Our Bodies After Resurrection

Introduction:

Jesus after ressurection 

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Three days after Jesus Christ was certified to have truly died, three days after the body of Jesus Christ was prepared for burial and placed in the tomb, two days after that tomb was sealed by the power of human government so that His disciples could not steal His body and claim that He had risen from the dead, and in spite of all that evil men and the devil could do, Jesus Christ nevertheless rose victoriously, literally, bodily from the dead. And then He proceeded to prove Himself alive and truly risen by many infallible proofs. The resurrection of Jesus Christ in a real, literal body of flesh and bones is the most verified event in human history.

And God promises that someday, if we die before Jesus comes again, our bodies will also be resurrected.

And the subject of the resurrection of the believers body is one of the most fascinating and encouraging studies in the Word of God. And over the years, I’ve found that whenever this subject is brought up, quite a few people begin to have some very perceptive questions about the resurrection bodies of Christian believers. And they ask questions such as this:

?• When Christ comes again at the Rapture, and the dead in Christ are resurrected, and believers who are still here when it takes place are transformed, and we go to meet the Lord in the air,

?• What will the resurrection body be my Christian friends and loved ones when we get our resurrection bodies, and will they be able to recognize me?• Will I be able to Let me put your minds at ease by assuring you that God has the answers to these questions for us in 1 Corinthians 15 and other key passages of Scripture.

And by way of introduction, let me also say this: The local church at Corinth – to which Paul the Apostle wrote 1 Cor. 15 - had at least six definite and serious problems.

• First of all, they had doctrinal divisions. Not everybody believed the same things. That’s a recipe for disaster to start out with!

• Second, some of the members of the church were involved in immoral practices. They were living in open sin!

• Third, the church was being torn apart by carnal divisions. They were fighting among themselves over all kinds of issues.

• Fourth, although the various members of the church had all of the genuine spiritual gifts that were proper for that initial period of the Church Age, they were nonetheless using those same spiritual gifts improperly and with improper, carnal motives and results.

• Fifth, some people in the church were denying some of the central doctrines of the faith - and the doctrine of the resurrection was one of the these doctrinal denials.

• And sixth, if we gather anything at all about the members of the Corinthian church from Paul's letter, it's that they were acting like spiritually immature babies.

And so the Holy Spirit motivated and inspired Paul the Apostle to write this first letter to the Corinthian church so as to give God's divine guidance in these six problem areas. And chapter 15 was written to give divine guidance in the specific doctrinal area of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the Christian’s body.

of Christ’s resurrection.• And so, first, in verses 1-4, Paul introduces the

of the resurrection.• Then, second, in verses 5-10, Paul sets forth the

of the resurrection.• Third, in verses 11-13, Paul presents the

of the resurrection.• Fourth, in verses 14-19, Paul presents the

in the resurrection.• Fifth, in verses 20-34, Paul outlines the

• And then finally, from verse 35 to the end of the chapter, Paul takes up the question that is central to our Sunday school lesson this morning. He asks and answers two key questions:

are the dead raised up? - First,

do they come forth? - And second,

And the second of those two key questions is the subject I want to deal with in this lesson this morning.

As born-again Christian believers, the Bible says that we are going to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord and Savior. And after the Rapture, all of us will be there in our own resurrection bodies.

But one thing is very evident: Our present, earthly bodies won’t serve us for Heaven. And that presents a bit of a problem. In fact, it presents a number of problems:

- that is, our present bodies are subject to death and dying. But in Heaven there will be no death or dying.• First, our present earthly bodies won’t work out very well for Heaven, because our present bodies are

– they’re subject to the ravages of sickness and age and accidents. But in Heaven, there will be no sickness, aging, or accidents.• Second, these bodies we have now are also

– they’re totally dependent upon our small planet Earth for air, water, food, atmospheric pressure, the correct filtration of the sun's rays, and even gravitation. These present bodies need an Earth-like environment to exist. Heaven will not have an earth-like environment, from all that we can determine from the Scriptures.• Third, these bodies we have now are only

– that is, they’re designed and built to live in time, and they simply cannot live in or even sense eternity. But Heaven will be eternal.• Fourth, these bodies we have now are

. In fact, the bodies we have now constitute both the vehicle and the motivation for much that God calls sin in this world today. Of course, our bodies are not in themselves sinful, but ever since the Fall of Adam, unregenerate men and women can do nothing but sin in thought, word, and deed, in body, soul, and spirit! But there will be no sin in Heaven.• Fifth, the bodies we have now are

for Heaven's type of reality, which far surpasses earth’s four feeble dimensions. (1 Cor. 2:9) Our physical eyes can’t see spiritual realities without divine help.• Sixth, these physical bodies we have now aren’t

the Kingdom of God. Paul tells us this in verse 50, when he says: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” We simply can’t use these presently constituted physical bodies when we get to Heaven.• Seventh, our bodies - as they are right now - simply cannot

In light of these seven problems, I think it’s pretty evident that our physical bodies will definitely have to undergo a radical transformation in order for us to live in our resurrection bodies in Heaven for all eternity. And so Paul clearly tells us in verse 51 that our bodies will indeed be transformed at the Rapture:

“Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed...”

means to make something into a completely different kind of thing than it was before. It’s the idea of changing a clay statue into a real man. It may recognizable as the same person, but what a difference!And the Greek word for

?And so we come back to the question: Our resurrection bodies will be different, but as Paul quotes someone as asking in verse 35,

And so, in studying this subject from the Word of God, I’ve discovered seven basic characteristics or attributes of the resurrection bodies that we shall have. And that’s what I’m going to share with you in this lesson this morning.

I. Immortal.

bodies. Paul tells us this in the last part of verse 53:What will our resurrection bodies be like? First of all, our resurrection bodies will be

“...this mortal must put on immortality.”

. We’ll no longer be subject to death in our resurrection bodies. No one and nothing will be able to kill our resurrection bodies. We will truly be immortal.This means that our resurrection bodies will be

. They’ll never wear out. They’ll never run down. We’ll never need a hip replacement in Heaven.And right along with that, our new bodies will

And this means that our new, resurrection bodies will be perfectly suited for the eternal, never ending, everlasting life we received by faith when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Our resurrection bodies will be deathless – immortal.

II. Incorruptible.

bodies. Paul tells us this in verse 42 and in verses 52-54:Second, our resurrection bodies will be

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption ... for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

body is a body that can grow old and decay; someday it will perish.A

cannot decay. And because our resurrection bodies will be incorruptible, we won’t need the dentist; and the surgeon will then be out of a job. Our memories won’t deteriorate, and cataracts won’t blind our eyes.On the other hand,

Viruses and bacteria and amoebic infections and cancer and heart trouble and all of the sicknesses and diseases and physical and mental frailties that we suffer today will no longer touch or harm our resurrection bodies.

Our bodies will no longer increasingly tend to decay, and to fall into disarray, disintegration, and disorder.

our resurrection bodies will appear to be. And I answer with the question, “How old do you think Adam appeared to be when God reached down and scooped up some of the dust of the earth and formed Adam and breathed into his the breath of life and he stood - fresh from the hand of God in the Garden of Eden?”Sometimes folks ask me how

Frankly, I have no doubt but that Adam was created with the appearance and reality of being in the prime of life, with all of the powers and capabilities and good health and handsome appearance typical of a mature young man, before the visible effects of death started to set in. I think that’s how every Christian boy and man will look in the resurrection.

And how old do you suppose Eve appeared to be when God brought her to Adam on their wedding day? I think the first mother of the human race was young and beautiful and radiant, with all of the powers and capabilities and good health and beautiful appearance typical of a mature young woman, before the visible effects of death started to set in. I think that’s how every Christian girl and woman will look in the resurrection.

Bodies. We’ll look that way, because we’ll have

III. Glorious.

. Paul tells us this in verse 43: Third, our resurrection bodies will be

“It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory...”

Right now, we live with the dishonor and the disgrace of sin all around us and upon us and within us. Our unbelief dishonors God. We disgrace ourselves with our thoughts and words and actions every day. And the closer the Holy Spirit draws our hearts to the Lord, the more we realize, and the deeper and more keenly we feel, the disgrace and dishonor of sin in our own lives and in every work of man around us.

But our resurrection bodies will no longer be subject to the dishonor of sin’s corruption.

These bodies we have now are humble bodies, fashioned from the dust of the earth.

But our resurrection bodies will be fashioned like Christ’s glorious body. In Phil. 3:21, Paul wrote of Christ’s work in us at the Rapture, and he said that Christ…

“… Shall change our vile (humble) body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.”

Our resurrection bodies will shine like the stars, forever, according to Daniel 12:3.

And since we’ll always be in the very presence of God Himself, I think our faces will shine with a visible light, just as Moses’ face did when he came back down off Mt. Sinai from the presence of God. (Exo. 34:29-35)

And since our resurrection bodies will be fashioned like Christ’s glorified body, I think our whole body will radiate forth with the dazzling light of the visible glory of Christ dwelling within. Do you remember how our Lord Jesus had that dazzling appearance on the Mt. of Transfiguration and when He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos? (Mat. 17:2; Mk. 9:3; Lk. 9:29,32; Rev. 1) I think that’s how we’ll look in the resurrection.

bodies. And this is true, because the Bible says we shall have resurrection bodies that shall shine with the full glory of God –

IV. Powerful.

bodies. Paul tells us this in the last half of verse 43: Fourth, our resurrection bodies will be

“...it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power...”

, we have rather weak bodies. According to my dictionary, an average horse has about ten times the power of an average man. According to the owner’s manual, my Nissan Quest minivan has the power of about 130 horses. Compared to many other creatures on earth, and compared to the forces of what we call

And NASA tells us that it takes the force of millions of developed horsepower, exerted over about 20 minutes, to drive a space shuttle into orbit around the earth.

And in the larger view, even that’s less than a drop in the bucket, because the nearest star, our sun, is said to put out an estimated 523 sextillion horsepower per second – on the average, of course! Next to that, we’re next to nothing! And our sun is just one medium-small star among the billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. What tremendous power!

And the Lord Jesus Christ created it all. And in Mat. 28:18, Jesus said:

“...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

Now the power that Jesus spoke of was miraculous ability. The power of the resurrection body that Paul spoke of in 1 Cor. 15 was miraculous force based on Jesus’ miraculous ability.

And that tells me that our resurrection bodies will have the miraculous ability to exert miraculous force to do miraculously great things for God, far beyond our wildest earthly dreams.

Jesus showed us some of that power while He was here on earth, when He healed the sick and raised the dead, and fed the multitudes and calmed the stormy sea and rose victoriously from death and the grave, subduing all the forces of Hell!

Our resurrection bodies will be powerful bodies for Jesus, and who knows the good that we’ll be able to do in that day.

V. Spiritual.

bodies. Paul tells us this in verse 44:Fifth, our resurrection bodies will be

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

We live in natural bodies right now. But we’ve already seen that our natural bodies aren’t suited for Heaven and eternity.

But our resurrection bodies will be suited for Heaven and eternity.

bodies, as we shall see in just a moment. And yet, our resurrection bodies will still be

bodies, they will also bear the image of the heavenly model of the resurrected body, which is the image of Jesus Christ! Notice carefully what Paul wrote in verses 45-49:But since our resurrection bodies will be

“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from Heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy [Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [Jesus].”

as Christ’s resurrected, glorified body. And we’ll examine these characteristics more closely in a few moments. telling us is that our resurrected bodies will have the same No, we won’t look like Jesus, with His facial features or bodily build. That isn’t what Paul is telling us. What Paul

VI. Holy.

. In other words, they’ll be morally and spiritually pure and separate from sin.Sixth, our resurrection bodies will be

In Eph. 5:27, Paul told the church at Ephesus that - at the Rapture - the entire Church will be presented to Christ without spot or wrinkle - holy and without blemish. And my friends, sanctified logic tells us that if the body will in that day be holy, then the members of the body (that’s us) will also then be holy.

– pure and holy - before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.And in fact, Jude 24 clearly states that Christ will then present each of us

Holiness will result in exceeding joy. This is how Heaven can be such a blessed, happy place. Everyone there will reflect the holiness of God and be satisfied.

We shall have holy and happy resurrection bodies.

VII. Patterned After Christ’s Own Resurrection Body.

. And to find this truth, we must turn to 1 John 3:1-3:Seventh and last, our resurrection bodies will be

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”

And in Phil. 3:21, Paul says clearly that Christ “...shall change our vile [humble] body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body...”

In other words, many of the same characteristics that Jesus Christ exhibited in His resurrection body will also be exhibited in our resurrection bodies.

And I’ve found at least eleven things that were recorded as being characteristic of Christ’s glorious, resurrection body that will also be characteristic of our own resurrection bodies.

• andFirst, in His resurrection body, Jesus Christ was able to

by human ears. to be

- He spoke to Mary Magdalene in the Garden, and she recognized His voice.

- Jesus spoke in an audible voice to the ears of His disciples, not to their hearts or minds. (Mat. 28; Mk. 16:14-19; Lk. 24:13-31,36-51; Jn. 20:19-23, 26-29; 21:4-22)

• resurrection body.Second, Jesus Christ had a

. (Jn. 20:27; 1 Jn. 1:1), and , - Christ’s resurrection body could be

- Christ’s resurrection body was not some ghostly, insubstantial, ectoplasmic half-reality or holographic image. Jesus proven that to His disciples in Lk. 24:36-40.

•

(1 Cor. 15:5-8; I Jn. 1:1; Lk. 24:39,40; etc.)

• that it was really Christ in HisFourth, people could

resurrection body - it looked like Him! Him. They

- Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus in the Garden, as soon as she was close enough to see Him in the dim light of early dawn.

- The two disciples at Emmaus recognized Jesus, as soon as their supernaturally-imposed blindness was removed. (Lk. 24:31) And their initial problem with non-recognition described in verse 37 is clearly explained in verse 41 as being the direct result of unbelief. They didn’t believe that He had risen from the dead, and so they weren’t ready to accept His reality and identity. But they later admitted that they most certainly recognized Him!

- The disciples in the Upper Room - and Thomas, a week later - instantly recognized Jesus for Who He was. (Jn. 20:28; 21:27)

- Paul told of 500 brethren who saw and definitely recognized Jesus Christ after His resurrection.

- And years later, the Apostle John instantly recognized the Lord Jesus when He appeared to him on the Isle of Patmos. (Rev. 1:10-18)

• of His earthlyFifth, Christ’s resurrected body bore the

service in our behalf; the prints of the nails in His hands and feet,

and the spear wound in His side are still there today.

• , but HeSixth, Christ’s resurrected body had

, nonetheless. was

• Seventh, the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ had no

blood - He had shed that blood of the Cross for our redemption. But

this tells us that the resurrection body does not need the normal

processes of the body to survive and function.

• Likewise, eighth, in His resurrected body, Jesus Christ could still

real food , even though earthly food will not be necessary for the

resurrection body, just as the blood will not be necessary.

Nonetheless, certain feasts will still be enjoyed by resurrected believers

(Rev. 19:9; Lk. 22:16).

• Jesus that the disciplesNinth, the resurrected Jesus was the

had known throughout His earthly ministry. In Lk. 24:39, He said

to them, “...Behold...that it is I myself.”

Somehow, this was the same body conceived in Mary’s womb, the same body whose boyish lips had confounded the scribes in the Temple, the same body that touched the blind and made them see, the same body that had hung until dead on the Cross, and the same body that was taken down and placed in the tomb.

This was the same body that was now resurrected, but somehow it was also different, changed, and loosed and delivered from every present, earthly, material, temporal limitation. (Jn. 20:19,26; Lk. 24:31,36)

• Tenth, in His resurrection body, Christ had available to Him

than we enjoy today. different modes of

- He could enter a locked room without passing through the doors or windows.

- He could disappear from Emmaus and reappear moments later, 7 or 8 miles away in Jerusalem.

- He was carried into Heaven on the clouds, and He will come back to meet us in the air, and at His Second Coming to earth He will ride a white horse on the clouds.

• And last, we shall experience a deeper, fuller, broader

in the resurrected state. Christ spoke after His resurrection to His

disciples of things that He had not mentioned before, according to Acts

1:3.

And things that were previously mysteries were revealed by our Lord to His Apostles after His resurrection, throughout the entire New Testament.

the infinite height and breadth and length and width of the Person and character and attributes of our awesome God.And He said that then we shall know, even as we are known. And part of that increasing knowing will be to begin to really

Conclusion:

resurrection bodies here. These are things that will happen to you and to me when Christ returns for His church!Now folks, what are we talking about here? We’re talking about our

bodies. bodies that are fitted for Heaven. We shall have bodies. We shall have bodies. We shall have bodies. We shall have bodies. We shall have When He comes, we shall have

of our service for Jesus for all eternity.. And we shall bear in our bodies the or not (as God pleases), and fully , able to and freely, able to : Able to And we shall have bodies that are

flesh and bones., but And just like Jesus’ resurrection body, even so our resurrection bodies will be composed of

in their basic nature, and made to be the way they would have been without the effects of sin and death – but better.We will have the same bodies we have now, but they will be radically

Our new bodies will able to transcend all of the limitations of time and space, and be able to inhabit and fully enjoy Heaven and eternity.

that we’re talking about. These old bodies that we have now were born with the seeds of death in them. But when we were born again, these bodies gained a new destiny, a destiny to be resurrected and transformed, and to live forever in God’s Heaven. And I think that’s exciting!And this is

I trust you have this confident, joyful anticipation in your heart, this morning. I trust you know that if you were to die to today, that your soul and spirit would go to Heaven, and that in the resurrection, your body would be raised incorruptible and immortal.

If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, this blessed hope is yours this morning, too.

***

If you don't have this blessed hope because you have never yet received Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord, why not accept Him into your heart and life right now? If you would like to do that, why not bow your heart before the Lord right now, and pray this simple prayer, meaning it with all of your heart:

"Lord, I confess that I am a lost sinner. I confess that I can never earn my way to Heaven through my own good works. I know that I am on my way to Hell, without Jesus Christ. But right now, the best I know how, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord Jehovah, and I believe that He died in my place, taking the punishment for my sins upon Himself. And I believe that He rose literally and bodily from the grave three days later.

I am repenting of my sins, I am turning from my life of sin, and I personally receive Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord right now. Please come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and save me now! Thank You for saving me. The best I know how, I will now make You the Lord of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen!"

If you just prayed this prayer, repenting of your sins and asking Jesus Christ to save you, He has promised to do so immediately, and He already has, if you were sincere in your prayer.

NB: This scripts is not written by me though, I would like to suggest my christians mate to be contrast and perspective in what is going to happen in RAPTURE.

Thanks and Love : Siam Simte