Preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN, on September 29, 2024.
The Apostles’ Creed ends with the words, “I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” Today, we will focus on the words “the resurrection of the body.” In a what-I-can-see-is-what-is-real world, it is hard to believe that there is such a thing as the resurrection of the body. As Christians, we find it easier to believe in the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. But the resurrection of the body can be difficult for most of us.
Have you ever wondered how important the resurrection of the body is to the Christian faith? Paul has answered that for us. If there is no bodily resurrection of the dead, then (1) Christ has not been raised (v. 13); (2) the preaching of the Gospel is in vain (v.14); (3) your faith is empty and worthless (vv. 14, 17); (4) Christianity is mispresenting God (v. 15); (5) you are still in your sins—i.e., you have no forgiveness of sins (v. 17); (6) Christians who have died have perished—they are not with Jesus since clearly he is not risen as well (v. 18); (7) Christians have no hope of eternal life and are to be most pitied (v. 19). Think about that for a moment. If there is no such thing as the resurrection of the body, then you cannot believe in the holy catholic church; it would not exist. Christians would not have communion or fellowship; you would not exist as a community. No one would experience the forgiveness of sins or life everlasting. Our creed would be empty, vain, futile, meaningless. Christianity would be an empty religion if the resurrection from the dead is a myth.
But I believe in the resurrection of the body! Standing upon the authority of God’s holy word, I confront the claim that there is no resurrection of the dead. My aim for this sermon is for you to believe in the resurrection of the body so that you would be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. I want you, Bethlehem, to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain by believing in the resurrection of the body.
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, in the name of the risen Lord, I ask that you empower me by your Spirit to speak your words to your people so that your Spirit may strengthen our faith to believe that our bodies will be raised just as you have your Son Jesus from the dead. Amen.
Now that we have heard what is at stake, I must first convince you that the resurrection of the body is possible and trustworthy. Then, I can tell you what the effect of Jesus’s resurrection is on Christians. Finally, I can tell you how, when, and why the resurrection will occur. That is the plan for our next few minutes. (1) The possibility and trustworthiness of the resurrection of the body; (2) The effect of Jesus’s resurrection on Christians; (3) Resurrection details: how, when, and why.
The Possibility and Trustworthiness of the Resurrection of the Body
Let me begin by showing you that the resurrection is possible and trustworthy. These are two different things. Is the resurrection possible? Is the resurrection of the body trustworthy?
The Possibility of the Resurrection of the Body
So, let us consider the possibility question first. Is the resurrection possible? Paul says, “Yes! Look around you. Have you observed a field or a farm? Have you considered the stars and planets?” Paul finds botany, zoology, and astronomy all help us answer the question of bodily resurrection. Look with me to verses 35–49.
What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. Familiar words; we have heard Jesus use them (John 12:24). Paul explains that trees come from seeds. We do not plant trees, but we sow seeds. Each seed grows into a tree according to its kind. Familiar words again; we have heard Moses use them (Gen 1:12). Then Paul turns to the flesh type. He says the flesh of humans is different from animals, which is different from birds, which in turn is different from fish. Basically, he says there is a difference between grilled cannibal steak, country-style pork ribs, fried chicken, and baked walleye. Once again, this takes us back to Genesis 1 and 2. God made animals, birds, and fish according to their kind and man according to his image. Then Paul switches gears and says there is an extreme difference between earthly things and the heavenly host. Yes, he goes back to Genesis 1 again. He says that the sun differs from the moon, and each star is unique.
Why does Paul present us with a class on “Creation and Science” when the topic is the resurrection of the body? Paul says there is an analogy between what he has described and the resurrection of the dead. Just like each kind of creature grows from its seed, a resurrected body comes from a perished natural body. He compares the two events, death or sowing of the body and the resurrection of the dead, with a series of opposites in 42–44. “What is sown is perishable; what is raised is 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.” Do you see those opposites? Well, except for dishonor and glory… Glory, in this case, is a package word for honor, glory, and immortality (look at Rom 2:7).
But wait a minute. In verse 44, Paul claims, “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” Can we grant him such a logic? We know that there are spirits, like angels. God is spirit. That seems fine. But how can he say there is such a thing as a spiritual body? He can do so because naming is defining. Naming is teaching. Naming is worldview-revealing! There is a reason why Adam names all the animals and his wife (Gen 2). A definition requires a differentiation from the rest. When we say, “Man is a rational animal,” we claim that there are animals, and they are not rational. When we say, “Man is a sentient and sapient being,” we claim that we feel through our senses and have passions and affections. That is what differentiates us from other animals. Likewise, when we call something natural, we claim there is something spiritual. When we call something physical or material, we claim there is something spiritual or immaterial. Naming is defining, teaching, and worldview-revealing. Paul does not hopelessly thump his fists, asserting the possibility of spiritual bodies; he does so because our calling these bodies natural has defining consequences. It is logically possible that there is such a thing as a spiritual body.
Come on now… surely the Bible does not claim that the resurrection from the dead is a logical reality alone. Of course not! Paul has solid, biblical reasons. He returns to Genesis 2:7 again. Adam was a living being (lit. a living soul). But on the other hand, based on John 5:21, Jesus, the last Adam, became and remains a life-giving spirit. Adam was given life. He possessed it. Jesus gives life. He dispenses it. And his reserve never depletes. That’s Paul’s first reason.
A second reason comes from Genesis 2 and John 3. Paul says that Adam is dusty. He is made from the dust. That has a lesser glory. Jesus is heavenly; He came from heaven. That has more glory. Both being an Adam (that is, they both are a head or a representative) cause their followers to have their respective image. Adam gives us his fallen dusty image. Jesus gives us his glorious heavenly image. Thus, both what each Adam is and what the purpose of each Adam is points to the resurrection of the body as a possibility, logically and theologically.
The Trustworthiness of the Resurrection of the Body
All I have said so far is the resurrection of the body is logically and theologically possible. In industrial terms, that is simply a proof of concept. The resurrection of the body is possible, a potential. I need to show you that it is real, an actual. I need to prove to you the trustworthiness of the resurrection of the body. Lo and behold! Our text does that. We find the answer in verses 1–11.
This was the gospel preached to you: Jesus died, was buried, and raised following the predictions of the OT saints. Why did you trust it? What makes that message trustworthy? Jesus’s resurrection from the dead changed history because it challenged everyone. The Jews believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead. The Muslims believe the Jesus never died. Christians alone believe that Jesus both died and rose again. Are Christians, then, the most gullible people on the planet?
No, my friends, we do not believe Jesus was raised from the dead only to the exclusion of other religions. We believe that Jesus was raised from the dead because of the credible eyewitness testimony of the apostles and early Christians. Just look at these verses! Can you see the number of eyewitnesses to Jesus’s resurrection? These people were not uneducated, therefore, untrustworthy. Bureaus for investigation and detection exist because it is hard for a group of people to make up a story with detail. It is even more challenging for a person to experience torture and the threat of certain death for sticking to their story. Yet, these people, these eyewitnesses, knew they had found the pearl of great price in the risen Jesus. Their stories did not falter. They paid for it by their blood. The early church believed this story because of the credibility of the witnesses. The church has since believed despite persecution because Jesus’s resurrection from the dead is trustworthy. To date, Christians are willing to die for this truth because it is trustworthy.
The resurrection from the dead is not only a potential according to the Bible but also witnessed and proclaimed in the Bible by Jesus’s resurrection. The resurrection of the dead is not only possible but is trustworthy.
The Effect of Jesus’s Resurrection on Christians
Now, some of you might say. “Ok, Eddie. We grant that the resurrection of the dead is possible. We even grant that Jesus was raised from the dead. But we think the resurrection was only for Jesus. He was special. We are sinners. That does not apply to us.”
That is a valid objection. We must investigate if Jesus’s resurrection affects Christians. Paul has an answer for you. Let us move to my second point: the effect of Jesus’s resurrection on Christians.
We find the answer in verses 20–23. Paul calls Jesus the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (that is, dead). Once again, we must what is the basis for making this claim. The Bible teaches that Adam and Christ are both representatives. In Adam, all die. In Christ, all are shall be made alive. Adam represents all humanity. Christ represents all who are united to him by faith—those who belong to him. There is a chronology: first, the representative, then the represented. Christ is the firstfruits; Christians follow.
Since this is the case, how can one claim that Jesus’s resurrection does not affect Christians?
Resurrection Details: How, When, and Why
We have seen that the resurrection of the body is possible, trustworthy, and inevitable for Christians. We rejoice that this is true. This is the Christian faith. Now, we turn to the last part of this sermon. We must discuss resurrection details—how, when, and why.
How?
Let us discuss the how first. The resurrection of the body happens to those who die in Christ.[1] We have talked about how the seed of the dead body germinates into a tree of a resurrected, spiritual body. But what if Jesus came while you are still alive? Verse 51–53 says we will not all die. Those who are alive will be changed into the spiritual body. Mortality will be clothed with immortality. So then, there are two paths to the immortal, imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual body. Path A: Death, burial, and resurrection. Path B: At the twinkling of an eye, a change, a putting on of immortality.
A legitimate question to ask at this point is what happens to those who are not interred but cremated. Perhaps one may ask what happens to organ donors or those who have been committed to the sea. How will their parts be put together again? The question exists even for those who are interred. The bodies decompose; the circle of life continues. Molecules are constantly moving. At this point, one must not be concerned so much with the how. The God who made everything out of nothing is the same God who gives growth to you. You were once a single cell. Look at yourself now. A seed is a tree now. If God can raise you from the dead, he does not need help from your natural body. So, thrust aside those anxieties.
When?
Let us turn to the question—when? Verses 24–28 answer the question. At the end! In God’s plan, he raised the Messiah, the Christ, to reign. Everything is brought subject to him; everything except God himself. King David prophesied this in Psalms 8 and 110. When all things, every ruler, power, and authority, are destroyed by Jesus, all enemies, including death, will be destroyed. How long will it take, we do not know. But it will happen for sure; that we know.
Why?
How do we know it will happen for sure? It is the why question that is the most important. The why makes it sure. There are two answers to the why question. First, it fulfills the prophecies in Isaiah and Hosea (vv. 54–56). “Death is swallowed up in victory,” says Isaiah. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” mocks Hosea. Jesus fulfills the law and reigns victorious. He destroys his enemies. Second, in verse 28, we are told that this scheme of things exists so that when everything is destroyed and made subject to him, the Son will be subject to the one who put all things in subjection to him. Here’s the reason: that God may be all in all. On that day, we will witness the “unchallenged reign of God, in his pure goodness.”[2]
Conclusion
Friends, we have seen why we believe in the resurrection of the dead. I have shown you that the resurrection from the dead is possible and trustworthy. I have shown you that it is certain because Christ is the firstfruits, and we will follow him in the resurrection. And we have also seen the how, when, and why of the resurrection of the dead. As I close, let us consider the “so what?” question.
Paul has a question for you. He asks, “What do I gain if I fought with beasts at Ephesus?” He wants to know why he risks his life if there is no resurrection of the dead. Our brothers and sisters, those who once were in these very pews, ask you, “Why do we risk our lives going out into hostile territory with the gospel if there is no resurrection from the dead?” Why do we do neighborhood outreaches, global missions, or church planting if the dead are not raised? Why the risk? Why the effort?
Brothers and sisters, Christians are emboldened with beast-facing, gladiator boldness for the cause of the gospel because we know that they can only harm these bodies. Therefore, in verse 58, our passage ends with these words: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Death will not exist when you are raised. You cannot mock death. So mock death now by serving God.
Whether it is pastry ministry, nursery ministry, Sunday school for kids, adults, youth, college, nurture program, church planning residencies, Bethlehem College and Seminary students among you, pastoral interns, global partners, Jericho Road, and a whole host of other ministries, every worker of the gospel is steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord their labor is not in vain because we believe in the resurrection of the dead. We believe in the resurrection of the dead because Jesus was raised from the dead.
So, Bethlehem, serve the Lord confidently. Let us pray.
Father, grant us the grace we need to believe in the resurrection of Jesus and trust you for our own resurrection. Help us to believe now. Help us to believe as we serve. Help us in the hour of our death. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
[1] In this passage, the resurrection of the wicked is not considered. Dan 12:2, John 5:29, Rev 20 affirm the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked.
[2] C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans, Rev. ed., Black’s New Testament Commentary (London: Continuum, 1991), 361.
