Resurrection Bodies

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

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.

Most of us would probably admit that, ideally, we’d like to have something corrected or changed about our bodies. Perhaps we have an allergy, or a disease, or a disability of some kind. Our bodies are not perfect. Yet we also have to admit that we are not sure what a perfect body would be.

The Christian church believes in the resurrection of the dead. This means that in addition to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we believe that when Jesus comes again there will be a resurrection of all who have believed in Christ. Our present, imperfect, physical bodies will be raised and made whole. Somehow, by the mysterious power of God, our bodies will become immortal and spiritual and yet also be physical. Amazing!

We do not know what this transformation will look like, but we can trust that it will be good. It will have all the necessary features that God has in mind for us.

When Jesus comes again, each of our bodies—though dead and buried and decayed or turned to dust—will be “raised imperishable . . . raised in glory . . . raised in power . . . raised a spiritual body.” Somehow too, it seems, our new bodies will have flesh and bones and be able to eat food, like the resurrected Jesus did when he met with his disciples (Luke 24:36-43). Think of all the wonders God has in store!

Lord Jesus, help me to live faithfully for you in my body now, even as I look ahead to life in my resurrected body when you come again. Thank you! Amen.