Scripture
The Resurrection Body
35But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.
40There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.
42It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
45The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”[1] But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like[2] the heavenly man.
50What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
51But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[3] this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.[4]
55O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?[5]”
56For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
Translation notes (5)
- 15:45 Gen 2:7.
- 15:49 Some manuscripts read let us be like.
- 15:54a Some manuscripts add and our mortal bodies have been transformed into immortal bodies.
- 15:54b Isa 25:8.
- 15:55 Hos 13:14 (Greek version).
57But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the things that my wife gets most anxious about is flying on airplanes. She would rather drive hundreds of miles at a time rather than being locked in a plane cruising above 10,000 feet. On a recent flight during the spring, which is exceptionally windy in Albuquerque, we experienced pretty bad turbulence. The plane was going up and down every which way. My kids sat comfortably, unscathed by the bumps, but my wife was visibly shaken. She was worried about what might happen and started to play the scenario game of "what if the plane came apart"? I looked at her and did my best to comfort her, saying, "Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay!" This response never helps when someone is in the grips of fear. Next time, I will just hug her or hold her hand through the bumps.
Flying in a plane and going through turbulence doesn't really bother me after all these years. But this event did get me thinking through the question, "What is the worst thing that could happen?" From a human perspective, most people would say the worst possible thing that might happen is to die. For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we no longer have to fear death. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He paid the price for every wrong thing we have ever done. He rose from the grave, proving that He was the Son of God and that life after death is possible. He showed us that one day, we too can be resurrected and live with God forever in heaven. That is good news! We no longer have to live, cowering in fear, anxiety, and playing out what might happen. Instead, we can live by faith.
Paul made this truth clear as he was finishing out his first letter to the church in Corinth. He wanted them to know about life after death, and so he wrote to give them confidence in the face of fear of what might happen to them when they die. He reminded them that God gave us victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't let the bumps in life deter your faith. Hold out hope and take confidence that our home is in heaven!
Moving Toward Action
We all get anxious about things that might happen. These bumps come along at times to stretch our faith, and to give us opportunities to trust in God. What are some things that you are currently fearful about right now? Work through a few things that you are struggling with. After you identify them, take time to pray and give them to God. When you come, this weekend to church lay all your anxieties and fears before the Lord. Ask God to stretch your faith.
Going Deeper
Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (NLT)
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