Victory of resurrection (1 Cor 15c)

The victory of the resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:35-58
Key verse 15:58

Last week I was walking on campus, enjoying the beautiful weather. Trees were budding and the campus was packed with young people. I felt the spirit of spring. Then when passing McKeldin Library, I saw a small sign, which read, “Out of the Darkness Walks.” It is an annual campaign to raise awareness and fund for the prevention of suicide among college students. This tells us that suicide among young people is a very serious matter. In the United States a person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes, claiming more than 38 thousand lives each year. More than 50 percent of college students say that they felt suicidal. One year ago, one UMD student who lived in Metzerott Road, killed his roommate and injured another, and then killed himself. Recently, one high school student in Texas stabbed and injured 20 people at random. The shadow of death is everywhere, even more among young adults. They say, “I am fine.” But what they really mean is that they are Failing, Insecure, Not good enough, and Empty. They are depressed and helpless under the power of death. But today I am telling you that death is dead to those who believe in Jesus. We believers are victorious over death. How and why? That is the topic we are going to talk about today. May God bless this Easter with the power of resurrection.

In the last passage, Paul urged the Corinthian church to hold fast to the gospel - Jesus’ death and resurrection. The reason being was that some of them denied the resurrection of the dead (15:12), which caused all kinds of spiritual and moral issues in the church. So in 15:12-34, Paul argued that the resurrection of the dead is certain, as is the resurrection of Christ. Paul urged them to come to their senses and stop sinning. However, they still seemed not to be convinced. The resurrection of the dead was a strange and even absurd idea to the people because they never thought about something beyond death. In today’s passage, they ask two questions about the resurrection of the dead. What are their questions? How does Paul answer their questions?

³⁵ But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”

a. How are the dead raised?

·         In what way and by what means are dead people raised?

·         The dead already decomposed or were scattered in dust. How is it possible that they can be restored to their human form?

·         Even worse, their flesh may have been the food of other animals or plants. How can the flesh be recollected and remolded into a human frame?

b. With what kind of body will they come?

·         Will it be the same as it is here, with the same organization and the same needs?

·         Will the old be raised as old and remain such forever?

By asking these questions, they argue that the resurrection of the dead is irrational and impractical and thus improbable.

What is Paul’s answer?

In regard to the first question “How are the dead raised,” Paul uses a metaphor of seed to explain how resurrection works.

³⁶ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 

Paul says that the resurrection of the dead is like planting a seed in that

·         The seed that is sown dies, but that is not the end. After that, it comes to life.

·         A seed, not the body that is to be, is planted.

·         God gives each kind of seed its own body as he has determined.

For example, if a wheat seed is sown, it decomposes and disintegrates. Its bran and endosperm are dissolved and disappear. And the embryo is changed and developed. Then, the seed as a whole is regenerated into a different body but it is still wheat. Likewise, though a human body decomposes and even scattered in dust, it will be regenerated into a different body than here. In other words, the being of the person works as a seed and will be transformed into a new form, but the same person.

Now Paul continues to answer the second question: “With what kind of body will they come?”

³⁹ Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰ 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. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

Paul says that,

·         Each flesh has its own kind as people, animals, birds, and fish have their own flesh each.

·         There are also heavenly bodies as well as earthly bodies.

·         Each body has a different splendor.

Likewise, the resurrected body will be different from the earthly body. It will be a heavenly body and each one will have its own body with a different splendor than the earthly one, according to God’s will and power.

Probably some Corinthians thought that resurrection was a continuation or an extension of our present life on earth. But Paul said that resurrection was not to live again with the same body in the same way as now. The resurrected body will have a different body and a different splendor. As the earthly bodies are made best for the earthly life, our body should be changed to best fit the kingdom of God.

So far while answering the two questions, Paul explains the principles and process of resurrection; that is, the dead shall be raised into a heavenly body, but each being is the same as now. Based on these, Paul explains how our heavenly body will be.

⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ 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 body is perishable so it ages and then eventually decays. Our body is corrupted by sin. Our body is weak. It easily gets hurt and sick. And our body is natural. That means that our body depends on the nature. We need air, water, and food. So our body is limited in many ways and is subject to physical desires.

But this earthly body will be raised imperishable, in glory and in power, and will become a spiritual body. As we can see, the resurrected body will be not only different from now but also much better and perfect. No more sickness, no more aging. No one would wear glasses. There will be no more hospitals and doctors because no one will be sick. Women will not need to spend lots of time and money on cosmetics. We all will stay young, healthy and handsome. No one would ask LL how old he is because he will look as young as BY. Everybody can run fast like dear and probably fly like birds. As such, the resurrected body is so powerful and glorious. And it is also a spiritual body. What does it mean that we will be a spiritual body?

⁴⁵ So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

Here Adam is referred to as the first man or the earthly man whereas Jesus Christ as the last Adam, the second man, or the heavenly man. Adam was a living being. (Gen 2:7) He came from the dust of the earth and went back to it. His body was subject to and depended on nature to live. And it was also corrupted by sin. Since all humans came from him, we are frail and corrupted. That is our natural body. But Jesus is a life-giving spirit. He is the heavenly man. So those who believe in Jesus Christ belong to heaven and will bear the image of the heavenly man.

All this indicates that not only our body but also our inner being will be changed. We will be like Jesus. We will attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:13,15) We will be loving, kind, gentle, unselfish, patient, faithful, and most of all sinless. (Gal 5:22-23) Finally, we will be free from our sins and sinful desire, and partake in God’s holiness.

Now Paul says that he is going to reveal a mystery. What is that?

⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 

When we breathe the last, we will fall into sleep (not die). Then when the last trumpet sounds, we will wake up and be changed very quickly in a flash, in a second, into the imperishable with immortality. In 1 The 4:16-17, Paul gave more details about this.

“¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Why is it necessary to changed, then? Our body should be changed because we will enter the kingdom of God.

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable…⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 

When you attend the wedding reception we are obligated to wear a best party dress. The wedding reception does not belong to those who wear pajamas or casuals. Similarly, the kingdom of God does not belong to the perishable and the mortal. They cannot stay there or inherit the kingdom of God. In Matthew 22:11-13, a man attended the wedding banquet for the king’s son but did not wear wedding clothes. So he was thrown out.  We the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable with immortality to enter the kingdom of God.

When we are changed into the imperishable and the immortal, we will have the most exciting and dramatic thing ever happen to us. Death will be no more!

⁵⁴ 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.”

Death has greatly affected humankind since the fall of man. Actually, it has ruled over human race. No one can avoid death or flee away from it. Last Wednesday I heard about a tragedy in South Korea. The day was like any other ordinary day. Things looked normal. The students in the ferry were on the class trip to Jeju Island. They were excited, expecting a great time there and a good memory they would cherish. But all of sudden the ship was tiled and then began to sink rapidly. So far, about 60 people have been confirmed dead and still more than 200 people are missing, presumably trapped dead in the ship. My heart was broken and went to their family members. I prayed God might have mercy on them. In fact, people die everyday. Approximately 7,000 people die every day in the US. Someday we will be also included in that number. Death is always around us and can come to us unexpectedly. We cannot flee away from it. Death will follow you wherever you go. No one has ever avoided death. Adam died and Moses died too. Death has ruled over humankind (Rom 5:14) and we are subject to it.

However, this is not all about death. Death has a sting like that of scorpions. Death afflicts and destroys people until they die. Death is the cause of all kinds of problems and sufferings and pain we have. Death makes us worried, depressed, distressed, agonized, scared, and powerless. Death leads us to fatalism, nihilism, hedonism, humanism, and materialism. See how much of our sufferings and problems have to do with the fact that we are to die anyway. See how much the power of death is deeply saturated in our daily life. Every day we sigh and worry, and get frustrated at work, in school and in family. So, someone says that death rules over the living not over the dead. As such, death is our number one enemy, impregnable and the most ruthless.

But when we are changed into the imperishable and the immortal, death has no longer power over us. Actually, it will be swallowed up in victory. (Isa 25:8) Rev 20:14 says that death will be thrown into the fire of lake. Death will be dead! That day will be the day of victory to us. No more sickness, no more tears, no more funerals, no more worries, no more fears, no more weeping, and no more sufferings. That day we will forget all our sufferings on earth

Rev 21:4 “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

So, Paul says triumphantly, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

That is your victory and my victory! We believers are victors. How is this possible then?

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death was caused by our sin and the power of sin comes from the law, which reveals all our sins, judges us guilty. But our Lord Jesus has paid off for all our sins by his death and defeated death by his resurrection. His death and resurrection gives us the final victory over death. Amen!

So far, we have learned that we will be raised victorious in Jesus Christ who died for our sin and rose from the dead. Our victory is certain. We no longer die but sleep for a while and then when we wake up we will be changed to inherit the kingdom of God. What should we do now then? How should we live until that day?

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul concludes this chapter with these commands:

First, stand firm: Last week we learned that we should stand firm on the gospel of Jesus – his death for our sins and his resurrection. We must hold fast to this gospel no matter what happens to us and no matter what situation we are in, because the gospel is true and real.

Second, let nothing move us. People, who do not believe the resurrection of the dead, seek earthly pleasure and live on materialism. Their motto is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (15:32b-33) The Corinthians lived such a life, saying, “There is no resurrection of the dead.” We are surrounded by such people. See how they live and what they seek. How hedonistic and materialistic they are! Do not listen to such bad company. Do not follow them. Do not be swayed by them. But have pity on them.

Also do not defeated by your dark thoughts and feeling. Satan uses such things, which is the sting of death, to discourage us and depress us and even drive us to kill ourselves. Remember Jesus has conquered death and so do you. The final victory is ours and it has already been guaranteed in Jesus Christ. Don’t’ let such things move you at all.

Lastly, give always ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Death makes everything in vain. But now we are victorious over death. We know that only our work for the Lord is not in vain. In 15:31, Paul said he died every day. He endangered his life to preach the gospel, but he was not afraid because he knew he would be raised anyway. This is the resurrection faith. Resurrection faith is not only believing our future resurrection but also living a life worthy of resurrection here and now. We should not be depressed or distressed by our adverse situations and problems because we know that our present sufferings are just momentary. Rather, we should diligently preach the gospel whether our fruit is visible or not.

MY is going to Kurdistan soon as a short-term missionary. But even three years ago no one expected him to come this far. He was a hedonistic person. Like the Corinthians, he was indulged in drinking, eating, and dirty things. However, through the Bible he repented of his sins and began to study the Bible diligently, twice a week. Though he had a hard time getting a stable job after graduation, he was not discouraged. Rather, he was thankful to God and desired to serve God more. And while praying about his future, he found a way to go to Kurdistan to serve God’s will there. Kurdistan Is not as safe as here. And he lost his job because of this mission trip. Regardless, he is happy to go there and preach the gospel. I don’t know how he has changed like this but I know that this is the power of the gospel. Let’s pray for his safe and fruitful mission there. And let’s pray also that we can preach the gospel diligently because there are many people out there who are under the power of death as MY was.

I pray that the power of Jesus’ resurrection may be with you all and help you overcome your sorrows, worries, suffering, and darkness. Remember that death has already been defeated by Jesus’ death and resurrection and that we are victorious over death. Let’s give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. We know that only the work of the Lord is not in vain.

Happy Easter!

by David Yun