In a couple of weeks, we’ll be at Pentecost, which means the Season of Easter will be over for another year. Of course, that also means that we’ll be tying up the five-week sermon series we started back in April entitled The Good News of Resurrection: An Exploration of 1 Corinthians 15. Now, as y’all know, in this particular chapter, not only did Paul talk about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he also focused on how the same thing is going to happen to us after we’ve died. In fact, for him, that’s the basis for life after death. And as we’ve gone through what Paul wrote, we’ve already talked about how the resurrection of Jesus was grounded in genuine history and eyewitness testimony and divine grace; therefore, we can trust that it actually happened. And then we looked at why it’s important to believe that the same thing is going to happen to us, because that kind of faith can enable us to hope and can help us to endure and can motivate us to share. And then last week, we considered the order of the resurrection, you know, how Jesus was the first and we’re going to follow later and how, in this time between the already and the not yet, we can wait with an attitude of patience and with a feeling of anticipation and with a sense of freedom. You see, as we’ve gone through this chapter, we’ve learned a lot about how the Apostle Paul understood the foundation and the importance and the order of the resurrection, of our resurrection.
And this morning, we’re going to continue to look at what he had to say by focusing on the resurrected body, in other words, what life after death is going to look like and how the resurrection of the dead fits into this vision. And I’ll tell you, in my opinion, that’s something pretty important to talk about, because let’s face it, although about 70% of Americans believe in life after death, there are all kinds of ideas about what this life is going to be like, everything from that Family Circus view of heaven with angelic beings drifting around on clouds looking down on the people they left behind and getting wings whenever a bell rings to all these spirits sort of floating around us, that is, when they’re not haunting houses or moving a planchette on an Ouija board or talking to folks during a seance to a whole bunch of disembodied souls transmigrating from one place to another or being reincarnated as dung beetles if they lived a bad life or as spoiled dogs like Coco Chanel if they’ve been really, really good. You see, even though these are some ideas about what happens after death, you know, after our death, I think we probably need to take them all with either a grain of salt or a spoon-full of sugar, because let’s get real, none of them are supported by anything in the Bible. As a matter of fact, for a lot people, maybe the only thing of which they can be certain is what Keanu Reeves said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert back in 2019:
For him, that might be the only thing about which we can be sure.
Of course, as he wrote to the Corinthians, Paul said a little bit more about what will happen after we die, and that’s what we’re going to be talking about for the rest of our time together. You see, since he believed we’ll all experience what had already happened to Jesus, you know, when the women found the tomb empty, his vision of life after death was centered on the resurrection of the dead. And for that reason, as we consider what’s coming up for us, I think Paul offered three ideas that can shape our vision of our future after our own death, and let me share with you what they are.
You see, first, according to Paul, the resurrection of the dead is a transition. In other words, for him, when the dead are raised, that will represent a change, a passing from one stage to another, a move from what we are right now to what we will become. In a sense, it’s sort of like a bridge from the past to the future. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see this in what he wrote. Just listen:
Some of you have asked, “How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?” Don’t be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up. This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have. People, animals, birds, and fish are each made of flesh, but none of them are alike. Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. The sun isn’t like the moon, the moon isn’t like the stars, and each star is different. [1 Corinthians 15:35-41, CEV]
Now, according to Paul, something important will happen when the dead are raised. In fact, it’ll be sort of the ultimate transition. And you know, for him, that kind of thing made complete sense. I mean, the idea that rising from the dead will result in change, well, isn’t that what happens when seeds are planted in the ground? In a very real sense, they die in that they stop being seeds so that they can grow into something different, you know, something new. Now that’s just the way it is in nature. And the fact that things change and become different, well, that’s something else we can see all around us. I mean, George Orwell wrote at the end of his little book, Animal Farm: “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.” And even though I understand that he was making a political point, when you think about it, it’s also true in a very practical sense. Although we all have flesh, animals are different one from another, in fact, as different as the sun is from the moon and the moon is from the stars. You see, for Paul, at the resurrection, we move from what we were to what we will be.
And I’ll tell you, I think that’s important for us to remember, particularly as we try to do the best we can with what we’ve got. You see, sometimes we become obsessed with what’s happening right now, both good and bad. For example, when we’re sort of on a hot streak and life is good and we feel fat and sassy, man, it’s easy to assume that this is going to continue forever. But when life isn’t so good and we end up facing problems that we didn’t expect and experiencing pain that we sure don’t want, well, it’s just as easy to feel as though we’ve fallen and we can get up. But you know, when we see our resurrection as a movement from one place and form and life to another; therefore, what we see now isn’t permanent, well, maybe we’ll feel less stress and have more focus. In fact, maybe these words of Christ will make even more sense:
Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today. [Matthew 6:34, CEV] You see, things will change, people will change, we will change, something we’re going to recognize when we accept the resurrection as a transition. Now that’s one.
And second, based on what Paul wrote, the resurrection of the dead is also a transformation. I mean, not only can we expect to be changed, the change is going to be glorious. And I’ll tell you, after we’ve gone through this transition, according to what Paul believed, only an idiot would want to go back. Just listen to what he said:
That’s how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies. [1 Corinthians 15:42-44, CEV]
Now that’s what he wrote. You see, for Paul, not only was the old age going to be finished, the new age was going to be wonderful. Good night nurse, “These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong.” [1 Corinthian 15:42b-43, CEV] Now, who here this morning wants to miss out on that? And we can do it without any exercise or injections or plastic surgery. Man, that’s sweet. When I was nineteen, I had braces on my teeth. And I can remember praying, “Lord, please don’t return and take me home until I get all this wire out of my mouth, because I sure as heck don’t want to spend eternity with braces.” Clearly, back in the day, I didn’t understand what was going to happen when the dead are raised. As Bob Dylan sang, “For the times they are a-changin’.” And for Paul, that change, that transformation, man, it’s going to be glorious.
And I’ll tell you, I think we can claim this same vision too, especially as we deal with the passing of those whom we love. Over the last 40 years, I’ve done a lot of funerals. And I’ll tell you, there’s one thing I nearly always say to those left behind, that right now, you’re facing a time of separation. Of course, being separated from the people we love is hard. It hurts, because we miss them. But this separation, man, it’s going to end. You see, the time is coming, when we’re going to see our fathers and mothers, our husbands and wives, our brothers and sisters, in a new heaven and a new earth. That’s what I believe. And, based on what John wrote in his Revelation, when that happens, we’ll be able to say with him that “
God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.” [Revelation 21:3b-4, CEV] Now this can be our vision, the second we see the resurrection as a transformation. And that’s two.
And third, again according to the Apostle Paul, the resurrection of the dead is the culmination. It’s the completion. It’s the prize at the end of the race. You see, at that time, we, and I’m talking about all humanity, we’ll finally become the men and women we were originally created to be. Just listen to what he wrote.
The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven. [1 Corinthians 15:45-49, CEV]
In other words, what humanity lost when the first Adam was thrown out of Eden, we will regain when we’ve been raised like the last Adam, Jesus Christ. And at that time, the body that came up from the dust will be like the body that came down from heaven. And then, all those physical limitations that constrain us right now, that holds us back, that prevents us from transcending ourselves; at the resurrection, those limitations will be gone. As Paul will say a little later in this same chapter, “
Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won’t die or decay. The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal.” [1 Corinthian 15:53-54, CEV] Now, for Paul, this will happen when the dead are raised.
And praise the Lord, God’s given us the ability to glimpse this good news right now. You see, praise the Lord, right now, we can feel hope that’s not dependent on what’s happening, because we can see what will happen on the other side. And praise the Lord, right now, we can feel joy that’s not grounded in who we are, because we can see who we will be. And praise the Lord, right now, we can feel appreciation that’s not based on what we have, because we can see what is in store for us in the future, a future that’s in loving and merciful hands of God. Now this we can feel. And if we let it, this hope and this joy and this appreciation can shape every word that we say and every work that we do and every attitude that we show. You see, this is the kind of person we can be right here and right now, when we decide to trust that our resurrection from the dead is the culmination. And that’s three.
You know, when you think about it, Keanu Reeves was right: when we die, we will be missed by those who love us. But I’ll tell you, for believers, it can mean so much more. You see, as we think about life after death, let’s listen to what Paul had to say to the Corinthians and consider just how important the resurrection of the dead was for him and can be for us. In other words, let’s see our coming resurrection as a transition, reminding us that all the stuff that may have resulted in either pride or pain, man, it’s all passing. And let’s see it as a transformation, reminding us that we’re going to be with those who’ve gone ahead of us in a new and glorious world. And let’s see it as the culmination, reminding us that where we’ll be and who we’ll become is as certain as God is real. You see, regardless of what body we have now, we can be sure of the resurrected body we will have, because we trust that the dead will be raised.
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