New Resurrection Bodies

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. I Corinthians 15: 42-44

The Apostle Paul uses the word “sown,” as in planting seed. He describes the dead body as a seed that is planted in the ground. We all know what happens to seeds. They sprout and put on little green shoots of new growth. Then they become a plant with healthy leaves and produce flowers or vegetables.

I think of the seed packets I have at home. I order them from a seed company and then take them out to my garden in the spring. Each seed is a unique shape or size. Some, like lettuce seed, are very small. Others, like pumpkin seeds, are large. But they are all brown and hard on the outside. They look dead. Where is the life in these small, brown seeds?

Paul is using this idea to help us understand our bodies. They get put in the ground lifeless and shriveled and worn out. But at the time of resurrection, they will be raised to new life. Like the seed that germinates and produces growth, our bodies will be changed from the natural and the perishable to the eternal and the imperishable.

We face the reality of life in mortal bodies that are natural, and are made only for this world. These bodies are weak and they are feeble. They get sick, and they will eventually die. We face limits of aging, of letting go, and of losing control. The end of life in this body is the end of everything we know. It’s the end of everything that has given daily life significance.

We must come to terms with the fact that we face an ending. The end of the function of our physical bodies also puts an end to those meaningful activities. It changes our relationships by putting an end to marriages, or leadership positions, or to family traditions. It’s sad. And it’s hard because we were never intended to die. The endings and the losses feel impossible because we are designed for life. Death wasn’t part of God’s good and perfect creation.

Our souls are permanent and designed to live in unending relationship with God. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says about death, “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Paul tells us a mystery. We will not all sleep. On the day of the Lord’s coming, at the final resurrection, the people who have died, or are sleeping, and the people still alive, will all be changed together. It will happen fast, in a flash, the Bible says. The dead will be raised, and we will all have imperishable bodies.

The Christian life is a life of victory. Even in our feeble, weak bodies we are winners. Because of the resurrection, our lives are important. The resurrection will be a time when all the struggles of this life will be repaid. Because Christ has been raised and we will be raised with him, we can start living the resurrection life right now as we stand firm in our belief of Christ’s victory. Stay confident in Christ’s power and the glory that he will someday share with us.