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The Resurrection DetailsOne day an assistant of the famous chemist Michael Faraday accidentally knocked a little silver cup into a beaker of very strong acid. In almost no time the silver object disappeared. When he told Faraday, he quickly put a certain chemical into the jar, and in a moment every particle of silver came together at the bottom. Removing the shapeless mass, he sent it to a silversmith, who recreated the cup that shone as bright as ever. What Michael Faraday did in his laboratory is but a small picture of what God will do on resurrection day for all His saints. He will miraculously restore the bodies of all who have died in Christ. He will instantly change all who are alive at his appearing. This is the mystery the apostle Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 15 as he gave us a powerful definition of the Gospel, then showed us power of the resurrection. All in answer to those who had told Corinthians – that there is no resurrection. So now as we come to the last part of chapter 15 we see the details of the resurrection. As we consider our text today we will see how God will change these frail human bodies into something better to be raised up into heaven. This is the triumph of Jesus, that he conquered death, hell and the grave. And because he did all who trust in him will one day be changed into His perfect likeness! We live in an age of doubt and skepticism, but we can affirm with confidence the words of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body!” APOSTLES' CREED I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontus Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead: I believe in the Holy Ghost: I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints: The forgiveness of sins: The resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting. Amen. That creed is one of the oldest Christian documents, it was brought to life long before Gutenberg invented the printing press, and bibles were not available, in fact the roots of the Apostles creed precede the canonization of the scriptures. It was fundamental in helping illiterate people understand the Gospel that they had professed. Although today we have the scriptures and most of us are able to read and understand them, the early church creeds hold the embodiment of what we believe. Well those final two lines of the Apostles Creed speak what Paul the Apostle is emphasizing in today's text that we believe in the resurrection of the dead, and life everlasting, amen! READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-36. In Corinth as we have seen, there were some infiltrating the church who did not believe in the resurrection. They taught that its great to believe in Jesus here and now, but that's all there is, so eat, and drink – enjoy life for tomorrow you die. So Paul begins his detail explanation of the resurrection with the obvious questions people would have. How does this resurrection thing happen? What kind of body do resurrected people have? His answer, “how foolish.” Not that the questions were dumb, but the premise is dumb, that if there is no resurrection, then your faith is futile, you believe in vain. So Paul carefully tells them about the resurrected body, how it is different then what we know now. READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58 When Moses was communing with God on the mountain, he desired more of the Lord's presence. Ex 33:18-20 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory ." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." No man, no woman can see God in his glory and live, even when the prophets and Apostles saw visions of God in his glory they would fall on their faces as if they were dead, no flesh can exist in the presence of our holy and awesome God. These bodies we dwell in for the few years we have on earth are designed for this earth. The bible calls them “jars of clay”, “earthly vessels”, they are desired for earth. Designed for 78% oxygen, 21% nitrogen, and 1% other stuff. If we want to go into the depths of the sea, or into outer space we have to put on a suit that will keep us in the environment we are designed for. So Paul tells us, flesh and blood can not come into the kingdom of heaven,-- to go there, something has to change. Lets look a what he tells us. We are mortal, corruptible. This temple of flesh can not go into the presence of God without changing into something else. So Paul says, that it will put on immortality, incorruption, and be imperishable. I like that, so often this body of mine fails in its faith, fails to walk in the ways we want to serve God. If Jesus Christ is your Lord its true you have been born again, but often the process is painful as we grow in our faith and new life. What a great promise “that we will be changed.” Lets look back at the portion we skipped where Paul gives us some natural object lessons so we can understand this process. READ 1 CORINTHIANS 15:36-41 How do you describe the resurrection? Like a seed that goes into the ground, it germinates, it decays, it dies if you would. Then it is ready to begin to grow, and what comes to life, often looks nothing like what you planted. I think about carrot seeds, they are so small, their hard to plant, if the wind is blowing- and it always blows in Nevada - you end up with carrots growing everywhere. Like a seed that dies, so this body will come to life in a different form. Paul's point is simply the earthy body we dwell in now is not the same as the heavenly body we will have in heaven. Not only is a resurrected body changed to be different - but they differ greatly just like we see in the nature and the cosmos. Animals, differ from people, stars differ from planets, the sun differs from the moon. Look at these things and understand that this weak frail human body is one thing, but our eternal bodies will be totally different. One is natural, there other is spiritual. And this body is what is planted when we are born again. Jesus told Nicodemus a religious leader. John 3:6-7 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' When you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are born again and if you would, the seed was planted and it will begin to germinate until that day when it is changed into something glorious that is designed for heaven, and lives for eternity. Paul gives another example. READ 1 CORINTHIANS 15:42-49 Look at Adam he was the first man, he was made from the dust, he became the prototype for what we are here on earth. Adam like us is perishable, corruptible, humans are made up of the exact same carbon and the exact same 17 elements that compose the dirt under our feet. Adam was from the earth, perishable. Jesus came from heaven Spiritual, imperishable. John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Jesus is the prototype of the Spiritual body, the resurrected body if you would. We start out bearing the likeness of the earthly man, Adam -with bodies designed for earth. We end up bearing the likeness of the heavenly, like Jesus. After his resurrection, before his ascension Jesus appeared to over 500 people. In that forty day period I believe we sees some pictures of what these heavenly bodies will be like. Jesus appeared and disappeared as he wanted. He was not bound by time or space. Of course we know that God is outside of the time space continuum as we understand it. Jesus walked through walls. He was not bound by any of the laws of physics as we are here on earth. Jesus understood things. And the bible says. 1 Cor 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known . These illustrations may not answer every question that we have about the resurrection body, but they do give us the assurances that we need. Remember that this discussion was not written by Paul merely to satisfy the curiosity of believers. He had some practical points to get across, mostly that if we really believe in the resurrection of the body, then we will use our bodies today - to bring glory to God. 1 Cor 6:20 You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Five things I would like us to glean from this excellent portion of scripture today.
Like Moses in desiring to see God in his Glory, no man, no woman can see God in his glory and live. These bodies are just not designed for that, so something must happen. We must be changed. Mortality will put on immortality, this body that is aging, and winding down, will be replaced with a new body a heavenly one. What will it be like? We do not know exactly, but we have some pictures in scripture. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, there was Moses and Elijah standing with him. From that we know a couple of things. Mark 9:2-4 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. First Moses and Elijah were back from the dead, their bodies were long since decomposed, Moses had died, and the bible tells us God took care of his burial. Elijah was transformed as he went up to God in a fiery chariot. Elijah is changed instantly, like another old testament saint, Enoch who walked with God and then was no more because God took him. So first we see these men, representing the law and the prophets are standing with the embodiment of Grace, and they have different bodies then they had on earth. Secondly we see that they are talking with Jesus. Oh to be part of that conversation. But understand this these guys are not just some mass of energy, they are able to communicate, think and speak. How true it is that flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God, but a new changed body can. Something must change to go to heaven – no flesh can dwell in God's presence.
1 Cor 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— That's the official scripture of our nursery, “we will not all sleep but we will all be changed.” Seriously, there are some who will not die. When Jesus comes those who are alive and living for him, will be like Elijah, like Enoch. They will be changed without dieing. TURN TO 1 THESSALONIANS 4:15-18 Those who are still living at the coming of the Lord will be raptured into his presence. Now I know there are a lot of you who do not like that term rapture, because of all the different theories and speculations that have come from that word. But understand that the word “rapture” is derived from the ancient Latin Vulgate translation where the words “caught up” are translated raptuis. Or a sudden and unexpected taking away. That is how the coming of the Lord will be, even as we celibate communion, we remember and proclaim not only what our Lord has done, but what he will do, he will come again for those that are his. The dead rise first then those who are alive will be translated, raptured, into the presence of the Lord.
The bible says no man knows the day or the hours of Christ's return for the church. But I know because Paul says, “I will show you a mystery.” It was a mystery it is now revealed. Are you ready? Jesus will come --At the last trumpet. When is that? Who knows? Not me, not Tim LaHay, not Hal Lindsey, not any man. But we do know the signs and the seasons. And Jesus told us not to be watching for those signs of his coming but be watching and ready for his coming. Phil 3:10-14 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Paul says, I want to know this resurrection more, I want to know Christ more. So what I do, is leave the old ways behind me. I press on toward the prize of heaven, I live now in obedience and by faith, and know that God is faithful. Because I really do know the moment of my resurrection, it is when I breath my last. “Some glad morning- when this life is over – I'll fly away!” So we have seen, No flesh can dwell in the presence of God, secondly some will not die, we have seen when it will happen.
Death is the scary-est thing in life. Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern psychiatry, wrote: "And finally there is the painful riddle of death, for which no remedy at all has yet been found, nor probably ever will be." Freud was wrong, as Christians we have victory in death and will triumph over death! Because of the victory of Jesus Christ in His own resurrection. Jesus said, "Because I live, you shall live also" So death has been sallowed up in victory. Sin brought death to the world, Adam rebelled against God and the result was death, separation from God and life. But Jesus partook of the pain of Calvary so that we might have eternal life. A little girl was at a picnic with her daddy. She was deathly allergic to bee stings, so she began to panic when a large bumble bee began to buss around her head. Seeing the bee, her father caught it and held it in his hand for a few seconds before letting it go. As it buzzed around, the little girl cried, “daddy, daddy why did you let the bee go?” Rather than explain, the father slowly opened his hand to show his daughter the stinger embedded in his palm. That is what our Lord Jesus Christ did for me and for you when he absorbed the sting of my sin and folly - on the Cross of Calvary. 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. Look at V55-56 Paul reminds us when this transformation of these mortal bodies takes place then the saying from Isaiah is complete. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” And as Hosea said, “Where the sting of death now?” Its in our Lord. The sting of death is sin. Because we are not right with God, death is spooky, its unknown. The power of sin is the law. The commandments of God give power sin. Because we know what is right and what is against God's will, the law becomes a power over us. But there is victory. Victory in Jesus my Savior forever, he sought me and he bought me with his redeeming blood, he loved me err I knew him, and all my love is due him, he plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood. So we have seen, No flesh can dwell in the presence of God. - Some will not die. - We have seen when it will happen. - And there will be victory of life's scary-est thing. Finally.
1 Cor 15:58 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. We will consider this one verse in detail next week, but for today let me leave you with a couple of thoughts. First here is our action-- our action is to stand firm. Our action is non-action, do not be moved. Let nothing move you. Not the things of this life, pressures to conform, temptations to give in. Do not let them move you. Do not be moved by the things of the Spirit. Not false doctrines, not your feelings that come and go. Not demons or the devil himself. Rather always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. Why? Because you know, your labor is seen. God sees your faith exercised, God sees the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, he sees those sacrifices you give for you family, your church, your devotion to God. So stand firm, because there is coming a day, when the dead will be raised, and we who are alive will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and what a day that will be. Rev 21:3-4 ... "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." PRAY, INVITE, BENEDICTION, SING. Series: 1 Corinthians -Through the Bible |
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