I had a teacher in elementary school who would leave out a name every once in a while when he was checking attendance. I think he did it to see if we were paying attention. I grew up in a small housing area built solely to house the workers at the plant where my dad was employed. Everyone knew everyone else and that generated a spirit of community – we took care of each other. Every time my teacher left out a name during roll call, the rest of the class was quick to let him know. We didn’t want anyone left out of anything.
1 Corinthians 15 (NIV)
42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
There were some people in the church at Corinth who didn’t believe in the physical resurrection of the dead. In the verses preceding this passage, Paul gives an eloquent defense of this phenomenon, making his point that resurrection is a foundational element of our faith. He says, “If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” Why is this true? Christ’s resurrection was the proof of His victory of sin and death. Through His resurrection, we have the assurance that our sins are paid for – we are no longer spiritually dead.
So the resurrection is just symbolic. It just pertains to the “spirit.” Definitely not! Listen to what Paul says in this passage. He tells us that our earthly bodies will not only be resurrected – they will be transformed. I don’t know about you, but that thought is incredibly exciting to me. As we get older, we become more aware of the “perishable” nature of our earthly body. Our bodies grow weaker as time passes by. So what is there to be excited about?
Look closely at what Paul says. This body that decays and goes back to the dirt from which it came, will become an imperishable, eternal body. This body that goes to the grave in the knowledge that it has been steeped in sin will leave that grave in the glory of Jesus Christ. We will arise sinless and holy before our God. This body that grew weaker and weaker until it could no longer sustain life will be raised into the awesome power of God the Father through His Son. This body that came from the dirt under our feet will be transformed into a spiritual form that we cannot even imagine until Christ comes again. Now, if that doesn’t float your boat, you must be in the wrong pond!
In the words of that old gospel song, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more; when the morning breaks eternal, bright, and fair. When the saved on earth shall gather over on the other shore; when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.” I know I will be standing before my Jesus when it comes time to open the Lamb’s Book of Life, and I know where I am going. The really neat part about it is that I won’t be carrying around this tired old body any more. I will stand before Him a transformed man both spiritually and physically. When He calls my name, I will be able to shout out, “Present,” and when He looks at me, I will not be ashamed.
Church, we have the assurance that we will face that resurrection day ready to meet our Savior. But, there are those do not have that confidence because they do not know our Savior. Jesus told us, “Go and make disciples.” Evangelism is not a calling or a gift – it is a command from Jesus Himself. Every Christ-follower must share the Good News. Imagine how it will feel to hear the name of someone you introduced to Jesus, called on that resurrection morning! Spread the Word. Jesus is coming.
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