The Lord’s Message:  The Assurance of Our Resurrection

The Lord’s Message:  The Assurance of Our Resurrection
Date:  May 4, 2025
Where:  Tilghman Methodist Church
Scripture Reference:  1 Corinthians 15:35-54

            We are continuing our sermon series answering questions about the Resurrection because the Resurrection is the hallmark of our faith.  Last Sunday, we found proof that Jesus died on the cross and three days later God resurrected Jesus from the dead.  This Sunday, we are going to learn that because Jesus was resurrected from the grave, we shall be also. 

            Let us pray. 

            This morning, we are continuing to the study the Resurrection by observing the letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church just 20 or 25 years after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension.  We ended last Sunday’s sermon with 1 Corinthians 15:20.   Jesus is the first person to be resurrected from the grave, but He is not the only person to be resurrected from the grave.  There are going to be others.  Revelation 7:9-10 gives us a clue as to who these others will be.  These people are the ones who, while they were still on this earth, accept the relationship that God offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.  I hope and pray that anyone within the sound of my voice has done this already.  Let us bow our heads in prayer.  For those who have not, or for those that want to recommit their lives to God, I want you to bow your head and say this prayer.  “Jesus, I am a sinner.  I know that I am not worthy of receiving forgiveness from my sins, but I humbly repent of my sins and ask for Your forgiveness.  I accept the relationship that You offer to me.  I open my heart to You.  Amen.”  For those that prayed that with me, I say, “Welcome to body of Christ!”

            Your sins are removed as far as the East is from the West.  They are remembered no more.  You have a new identity as a son or daughter in the kingdom of God.  All those with this new identity will die but will be resurrected to eternal life with God.   You may be wondering kind of body you will have.  The Followers of the Way, that is what Christians were called in Paul’s day, were wondering the same thing.  Paul addresses this question in 1 Corinthians 15:35. 

            Paul first tells us that there are all kinds of bodies that God made for the specific need of creation.  He tells us this in verses 36-41.  God has made bodies to fit their specific function in creation. 

In verses 42- 44, Paul goes on to say that our earthly bodies do not function in eternity.  I am not trying to be morbid, but I want us to understand that these bodies that we have here on earth work here on earth, but do not work in eternity.  Therefore, these earthly bodies must die. 

Our spirit, the essences of who we are, our Godly DNA, must be released from our earthly body before we can obtain our resurrected body.  Paul explains this to us in verse 50.  In verses 51-53, we will obtain our resurrected body in the blink of an eye.

Now, let us look at what our resurrected body can do compared to our earthly body.  The Bible gives us a description of the characteristics of our resurrected bodies.  The first characteristic is that the imperishable resurrected body is a real body.  In John 20: 19-21, when Jesus appeared to His disciples in His resurrected body, He showed them His hands where the nails had been placed and His side where the soldier pierced Him with a sword to prove that He was dead.  In Luke 24:30-31, Jesus in His resurrected body walks with two disciples as they are leaving Jerusalem and traveling to Emmaus.  The disciples do not know it is Jesus until He breaks the bread.  So, Jesus is able to lift and break bread with His resurrected body.  Jesus looks the same way in His resurrected body as He did in His earthly body.  We will have a body like Jesus.

The second characteristic of our resurrected body is it will be a transcendent body.  Jesus’ resurrected body appears like our earthly body, but there was one thing that Jesus could do in His resurrected body that He was not able to do in his earthly body, He could appear or disappear.  Here in John, Jesus appears to the disciples even though the doors were locked.    In Luke, Jesus disappeared after breaking the bread.  Jesus had no limits in His resurrection body.  He could come and go as He pleased.  Just as Jesus was able to this, so we will be able to do the same in our resurrected body. 

The third characteristic of our resurrected body is it will be an imperishable body, a body that never gets old and dies.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:42.   In this verse, Paul gives us two words that gives us understanding of this resurrection body.  The first is our present bodies are perishable.  They will return to the dust.  This process begins when we take our last breath.  The second is the resurrected body will be imperishable.  We will live forever. 

The fourth charateristic of our resurrected body is that it will be a glorious body.  In 1 Corinthians 15:43, Paul says that our body will be “raised in glory.”  It will be a perfect body.  A body that does not age.  We will have perfect eyesight.  We will have no arthritis or pain in our joints.  We will not even have an upset stomach.  We will never catch a cold.  Our body will be strong, perfect, and beautiful. 

The last characteristic of our resurrected body is that it will be spiritual.  In 1 Corinthians 15:44, Paul says “it is raised a spiritual body.”  A spiritual body is the only body that we will be able to exist in when God creates a new heaven and a new earth.  Mortal and dying bodies are not suited for heaven.  Just think of the hope that this brings to all of us who are in Christ.  One day, we will receive an imperishable, glorious, and spiritual body. 

It is easy for us to look at death as the end, but not in God’s point of view.  Death is only a passage into eternity.  We determine here and now where we are going to spend eternity.  If we believe in Jesus, we will spend eternity with God.  If we do not, then we will spend eternity far from the love of God in the pit of hell.  The choice is ours. 

In Psalm 116:15, the writer of the psalm points out that God is not scared of death, because to God it means that His children are coming home.  In 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul is writing His last letter to Timothy knowing that his time on earth is coming to an end.  He says, “the time of my departure is at hand.” The Greek word for “departure” is anachorisi.   It is the same word that is used for a ship that is untied from the dock and sails for home.  Shortly after Paul finished this letter, he would be taken outside the city of Rome and decapitated.  Paul was not afraid to die, because he was assured that he would be resurrected.  So, he says in verses 7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  

On Easter, we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. Today let us celebrate our resurrection.  Let us be ready for our resurrection, by placing our faith and trust in Jesus.  By fully devoting our life to Him.  By letting our work and daily tasks be dedicated to His glory and service to others.  Life everlasting is ours through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Let us continue to read our Bibles, apply what we have learned from the Bible to our daily lives and be the Bible for others.  Amen.