Bible Materials

THE GLORY OF THE RESURRECTION

by   04/03/2020   1_Corinthians 15:35~58

Message


The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important truth to all mortal mankind. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. The resurrection power is that as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. Finally the Risen Christ will destroy all his enemies, establish the kingdom of Christ, and offer the kingdom to God the Father. Today we will study about the glory of the resurrection. May God help us to grasp even a bit of the glory of the resurrection. First, resurrection principle (35-36). Look at verse 35. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’” To some Corinthian Christians the dead being raised seemed to be horrible. In their understanding it was like corps’ rising and walking around here and there. Since nobody was raised from the dead in their sight, it was likely that they could hardly conceive the dead rising. Their question seemed to be understandable. But how did Paul respond to their question? He said, “How foolish!” He knew what was underlying their question. It was none other than unbelief. They were unbelieving because they didn’t want to die. They just wanted to live in this world as long as possible, enjoying small pleasures of the world. To Paul they looked foolish and pitiful. Paul did not answer to their question right away. Rather, he taught them a self-evident fundamental truth regarding death and life. Look at verse 36b. He said, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This is the principle of nature. A seed has life in it. When a seed is sown in the ground and dies, then it comes to life. After death life comes. It is an undeniable natural phenomena. This is true in human life and spiritual world. While on earth our Lord Jesus did so many beautiful things, healing the sick and preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. Crowds of people came to him. His disciples were happy to listen to him and follow him. But when he talked about his suffering and death on the cross, they showed their spiritual allergy. They closed their ears and rejected Jesus’ teaching about his cross. They did not want suffering Messiah. They wanted glory without suffering. Even if they closed their ears, Jesus repeatedly taught them the way of the Messiah that the Son of Man had to suffer much and die and then would come back to life. He clearly said to his followers, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mk 9:34-35) The way of the cross is the way of life. After death, resurrection comes. No death, no resurrection. Paul himself lived by this principle and said, “I die everyday.” We are living in a society where people tend to avoid suffering and hard work. Many young people cannot bear heavy work load and hard pressure, and just want to give up. When they grow without the cross’ spirit, they become even irresponsible for their lives and useless. But those who are willing to take the cross through painful struggle and discipline bear good fruit in the long run. May we newly accept the resurrection principle: No pain, no gain; no cross, no crown; no practice, no performance; no death, no resurrection. Especially all our young people be disciplined in the word of God so that God can use them as Bible teachers in our generation. May we bear painstaking 1:1 this summer so that we can raise disciples of Jesus. Resurrection glory (37-44). After teaching the Corinthian Christians the resurrection principle, now Paul gives answer to their questions: “How are the dead raised?” “With what kind of body will they come.” Look at verse 37 “When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.” No seed is pretty as it is. However when it is sown, later on it comes so beautifully. Verse 38 says, “…God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.” Each spring we enjoy seeing beautiful flowers. Each flower has a different body because each seed is different. In each seed there is God’s determination. That’s why each flower or each plant is different coming out of each one’s own seed. It is not by chance but by God’s determination to give each one a unique beauty. Now Paul talks about all flesh. Look at verse 39. “All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another” We know how different men’s flesh, animals’, fish’s and birds’. Men’s body is made fit to walk. Animals’ body is for living in the jungle, birds’ for flying in the sky and fish’s for living in the sea. Paul continued to say in verses 40,41. “There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” This is the beauty of God’s creation. Each created being has an own beauty and splendor or gory. Even billions of billions of stars are different in shape, size, brightness and splendor. We are fascinated by God’s creation. This is much more true with each human being! Every human being has not only a different body but also an inherent uniqueness and beauty and splendor to be revealed. That’s Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…” Each of us is to live in this world to reveal the glory of God with each one’s own given human conditions. After talking about God’s creation, now he goes back to the story of the resurrection of the dead. Look at verses 42-44. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” Our physical body is the seed for the resurrection body or spiritual body. Though our physical body is imperishable, weak and dishonorable, it is the seed for the glorious resurrection body. Though the degree is different, all suffer from physical illness or oldness. On one occasion a man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion Jesus indeed made him clean healing of his leprosy. His flesh became fresh like that of a baby. Yet, his body was perishable getting old again. Although one goes through cosmetic surgeries numerous times and eats Royal Jerry or other healthy foods, he or she cannot prevent his or her body from getting old and having wrinkles and white hairs and failing eyes and ears and rotten teeth and back pain. All desire to remain young and fresh without blemish and wrinkles on our body. But reality is reality. Everybody gets old or sick. Everyone has a perishable mortal body. This is an undeniable truth. But here is a deeper and greater truth that our lowly perishable bodies would be transformed into glorious ones. It is so sure that this transformation was emphasized four times. Let’s read these glorious words together: ““So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” You and I will be young and fresh forever in the glorious resurrection body with a new heart, new eyes and ears and new skins and new teeth. In Christ Jesus not only our souls are saved but also our bodies are transformed and renewed. We will be as beautiful as angels. Still each one will have each one’s unique unchangeable beauty. Such a thing is written in the Bible. This is a part of resurrection glory. The glory of resurrection goes further. Look at verse 45. “So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” In verses 45-58 Paul compares Adam and Jesus. Adam Jesus The first man Adam The last Adam A living being A life-giving spirit The natural The spiritual The first man The second man Of the dust of the earth From heaven The earthly man The man from heaven On saying of these differences now Paul makes a remarkable affirmation. Look verse 49. “And just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” Even if we didn’t want, we bore the likeness of the earthly man Adam, through being born of our parents. Especially we bore disobedience, rebelliousness and pride of Adam. Sometimes we say, “He is just like his father. Or she is just like her mother.” If it is regarding good things, it is pleasant and encouraging. But if it is related to bad character, it is unpleasant and despairing. Some don’t want to hear such sayings. But we deserve to hear, “You are like Adam or you are like Cain.” It is because sadly to say, we all bore the likeness of the earthly man. But now here is truly amazing “just as.” 1 Corinthians 15:49 says, “And just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” When we read the gospel story, we all like the person Jesus so much. From birth to death, he is full of grace and truth. He is so loving, selfless and sacrificial, gentle and humble, brokenheartedly, pure and holy, obedient, courageous, and triumphant. So there is a song, “I Want to Be Like Jesus” (“I have one deep, supreme desire—That I may be like Jesus.” Sing To The LORD 208) and “O to Be Like Thee.” (“O to be like Thee, full of compassion, Loving, forgiving, tender and kind” 490) According to what is written in the Bible, surprisingly our wish and want will come true: “So shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” We shall be as beautiful as Jesus. We shall be as loving as Jesus. We shall be as humble as Jesus. We shall be as obedient as Jesus. It will go on and on. There are many reasons why the gospel story of Jesus is written. One clear reason is that we may know who we shall be. We shall be like Jesus portrayed in the gospel story. It is hard to believe when we think of our sinful nature born in the likeness of the earthly man Adam. But God wants us to believe as we believe the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the reason Jesus rose again from the dead. This is included in the glory of the resurrection. Praise God for this glorious hope that we shall be like Jesus, the man from heaven. In verses 50-52, Paul talks about the second coming of Jesus Christ, which will be a cosmic event. He includes it as a part of the glory of the resurrection. For at the second coming of Jesus the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed. Look at verses 51-52. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” What a glorious moment it will be! Christians are those who have a mystery or a secret in their hearts. Here we are not talking about an interesting mystery of movies. It is about what is coming in history as real to us. We will all be changed imperishable in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Now the song of victory over death comes out of Paul’s deep heart. “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Christ Jesus who was raised from the dead death has been conquered and swallowed up in victory. We thank and praise God for the victory and victorious life in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he ends this glorious resurrection chapter with these words: “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 labour in the Lord is not in vain.” We thank and praise God for the glory of the resurrection. We all have glorious resurrection body and we shall be like Jesus. In this hope may we live with resurrection principle, giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.



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