerly expect this flowery spring season. As each creation body is different one from another, so its beauty and greatness is also different. Fish have their own body and beauty. Birds have another. Their beauty and greatness are very diverse and unique. The beauty of the heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars are different from the beauty of the earthly bodies such as mountains, meadows, and rivers. Day and night each season, they reveal the glory of God and his work of creation. Likewise, as each creature has its own body and glory, the resurrection body has also its own body and glory. The beauty and glory of the resurrection body is not comparable to that of any bodies in this world. It is amazingly beautiful and glorious. We’ll study about the glory of the resurrection body later.

  In verses 42-44a, Paul now explains the nature of the resurrection body. How is our resurrection body different from our physical body? Look at 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…” Our physical body is weak and fragile. It is also perishable like grass. So Jesus said that our flesh counts for nothing. (Jn 6:63)  Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. (Pro 31:30) As years go by, our physical body becomes weak, sick, and old. We can’t boast about our physical body. We can’t trust it, either. Our physical body is weak, corrupt, fragile, and mortal. But, our resurrection body is completely different from our physical body. It will be strong, healthy, glorious, and immortal. There will be no sickness, weakness, or aging in our resurrection body. Paul said that 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. What a glorious change for our resurrection body! Because of this living hope for our resurrection body we face tomorrow. Because of this glorious resurrection body we overcome death. Amen.

  In verses 44b-50, Paul answers why we need a resurrection body. He says that our body will be changed into a spiritual body fit to live for new life in God’s kingdom. Look at verses 44b-49.  “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 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. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” The first man Adam became a living being. This means that we received a natural body from Adam who came from the dust of the earth. We are physically descendants of Adam. However, the last Adam, Jesus Christ who came from heaven, gives us a spiritual body. Jesus gives those who believe in him a resurrection body through his death and resurrection. Through his resurrection from the dead, Jesus became the firstfruits of resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection assured our resurrection. Thus, Jesus became a life-giving spirit to those who are redeemed by his blood.

  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.” Here, flesh and blood indicates our natural body or physical body. This verse means that we cannot enter the kingdom of God with our present physical body. Our body will be changed into a new body, an imperishable resurrection body which is fit to live in the kingdom of God. We need ‘Spiritual Metamorphosis’ for eternal life in heaven. In the life cycle of a butterfly, a caterpillar has to undergo the process of metamorphosis in order to become a butterfly. A caterpillar cannot fly. It needs to be changed with a new structural form in order to fly. In the same way, our natural body should be changed into a new spiritual body to adopt new life in God’s kingdom. Our life on this earth is like the life of a caterpillar, which crawls, bumps and eats. When we are raised, we will fly like butterflies in the blue sky of heaven.

  Let’s go back to verse 49. What does it mean that we will bear the likeness of the man from heaven? It means that we will be changed like Jesus. Our resurrection body will inherit Jesus’ glorious resurrection body. What is Jesus’ resurrection body like? We catch the glimpse of the glorious image of his resurrection body through his transfiguration on the Mount. Jesus was transfigured before the eyes of his disciples. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Mt 17:2) The Risen Jesus appeared to the sorrowful Mary and wiped tears from her eyes. (Jn 20:18) The Risen Jesus appeared to the fearful disciples and breathed peace to them. Jesus was not raised as a ghost. He was resurrected with his body, which was gloriously transformed. His resurrection body is glorious and mysterious. The Risen Jesus showed his nail marks and side to his disciples. (Jn 20:27) He also ate bread and fish together with two of his disciples on the way to Emmaus. (Lk 24:30) He also suddenly appeared his disciples in the room with locked doors. The Risen Jesus was beyond time and space. His resurrection body was also recognizable. His people recognized the Risen Jesus. In heaven we will recognize whom we have known while living on this earth. I will recognize my Bible teacher Elijah Kim, my father John Choi, my spiritual father Dr. Samuel Lee, and my friend Lance. Above all, I’ll recognize my Lord Jesus Christ when I see him face to face. At that time, we will realize that we are all changed as glorious as Jesus, as beautiful as Jesus, as humble as Jesus, and as compassionate as Jesus. We shall bear the likeness of the man from heaven, Jesus. Amen.

  Now, Paul explains what will happen to those who are alive when Jesus comes again. How shall they be raised? Paul calls this a ‘mystery’. Look at verses 51-53. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a 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. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” Here, Paul compares death to falling asleep. (15:20) To Christians who have resurrection faith, death is like falling asleep. When we are tired, we need sleep, right? When we wake up from the sound sleep and open our eyes, we will find ourselves in a new world, different from this world, which is the kingdom of God.

 Everything on this earth takes time to be changed. It takes a few weeks for a caterpillar to become a butterfly. However, when we are changed, it will take a less than a second. While our eye is blinking, we will be changed. We’ll find that we have a different body in a different world.

  We’ll be changed at the last trumpet. The sound of the trumpet indicates Jesus’ second coming. When Jesus comes again to this world, we will be lifted up like helium balloons and meet Jesus in the air face to face. It will be a glorious and victorious day for those who belong to him. It will be a horrible judgment day for those who do evil and reject the truth. (Ro 2:8)

  Lastly, Paul concludes this chapter with the proclamation of victory over death and admonishment for the believers. Look at verses 54-57. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, 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.” When our body will be changed, when we are resurrected, death will be gone. The word ‘death’ will disappear on this earth. The Risen Jesus swallows up death and that’s it. Death is the wages of sin. Like a poisonous sting, sin causes us to die. God’s law demands powerless sinners to meet its standard. Death seems to reign over the world.  But God does not allow death to have the final victory. Let’s read verse 57 again. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our final victory belongs to Jesus. God gives us the final victory over the power of death through our Lord Jesus Christ. We will reign over death forever with our Lord Jesus Christ.

  What should we do with resurrection faith? What did Paul want the believers to do as final victors? Look at 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.” Since the final victory is ours, we must stand firm. We must not let anything move us. Let joblessness, sickness, and even death not move us and separate us from the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ro 8:39) Jesus wants us always to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Always not sometimes; fully, not partially.  This is because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. All our sacrifice, effort, and sufferings for the Lord will be rewarded. Amen. May God strengthen our resurrection faith through this message. Help us not to be submissive to our fate, but to be strengthened by faith. May God bless our coming Easter Bible Conference with the resurrection power and glory. Amen.

   


Attachment



St Louis UBF University Bible Fellowship

7375 Tulane Ave University City, MO 63130, USA
314-898-3512 choi8149@yahoo.com


  Website : UBF HQ | Chicago UBF | Korea UBF | Pray Relay Site |   YouTube : UBF HQ | UBF TV | Daily Bread

Copyright St Louis UBF UBF © 2020