WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.859 Good morning, church. Thanks again for joining us virtually this morning. 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:12.800 As we begin, since we don't have our normal announcements time, 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:18.800 I just want to highlight again that Chris Bradley is holding a Sunday school class today at 4 p.m. 00:00:19.240 --> 00:00:23.780 and it's on Romans chapter 8 on the topic of suffering, and so you can join them virtually. 00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:29.879 You can find more details about that in our Friday email, which I cannot encourage you strongly enough. 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:35.299 To subscribe to, if you're not subscribed to it, it's at the bottom right of every page on our website. 00:00:35.619 --> 00:00:39.120 That's cmpca.net, and that's a place where you can subscribe to that. 00:00:39.480 --> 00:00:44.140 And then you can also contact Chris directly through information that's in your church directory. 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:48.460 I want to add to that announcement one request for you all this morning. 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:55.179 One of the things that's really tough for me, and I'm sure for many of you about this virtual situation, is that I can't see you. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:59.060 So I'm looking into a camera, and I'm looking at seats that are empty. 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:04.740 And sometimes we can see how many folks are watching in terms of numbers, but we can't always see who. 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:10.079 So I'd really encourage you just right now to log in and let people know that you're here by making a comment. 00:01:10.299 --> 00:01:15.460 You can comment in the bottom right of the video page that you're watching on Facebook. 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.840 If you're watching through our website, unfortunately you won't be able to comment. 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.700 But just say something like, hey, I'm here, or welcome, or ask other people how they're doing. 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:29.680 And it's just one way, even as we can't see each other physically, that we can know that we're with other people as we watch it. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:31.200 We're not anonymous. 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:34.900 We're gathered, even though we're gathered digitally. 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.060 Today is Palm Sunday. 00:01:39.020 --> 00:01:44.820 It's easy to forget in the midst of everything that's going on in our world right now that we're actually one week away from Easter, 00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:50.540 the largest, most important holiday in the calendar of the church throughout the year. 00:01:51.860 --> 00:01:57.100 And so today's Palm Sunday, which is the Sunday that Jesus entered Jerusalem on his way to die. 00:01:57.099 --> 00:02:03.319 And so as we turn away from 1 Peter, we're going to return to our series on 1 Corinthians 15. 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:06.099 Now, you may be wondering what I'm talking about. 00:02:06.339 --> 00:02:10.459 If you were with us for Easter last year, you know that we were in 1 Corinthians 15, 00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:14.019 and we covered verses 1 through 28. 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:18.079 We are going to skip verses 29 through 34, 00:02:18.539 --> 00:02:24.060 and today we're going to go to verse 35 all the way through, I believe, verse 48 or 49. 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:30.400 And this is a passage that's known as Paul's discussion of the resurrection, Paul's resurrection chapter. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:37.080 And last year, when we began our 1 Corinthians 15 series, we talked about the importance of the gospel, 00:02:37.340 --> 00:02:39.979 and Paul gave us a summary at the very beginning of this chapter. 00:02:40.480 --> 00:02:41.699 Jesus died for our sins. 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:44.400 That's what's of first importance, and he rose from the dead. 00:02:45.659 --> 00:02:49.199 Later in this passage, he's going to talk about the details of the resurrection, 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.259 especially when it comes to our bodies. 00:02:52.259 --> 00:02:55.500 And that's part of the reason we're looking at this passage. 00:02:55.739 --> 00:02:58.259 Our bodies are part of our challenge right now, right? 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:04.560 The reason that we can't gather together is because our bodies are susceptible to sickness. 00:03:06.019 --> 00:03:09.439 And I've been telling you that part of the reason that we have hope as Christians 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:12.620 is that even as we suffer, we know the end of the story. 00:03:13.239 --> 00:03:17.459 And so part of the question is, what's the end of the story when it comes to our bodies? 00:03:17.460 --> 00:03:22.379 What does the gospel have to do with our bodies? 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:27.120 Why is resurrection, maybe this is another way to think about it, why is resurrection a good thing? 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:31.260 Wouldn't it be easier or better if instead of having resurrected bodies, 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:33.520 we were just able to do away with the body entirely, 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:38.040 and we could be disembodied souls just walking around, floating around? 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:42.819 In fact, maybe that's a question you're asking now because of the suffering that we're going through. 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:44.800 Wouldn't it be just easier to get rid of the body? 00:03:45.600 --> 00:03:50.120 Doesn't the fact that we can gather virtually over Zoom or calling each other on the phone 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:53.200 prove that our bodies are unnecessary, in fact, maybe even a liability? 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:58.700 Paul's going to get to that question this morning in this chapter 00:03:58.700 --> 00:04:03.360 because part of the news about Jesus' resurrection is news about his body. 00:04:04.640 --> 00:04:08.100 His physical state is going to give us a picture of our physical state, 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:09.400 and it's also a part of our hope. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:12.900 Our hope is not just that we're saved from our sins, 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:14.700 although that is certainly our most important hope, 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:17.620 but it's also in what's going to happen to us physically. 00:04:18.719 --> 00:04:21.879 And so it's with those questions that I'm going to invite you to turn with me 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.300 to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 00:04:24.939 --> 00:04:28.120 It's been almost a year here, but we're going to be starting at verse 35. 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:33.919 And as we come to this verse, this chapter, remember that this is God's word. 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:39.360 And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:44.000 And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:47.660 And that's why we come to it now, starting with verse 35. 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:50.360 But someone will ask, 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:52.319 How are the dead raised? 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:54.960 With what kind of body do they come? 00:04:55.740 --> 00:04:57.100 You foolish person! 00:04:57.819 --> 00:05:00.680 What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:07.319 And what you sow is not the body to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:12.280 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:22.199 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, another for fish. 00:05:22.979 --> 00:05:29.259 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:35.559 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. 00:05:36.099 --> 00:05:38.519 For stars differ from star in glory. 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:40.339 Verse 42. 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:43.159 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.319 What is sown is perishable. 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:47.959 What is raised is imperishable. 00:05:48.739 --> 00:05:49.979 It is sown in dishonor. 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:51.679 It is raised in glory. 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:53.839 It is sown in weakness. 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:55.620 It is raised in power. 00:05:56.459 --> 00:05:58.199 It is sown a natural body. 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:00.599 It is raised a spiritual body. 00:06:01.299 --> 00:06:04.459 If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 00:06:05.239 --> 00:06:05.959 Thus it is written, 00:06:06.500 --> 00:06:08.819 The first man, Adam, became a living being. 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:12.019 The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:13.540 Verse 46. 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:18.079 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 00:06:18.719 --> 00:06:21.560 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:23.639 The second man is from heaven. 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:28.180 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.839 And as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 00:06:32.539 --> 00:06:38.479 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:43.680 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:54.560 Our Father in heaven, we thank you, as always, that we can gather together with your people, even if it's virtually. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:04.920 And we thank you for your word that you provide for us during times like these, that you give us answers to the questions and the problems and the difficulties that we face. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.519 We thank you for the answers that you give us here about the resurrection, and not just the answers, but the hope. 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:16.660 We ask that you would use this passage now to give us that hope, that hope in Jesus, in his resurrection, 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:20.279 and the hope that we can also have in ours that we look forward to. 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:23.959 And we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:07:26.539 --> 00:07:31.599 In this passage of verse 35, begins by asking this question, 00:07:31.719 --> 00:07:34.759 How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? 00:07:34.819 --> 00:07:36.819 And Paul immediately says, You foolish person. 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:41.419 Which implies that he's answering an objection here that doesn't seem to be innocent. 00:07:41.539 --> 00:07:44.339 It's people who think that the idea of the resurrection is silly. 00:07:44.939 --> 00:07:46.619 And so he's telling them they're silly as well. 00:07:46.619 --> 00:07:49.859 Part of the reason they might be thinking that the idea of the resurrection is silly, 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:53.419 is they're thinking of it potentially as just a resuscitation. 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:57.199 So we have these bodies that are faulty and frail, right? 00:07:57.619 --> 00:08:01.199 Why would it be a good thing to take a body that's so broken that it's died, 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.419 and to then bring it back to life? 00:08:03.459 --> 00:08:05.699 In what sense could that be any good news? 00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:11.939 And it seems like perhaps they're even making fun of Paul for his discussion of the resurrection. 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:16.519 His hope that he has in Jesus being raised from the dead. 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:21.560 And so potentially that's part of what's going on in this passage. 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:23.879 And so that's why he tells them that they're foolish. 00:08:23.979 --> 00:08:29.060 And then he gives them some ideas, some illustrations to explain what it's like to have a new body, 00:08:29.139 --> 00:08:30.439 to have a resurrection body. 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:37.240 We're told first there's this image in verses 36 through 38 of a seed and a grain. 00:08:37.939 --> 00:08:40.340 He says, What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 00:08:40.340 --> 00:08:46.019 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.540 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.160 Now this seems somewhat strange at first, 00:08:55.160 --> 00:08:59.720 but there's an illustration here that he's trying to tell them that there's something that's the same 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.780 and something that's different about these new bodies that they're going to have. 00:09:02.980 --> 00:09:07.160 He's using agricultural illustrations because these are things that these people understand. 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:08.940 They understand how agriculture works. 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:12.120 So there's a seed, and it grows into a full body, 00:09:12.760 --> 00:09:15.560 which means that there's something that remains the same. 00:09:16.060 --> 00:09:18.940 Our body right now, our earthly body, is that seed. 00:09:19.040 --> 00:09:21.620 The body that we're going to have is the full-grown grain. 00:09:22.740 --> 00:09:25.200 In other words, this is not something totally different, 00:09:25.280 --> 00:09:27.380 but it's related to the bodies that we already have. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:30.960 On the other hand, there's going to be something very different. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.840 The technical term here would be that there's going to be a continuity 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:38.020 between the bodies we have now and our future bodies and a discontinuity, 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:42.139 just like the seed is connected to the plant that it gives birth to, 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:43.919 but it's also very different, right? 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.460 Plants and seeds are not the same, and yet one leads to the other. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.819 He also is making another point here, which is that the seed dies. 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:53.639 Verse 36, 00:09:53.639 --> 00:10:03.139 But if we're in Christ, he's going to bring us to life. 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:05.299 He's going to give us that new body. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.819 And so he's telling them, basically, this isn't just a corpse that's being resuscitated. 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:14.939 Instead, it's a new body that God is making from your old body. 00:10:14.940 --> 00:10:18.440 It's connected, but it's also different. 00:10:19.140 --> 00:10:26.820 It's going to be something greater and better in the same way that a plant is greater and better than the seed that it comes from. 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:30.180 And then he goes on to use another image. 00:10:30.260 --> 00:10:31.720 So we've got the seed-plant image. 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:35.960 And then he gets to this other discussion that seems a little strange, 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:41.080 where he talks about animals and birds and fish and heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:43.920 And he's talking about how they have different kinds of glory. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:46.440 And this discussion seems to get a little confusing at this point. 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:49.280 And so I think one way to think about it is this. 00:10:49.400 --> 00:10:55.120 Paul is trying to make sure these people know that their new bodies are going to be physical. 00:10:56.160 --> 00:11:01.320 In the same way that their old bodies are physical, they're also going to be different. 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:02.860 There's physical things on earth. 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:05.040 There's physical things in heaven. 00:11:05.140 --> 00:11:06.300 Your old body is physical. 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:08.400 Your new body is going to be physical. 00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:09.300 But it's going to be different. 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:14.139 It's going to be different in the same way that there are some things on earth that are different than things that are in heaven. 00:11:15.339 --> 00:11:19.299 And so, again, there's this idea there's going to be something different, something the same. 00:11:19.819 --> 00:11:22.120 Now, we don't live in an agricultural society. 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:26.159 And so these illustrations perhaps don't make quite as much sense for us. 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:30.059 If I were going to rewrite Paul's letter today, I would rewrite it in this way. 00:11:30.099 --> 00:11:33.939 I would use the illustration, potentially, of a car. 00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:37.659 I would say, you know, there's a difference, right? 00:11:37.659 --> 00:11:40.259 There's a lot of forerunners on the road in Colorado. 00:11:41.839 --> 00:11:46.240 And there's a, say, a 1984 forerunner, the first forerunner that ever came out. 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:48.219 And there's a 2020 forerunner. 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:51.100 This would be sort of the seed and grain illustration. 00:11:52.319 --> 00:11:55.839 The 1984 forerunner and the 2020 forerunner are related. 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:59.199 They're the same make and they're the same model. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:02.520 They're also very, very different. 00:12:04.220 --> 00:12:05.680 They're connected to each other. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:06.620 They're something the same. 00:12:06.680 --> 00:12:09.400 If you were to look at them, you would see some similarities, right? 00:12:09.520 --> 00:12:11.840 They both are going to have the Toyota symbol on the front. 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:16.440 They both have a similar shape, but the 1984 one is going to be boxier than the 2021. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:17.700 That's going to be smoother. 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:19.940 And so there's things that are the same. 00:12:20.020 --> 00:12:21.800 There are things that are different, but they're related. 00:12:22.220 --> 00:12:24.400 They are intrinsically connected. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:30.100 Don't imagine, then, when we think about these bodies as being the 1984 car, just redone, 00:12:30.199 --> 00:12:33.939 but it's an entirely new car that's also connected and related. 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.340 When he talks about this illustration of the different kinds of bodies, so that would be 00:12:38.340 --> 00:12:40.139 the seed and the wheat. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.480 When he talks about the different kinds of bodies, think about it this way. 00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:49.779 There's glory that comes with a minivan, and there's glory that comes with a Porsche or 00:12:49.779 --> 00:12:50.179 a Ferrari. 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:53.860 They both have their own type of glory, and they differ. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:58.360 Now, you might be thinking, what kind of glory can a minivan have? 00:12:59.139 --> 00:13:00.860 And that's a question many people ask. 00:13:00.939 --> 00:13:02.939 Of course, we have the video from 2012. 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:08.679 I believe it was Toyota came out with about the swagger wagon to demonstrate that there 00:13:08.679 --> 00:13:10.759 is a type of glory that comes with a minivan. 00:13:12.079 --> 00:13:17.639 But the point that Paul is trying to make in all of this is that your body is going to 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:22.179 be like your new body is going to be like your old body, but it's going to be different. 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:27.979 And not only is it going to be different, but it's actually going to be better. 00:13:28.099 --> 00:13:33.059 It will be physical, but it will have different characteristics than your current one. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.319 And that, by the way, we're going to get to this in a minute. 00:13:36.419 --> 00:13:40.299 This is part of the reason it's good news that we keep our bodies. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:44.199 It might be tempting, right, to think, can't we just get rid of these bodies with their sickness 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:45.100 and their limitations? 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:47.759 And yet it's not the body. 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:49.360 It's not the body that's bad. 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.980 But it's sin as it has effects on it, as it damages it and mars it. 00:13:56.400 --> 00:13:58.780 And so all of this is a buildup to verse 42. 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:03.680 So to summarize everything that's come before, there's people who have concerns about the body, 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:05.620 and they wonder if it's even a good thing to have a new body. 00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:12.600 Paul uses an agricultural illustration to touch on that, to say that your body, 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:16.259 the one that's going to come in the future, is going to be greater and better than the one you have now, 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:19.019 but it's going to be connected to it. 00:14:19.259 --> 00:14:23.120 It's not going to be a separate body, but a restored and a renewed body. 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:25.580 And that's the point he makes here in verse 42. 00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:29.080 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.220 What is sown is perishable, the seed there, your old body. 00:14:33.680 --> 00:14:36.379 What is raised is imperishable, your new body. 00:14:36.900 --> 00:14:39.080 It is sown in dishonor, that's your old body. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:40.560 It is raised in glory. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:42.639 It is sown in weakness. 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:44.500 It is raised in power. 00:14:45.300 --> 00:14:46.820 It is sown a natural body. 00:14:47.540 --> 00:14:49.740 It is raised a spiritual body. 00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:59.220 In other words, we experience suffering in our bodies now because they are under the reign of sin. 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:06.899 We're susceptible to pandemics now because our bodies are affected by the fall. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:14.120 We're susceptible to age and decay because of the effects of sin in this world. 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:18.200 And so it's not the body that's bad, but sin. 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:24.420 And when we receive our new bodies, they're going to have these new characteristics, this new glory to it. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.560 The old body is like the seed that's sown. 00:15:29.400 --> 00:15:34.500 The new body is tied to it, but it's raised up as something even greater and better. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:38.580 And so for us, the point is this. 00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:42.759 There are many things about our new bodies that we can hope for and long for. 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:48.200 In terms of sickness, one day we will have bodies that cannot become sick. 00:15:49.819 --> 00:15:54.159 One day, no one will have diabetes and have to check their insulin. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:59.620 One day, there won't be urgent cares and hospitals. 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:05.519 Those are things for bodies that are perishable, verse 42. 00:16:06.079 --> 00:16:09.319 The new bodies that we look forward to are imperishable. 00:16:10.719 --> 00:16:14.159 It's not just sickness, but it's also age. 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:18.439 There's going to come a time where we won't feel the effects of old age. 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.980 We won't worry about having loss in our bodies. 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:27.520 We won't worry about losing strength and mobility. 00:16:28.640 --> 00:16:31.340 We won't have to deal with the weakness of this body. 00:16:31.420 --> 00:16:35.160 We're told in verse 43, it's sown in weakness, it's raised in power. 00:16:36.180 --> 00:16:38.700 So we're going to go from perishable to imperishable. 00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:42.240 And we're going to go from weak to powerful. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:51.019 It won't just affect us in terms of sickness and old age, but there will also be consequences and results in terms of shame. 00:16:51.139 --> 00:16:54.659 We won't associate our bodies anymore with feelings of shame. 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:59.500 We won't associate it anymore with not feeling like we're enough. 00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:05.000 Like we have to do and change over and over just so people might find us acceptable and worthy. 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:09.839 Instead, our bodies will be something that we take joy and pride in. 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.539 We'll delight in them. 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:16.899 They won't bring us shame and anxiety, but instead they'll bring us glory and satisfaction. 00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:21.019 That's part of the point that Paul is making here. 00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:27.180 People will walk around and they'll be proud of their bodies, and they'll be glad to be seen. 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:32.960 We won't walk around wondering, man, is this part of my body wrong? 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:36.099 If I could just change this other part, then everything would be okay. 00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:45.919 But instead, we're going to have these bodies that are characterized not by dishonor, verse 43, but characterized by glory. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:50.860 There's this holistic vision, then, of what the new body is going to look like. 00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:53.400 It's going to be untouched by sickness. 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:56.360 It's going to be untouched by age. 00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:59.539 And it's going to be untouched by shame. 00:18:00.639 --> 00:18:07.859 It's something that we're going to always enjoy and rejoice in rather than fight against or be ashamed of. 00:18:07.859 --> 00:18:13.519 And so, as these people, and perhaps us, are wondering what good the body is, 00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:18.819 Paul points out to them how good it is and how good it will be. 00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:24.119 He tells us about how this is going to take place in verse 44. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:25.519 It is sown a natural body. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.779 It is raised a spiritual body. 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:32.559 If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 00:18:32.639 --> 00:18:38.019 Now, this can be confusing because oftentimes we're not clear about what the word spiritual means. 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:44.240 But when Paul uses the word spiritual, what he means is something that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. 00:18:45.139 --> 00:18:48.740 Think, for example, in this same letter, he discusses the spiritual gifts. 00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:51.559 Which are gifts that are given to us by the Holy Spirit. 00:18:53.059 --> 00:18:56.819 And so, when we talk about this natural body versus the spiritual body, 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:00.559 he's not talking about a physical body versus a non-physical body. 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:05.380 Many people have pointed out that the spiritual body, if it wasn't physical, would actually be an oxymoron. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:06.799 It would be a contradiction in terms. 00:19:06.940 --> 00:19:08.779 What he means is actually something different. 00:19:08.859 --> 00:19:12.359 The natural body is the bodies that we have now. 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:14.680 Right now, you have a natural body. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:16.900 It's perishable. 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:19.759 It can be affected by sin. 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:21.840 It's weak. 00:19:23.060 --> 00:19:24.500 It can easily falter. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:26.980 It has dishonor to it. 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:32.680 The spiritual body is the body that's to come. 00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:35.720 And it's going to be a body that's characterized by the Holy Spirit. 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:40.819 And so, it's going to be a body characterized by strength and power. 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:43.799 It's a body that won't perish. 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:50.779 And so, when he's talking about that, what he's talking about is the animating force behind the body. 00:19:51.100 --> 00:19:54.120 You have a body right now that's controlled by sin in many ways. 00:19:54.119 --> 00:20:00.919 You will one day have a body that's controlled by the Holy Spirit if you have faith in Jesus Christ. 00:20:01.399 --> 00:20:04.299 That's what the resurrection means for you. 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:07.919 So, it's a discussion about what the animating force is, right? 00:20:08.179 --> 00:20:14.619 Jesus did not sin, but his body was subject to sin before he died. 00:20:14.619 --> 00:20:20.019 After he rose from the dead, his body was no longer subject to sin. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.879 He had a spiritual body. 00:20:23.159 --> 00:20:25.399 You could think about it this way as well. 00:20:25.719 --> 00:20:31.139 When you became a Christian, you didn't stop becoming susceptible to viruses, right? 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:36.739 You didn't suddenly, if you had a cold when you became a Christian, that cold didn't suddenly disappear. 00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:41.660 While the Holy Spirit came into your life, you still had a body that was under the reign of sin. 00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:47.019 Jesus now has a body that's powered by the Spirit. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.900 You will have a body one day that's powered by the Spirit as well. 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:54.740 And it's still physical. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:59.519 If we're going to continue our car illustration, it would be like this. 00:20:59.900 --> 00:21:03.660 The old body, a car powered by gas. 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:07.480 That's the natural power, right? 00:21:08.100 --> 00:21:10.440 The new body is going to have a different power. 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:12.279 Maybe it's an electric car. 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:14.060 Still a car, right? 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:14.960 Still physical. 00:21:16.580 --> 00:21:19.060 And it's powered by something radically different. 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.380 The same is true of the bodies that we look forward to. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.380 They're going to be powered by something radically different. 00:21:27.100 --> 00:21:29.040 Because they're going to be spiritual bodies. 00:21:29.540 --> 00:21:32.360 They're going to be powered by the Holy Spirit. 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:39.180 And so this explains a lot of things for us as Christians. 00:21:39.820 --> 00:21:41.500 Of course, it explains our hope, right? 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:44.259 We look forward to these imperishable bodies. 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:50.040 It also explains why our bodies matter so much now. 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:53.220 This is why Christians have such a strict sexual ethic. 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:57.640 It's because we believe that our bodies and our souls are connected. 00:21:58.740 --> 00:22:04.079 Our bodies aren't just something that's an instrument that we use now that at some point we're going to throw away. 00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:06.860 But what we do in our bodies affects our souls. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:07.880 It affects our spirits. 00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:12.120 That's the point that Paul makes earlier in this book in 1 Corinthians 6. 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:15.939 So our bodies are incredibly important. 00:22:16.739 --> 00:22:18.179 Our bodies are going to be renewed. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:20.179 We're going to have new bodies one day. 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:26.159 That's why it doesn't satisfy us to be virtually present with people. 00:22:26.879 --> 00:22:31.039 That's why even though you can see me and I can't see you, 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.339 and we're present with each other in a sense, 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:37.819 there's a sadness because our bodies are away from each other. 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:41.139 God made us to be physically present, 00:22:41.659 --> 00:22:44.519 to be with each other in our bodies. 00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:48.539 And so that's part of what makes what we're going through right now really sad 00:22:48.539 --> 00:22:53.379 is that we were people who are in bodies and we were made for bodies. 00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:55.200 Bodies are part of God's design. 00:22:55.860 --> 00:22:58.660 They're part of what he wants for this world. 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:03.720 If you're a hugger, that's part of the reason this is challenging for you. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:09.100 It's one thing to see someone over FaceTime or Marco Polo or Zoom. 00:23:09.779 --> 00:23:13.620 It's another thing to give them a handshake or to be able to give them a hug. 00:23:15.860 --> 00:23:18.279 God made us in bodies for a reason. 00:23:19.580 --> 00:23:22.400 And so he's also going to restore our bodies. 00:23:23.100 --> 00:23:25.039 That's part of why it matters now, 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:26.980 and that's part of why it matters for our hope. 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:30.440 We can look forward to people who know the end of the story when it comes to our bodies. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:32.960 We can look forward in hope, 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:38.599 knowing that God is going to cleanse and heal and renew and restore. 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:45.299 Finally, there's going to be something new about our bodies. 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:49.319 It's not just that we're not going to experience all these bad things, 00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:52.460 but there seems to be some things that are even more glorious 00:23:52.460 --> 00:23:54.380 that we can't even imagine about our bodies. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:57.039 Remember the illustration of the seed and the plant. 00:23:57.340 --> 00:23:58.579 Seed and the plant are the same. 00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:02.039 They're connected, and they're radically different. 00:24:02.840 --> 00:24:07.600 There's something much more wonderful and full about a plant than its seed. 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:11.679 And so the same thing is going to be true of us as well. 00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:13.879 There's going to be something more full and wonderful 00:24:13.879 --> 00:24:16.759 about the bodies that we have after the resurrection 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:18.379 than the bodies that we have right now. 00:24:19.879 --> 00:24:22.859 Now I'm going to say something that I think is going to be controversial, 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:26.559 and I think many of you are going to disagree with me about. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:30.720 When it comes to the Narnia books, my very favorite of all of them, 00:24:30.899 --> 00:24:33.539 I'm just going to say it, is the last battle. 00:24:35.139 --> 00:24:36.859 Now I don't think that's true for many people. 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:39.419 After the last battle, I would say it's a toss-up 00:24:39.419 --> 00:24:41.799 between the horse and his boy and the magician's nephew. 00:24:42.399 --> 00:24:45.059 But in the last battle, and this is part of what I love about it, 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:48.319 C.S. Lewis gives this picture of what the new heavens 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:49.859 and the new earth might look like. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:52.079 Now it's out of his imagination, right? 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.579 The last battle is not the Bible. 00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:55.299 We don't take it as a statement of truth, 00:24:55.419 --> 00:24:58.240 but he's applied his imagination to what it might look like 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:00.220 to have new bodies and a new heaven and a new earth. 00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:03.379 And there's one scene, there's a chapter called 00:25:03.379 --> 00:25:04.699 Further Up and Further In. 00:25:05.339 --> 00:25:08.939 And in that chapter, the characters begin to run in the new Narnia. 00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:12.779 And as they run, they notice this, 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:16.779 no one got hot or tired or out of breath. 00:25:18.199 --> 00:25:20.259 There was something new about their bodies 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:22.319 that was beyond just the absence of sickness. 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:25.099 Now, I don't know if that's going to be true of our new bodies 00:25:25.099 --> 00:25:25.980 when we run in them. 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:28.500 It may be true, it may not be true. 00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:29.799 That was C.S. Lewis' vision. 00:25:29.919 --> 00:25:32.639 But it's there to highlight that there's going to be something 00:25:32.639 --> 00:25:34.019 even more glorious. 00:25:35.500 --> 00:25:39.339 And we can only imagine now the way that God is going to restore 00:25:39.339 --> 00:25:41.000 and renew our bodies in such a way 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:43.240 that we're going to experience things 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:45.539 we've never been able to experience before. 00:25:45.539 --> 00:25:49.460 And so this understanding of the body, 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:53.299 it gives us an understanding of what's so hard now 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:54.299 about living in bodies. 00:25:55.639 --> 00:25:57.700 Gives us an understanding about our hope 00:25:57.700 --> 00:25:59.579 for the restoration of our bodies. 00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:04.619 And also our hope of greater and more glorious bodies. 00:26:04.619 --> 00:26:10.779 Paul then goes on to tell us that this is a result of Jesus. 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:12.519 Verse 45, 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:41.480 Paul's making two points here. 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:43.099 First, there's a sequence. 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:47.400 We live in bodies of dust right now. 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:52.599 We live in bodies that are characterized by Adam rather than Jesus. 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:55.059 That's what we have now. 00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:59.220 We look forward to the day when that sequence will finish. 00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:01.839 That's why he says in 46, 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:03.660 not the spiritual that it's first, 00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:04.980 but the natural and then the spiritual. 00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:06.460 We're in the natural now, 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:07.660 we'll be in the spiritual later. 00:27:07.660 --> 00:27:10.519 But the second and more important point 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:12.200 is that we will be in the spiritual 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:14.300 because Jesus is in the spiritual. 00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:16.519 We saw in the book of 1 Peter 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:17.900 that we're connected to Jesus. 00:27:18.019 --> 00:27:19.380 What's true of him is true of us. 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:20.440 And in that book, 00:27:20.500 --> 00:27:21.560 the point was about suffering. 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:22.340 Jesus suffered, 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:22.960 we'll suffer. 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:24.040 He is glorified, 00:27:24.140 --> 00:27:24.940 we will be glorified. 00:27:25.779 --> 00:27:26.820 In this section, 00:27:26.900 --> 00:27:28.340 it's the same point applied differently. 00:27:28.460 --> 00:27:29.840 What's true of Jesus' body 00:27:29.840 --> 00:27:31.880 will be true of our body. 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:36.320 He has a new and glorious body that's imperishable. 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:39.160 We will have a new and glorious body 00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:40.780 that's imperishable as well. 00:27:41.860 --> 00:27:44.380 He has a body that was characterized by weakness 00:27:44.380 --> 00:27:46.780 but is now characterized by glory and power. 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:49.380 We will one day have bodies 00:27:49.380 --> 00:27:52.720 that are characterized by glory and power as well. 00:27:54.460 --> 00:27:55.760 And this is true 00:27:55.760 --> 00:27:59.540 because Jesus chose to suffer in his body 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:02.759 so that one day we would be free of suffering in ours. 00:28:03.980 --> 00:28:07.059 Jesus came and lived in that natural body on this earth. 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:08.779 He suffered the things that we suffer. 00:28:08.879 --> 00:28:09.680 He suffered sickness. 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:11.859 He suffered limitations. 00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:13.460 He suffered weakness. 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:16.680 And he did all of that without sin 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:19.759 so that he could ultimately suffer on the cross for our sins. 00:28:21.859 --> 00:28:24.759 But our hope is not just in his death 00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:26.039 but also in his resurrection. 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:29.379 Because he died in his body, 00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:31.379 but he was without sin. 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:33.079 He paid the penalty for our sin. 00:28:34.139 --> 00:28:35.259 He was raised. 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:36.339 He was resurrected. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:39.639 And so we also, because of that, 00:28:39.659 --> 00:28:41.259 are going to be resurrected too 00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:43.619 if we have faith in Jesus Christ. 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:46.980 And so what's true of Jesus 00:28:46.980 --> 00:28:49.359 will be true of us. 00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:51.759 Verse 49 sums that up. 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:54.639 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, 00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:58.839 we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:02.159 We won't just look like Jesus in our character, 00:29:02.159 --> 00:29:03.000 in our holiness. 00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:07.019 We will also look like him in our physical existence. 00:29:07.899 --> 00:29:10.700 We will also look like him in our bodies. 00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:17.639 When I was growing up in my neighborhood in Southern Maryland, 00:29:18.139 --> 00:29:22.039 there came a time when a lot of signs went up at the end of our street 00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:25.980 that they were building a new section to our subdivision. 00:29:27.059 --> 00:29:30.559 These homes were going to be larger than the other homes in the neighborhood. 00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:33.339 They were going to be more elaborate 00:29:33.339 --> 00:29:35.700 and they were going to be more expensive. 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:39.099 And of course, when you build a new subdivision, 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:40.539 one of the first things that you do 00:29:40.539 --> 00:29:43.460 is you create the model home if you're a builder. 00:29:43.579 --> 00:29:45.279 It's the first one that you build, 00:29:45.819 --> 00:29:46.920 most likely. 00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:49.160 And that model home is the first one that you build 00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:51.500 because you want prospective buyers to walk through it. 00:29:52.100 --> 00:29:53.259 You want them to see, 00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:57.960 oh, this house shows us what the rest of the neighborhood is going to look like. 00:29:58.660 --> 00:30:00.420 We can buy with confidence. 00:30:00.660 --> 00:30:03.080 We can have a hope in our houses that are not yet built. 00:30:03.500 --> 00:30:04.759 We can purchase these new homes 00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:08.180 because we've seen a model of what the home will look like. 00:30:09.500 --> 00:30:12.680 And of course, often those homes are given lots of extra bells 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:14.039 and whistles and features on them 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:16.299 so that people can see all the options that they have 00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:17.900 as they build their new home. 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:21.700 Verse 20, earlier in this chapter, 00:30:21.820 --> 00:30:24.080 told us that Jesus was the first fruits. 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:28.140 In other words, he's the first part of this harvest 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:30.220 of new bodies that Paul's talking about. 00:30:30.360 --> 00:30:34.539 He shows us what the rest of the harvest is going to look like. 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:36.600 His resurrection body shows us 00:30:36.600 --> 00:30:38.840 what our resurrection body is going to look like. 00:30:38.839 --> 00:30:43.480 In other words, Jesus is the model home. 00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:48.199 He shows us what the new reality is going to be like. 00:30:48.859 --> 00:30:51.579 He shows us what we have to look forward to. 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:54.919 And he shows us what we long for. 00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:58.079 But what's amazing about this 00:30:58.079 --> 00:31:00.379 is not just that Jesus is the model home, 00:31:00.899 --> 00:31:03.039 but that he's also the builder. 00:31:04.539 --> 00:31:06.240 We're told in verse 45, 00:31:06.399 --> 00:31:08.319 the first man, Adam, became a living being 00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:12.039 the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 00:31:13.740 --> 00:31:15.919 In other words, we have new bodies 00:31:15.919 --> 00:31:19.980 because Jesus, the last Adam, 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:22.599 is a life-giving spirit. 00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:25.139 He's a spirit who gives life to us. 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:30.200 And so what does the resurrection have to do with the body? 00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:31.579 Why is it good news 00:31:31.579 --> 00:31:34.179 that we're going to receive new bodies? 00:31:34.259 --> 00:31:37.579 It's good news because Jesus is the model house. 00:31:37.579 --> 00:31:40.599 He shows us what our bodies are going to look like. 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:42.960 They're going to be bodies characterized 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:45.079 not by weakness, but by strength. 00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:48.899 They're not going to be perishable or corruptible, 00:31:49.439 --> 00:31:51.919 but imperishable and incorruptible. 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:55.220 And they won't be characterized by shame, 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:57.819 but they'll be characterized by honor. 00:31:57.819 --> 00:32:02.779 And this will be true because Jesus is not just the model for us, 00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:03.519 but he's the builder. 00:32:03.679 --> 00:32:06.359 He's the one who's going to breathe that life into us 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:07.700 and give us new bodies. 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:11.919 We'll see next week that he's going to do that 00:32:11.919 --> 00:32:14.480 for those who have died when he returns 00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:16.859 and for those who are alive. 00:32:16.859 --> 00:32:19.879 And so we can have hope in our bodies 00:32:19.879 --> 00:32:20.879 and hope for our bodies, 00:32:20.979 --> 00:32:23.359 knowing that Jesus suffered in his body 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:27.799 so that one day we would be free from suffering in ours. 00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:31.159 That's our hope and our confidence. 00:32:32.139 --> 00:32:32.959 Please pray with me. 00:32:36.259 --> 00:32:37.219 Our Father in heaven, 00:32:37.399 --> 00:32:39.419 we thank you for your word, 00:32:39.500 --> 00:32:41.299 which encourages us and strengthens us. 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:44.180 I ask for this passage that it would give hope 00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:47.000 to the people of Shine Mountain Presbyterian Church 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:49.960 that you'd use your word to do what it always does, 00:32:50.099 --> 00:32:52.180 to challenge us and encourage us. 00:32:52.899 --> 00:32:56.079 We'd be challenged by our need for faith in you, 00:32:56.639 --> 00:32:59.279 and we'd be encouraged that you're doing it, 00:32:59.299 --> 00:33:01.039 that you're bringing a new work 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:02.539 not just in our hearts and our lives, 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:04.539 but also in our physical bodies. 00:33:05.919 --> 00:33:09.619 We ask these things knowing that we are people of weakness 00:33:09.619 --> 00:33:11.659 or people who are perishable. 00:33:12.579 --> 00:33:15.000 But Jesus is strong and he is imperishable. 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:17.719 And so we ask these things in his mighty name. 00:33:18.419 --> 00:33:18.639 Amen.