What happens after death? Is there hope we will live again? Or do we never really die – just change forms? Is resurrection even important? Paul says,  “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-18) As much as Jesus’ crucifixion was the sacrifice required for forgiveness – the resurrection of Jesus was also essential for salvation!

Expressed Hope of Believers

In looking at the expressed hope of believers in both Old and New Testaments, resurrection is consistently what was expected and earnestly desired. Job said, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another…” (Job 19:25-27)

In speaking about her dead brother, Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:24) This was the only hope she expressed!

The FIRST to Rise

But what exactly is resurrection? Paul says that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, (Acts 26:23) yet several resurrections took place in the Old and New Testaments. In what way was Jesus the FIRST? Is Jesus’ resurrection anything like the resurrection God has promised for us? Does being the FIRST imply that similar resurrections would follow?

In other passages, Jesus is spoken of as being the ‘firstborn from the dead’ and ‘the beginning of God’s creation’ – this seems to imply more to follow. (Rev. 1:5, 3:14, Colossians 1:18) In Romans chapter six we read, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his...  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

Will Never Die Again

Notice that Paul says in Romans 6 that Jesus ‘will never die again’ – in other words he has been given the eternal life God has promised to believers, “to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;” (Romans 2:7 and 6:23)  In all the other resurrections that took place in the Old and New Testaments, people were only resurrected to live and then die again. Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected to eternal life!

Resurrected like Jesus?

Do we have hope of being resurrected like Jesus was? This was certainly the hope that the Apostle Paul clung to and shared with the Philippians.

“… that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead... But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,” (Philippians 3:10, 20-21)

A Spiritual Body

Paul’s hope was to have his mortal body become like Jesus’ glorious body! In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes extensively on the hope of resurrection, explaining the supernatural changes that must take place so that we can life forever.

“ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:49, 52-53)

We all have lived in the natural body, created out of dust, like our great-great-great ancestor Adam, and just like Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. Through Jesus we have hope of becoming transformed, like he was, into an undying body sustained by God’s spirit power.

What Happened to Jesus’ Earthly Body?

Some would believe that a part of us never dies, that immortality is something we all possess from conception. This belief makes resurrection rather redundant, which leads many Christians to question why it’s even necessary. Since we are told Jesus is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), it is helpful to investigate whether a part of him lived on and departed from his body, or whether his earthly body was brought back to life. The Scriptures are very clear on this exciting topic! Our Discovery Lesson on Resurrection gives a wealth of Bible passages to consider and some interesting word studies to aid our investigation.

Our next blog will be “What Happened to Jesus’ Earthly Body?”