I like William Barclay’s thoughts and while they do help me to understand more, I still love the Sweet Mystery of the Resurrection. As Holy Week begins our minds go back to Jerusalem and the triumphed entry of our Lord into the City. Now begins to unfold a series of events that will eventually led to his crucifixion, and resurrection; the sweet mystery of all believers. If we take away the resurrection, the thought and belief that there is a life to come, somehow this life loses its value. If we believe that this is the only world, then things of this world will be all that matter. 

 1st Corinthians 15: 35-49, is my favorite scripture about our resurrection. Jesus the son of the living God rose from the dead…” ascended into Heaven to sit on the right hand of God the Father Almighty” Jesus told his disciples if you believe in me and you will have eternal life. When Paul wrote these verses there were those who said “Granted that there is a resurrection of the body, with what kind of a body do people rise again?” Paul’s answer has three basic principles:

(1)He takes the analogy of a seed. The seed is put in the ground and dies, but in due course it rises again; and does so with a very different kind of body from that with which it was sown.Our body changed by death, back to dust, changed by resurrection, risen to life but it is still we who exist.

 (2)In the world, even as we know it, there are different kinds of bodies; each differes in their creation body. God gives to each those things it will need in this life.  If that is so, it is only reasonable to expect that he will give us a body fitted for the resurrection life.

(3) This next principle is in my mind the foundation of all that is to come to those who accept Jesus and seek forgiveness of their sins. It is the promise on which our hope is anchored. In Genesis 2: 7, Adam, the first man is made by God from the dust of the earth. God had a plan and Jesus was in every way the incarnation of the very Spirit of God. We learn from the scriptures that we are one with Adam. We also will share his sin, return to dust when we die because we have his body in this life. Those who follow the new life, the good way, are one with Christ shall share his life and his being. Yes, we will have a physical body to begin with. But on that glorious day we shall have a spiritual body.

Paul shares four contrasts about our future state. 

(1)The present body is corruptible, it will perish and decay; the future body will be incorruptible, it will not perish. 

(2)The present body is in dishonour; the future body will be in glory. 

(3)The present body is in weakness; the future body will be in power. 

(4)The present body is a natural body; the future body will be a spiritual body.

In the life to come, we will be such that the Spirit can truly fill us, as can never happen here, and theSpirit can truly use us, as is never possible now. Then we will be able to present the perfect worship, the perfect service, the perfect love that now can only be a vision and a dream.

Life is Good

jk