1 Corinthians 15:35-50
Resurrection • Sermon • Submitted
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Play second clip from last week — that we used to end the service. (Come Alive from Greatest Showman)
Play second clip from last week — that we used to end the service. (Come Alive from Greatest Showman)
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PLAY CLIP
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 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. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is 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. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
1 Corin 15.
As Paul finishes telling us that Adam died, so we all are destined to die..
As Jesus lives, those who place their confidence in him, all are destined to live...
Paul walks us to the question two very, very basic questions:
How are the dead raised?
What kind of body do we get?
Paul addresses these items — some of your translations highlight the foolishness of the people asking the questions and some the foolishness of the questions themselves — with one guiding principle:
Paul addresses these items — some of your translations highlight the foolishness of the people asking the questions and some the foolishness of the questions themselves — with one guiding principle:
1 corin 15.
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God
The effective range of God’s will
Where what God wants done, gets done.
You have a will — getting dressed
Faith in Jesus is yielding that will for God’s will...
And when God’s will is done, God is glorified.
God’s Glory
God’s Glory
Who God is and what God is like is displayed and expressed through us.
Second mile, turning cheeks, letting children near, giving financially, fasting, praying, serving the poor...
What God wants done is getting done; therefore, God is glorified — who God is and what God is like is on display.
What God wants done is getting done; therefore, God is glorified — who God is and what God is like is on display.
Where, precisely, is God on display?
Where, precisely, is God on display?
Your body.
While there are occasions, moments, maybe even seasons where the Kingdom of God can come and God be glorified in and through our bodies, Paul knows — as does Jesus! — that these bodies we have — our flesh and blood — can not inherit forever the Kingdom of God.
While there are occasions, moments, maybe even seasons where the Kingdom of God can come and God be glorified in and through our bodies, Paul knows — as does Jesus! — that these bodies we have — our flesh and blood — can not inherit forever the Kingdom of God.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
In 15:38-44, Paul leans in on this teaching from Jesus by reminding us of the expanse of the creative work of God:
God not only creates the husk of the seed, God also creates the glory of the fruit.
God not only creates the husk of the seed, God also creates the glory of the fruit.
The seed goes in the ground, the crop, flower, tree, fruit emerges.
God also creates various kinds of flesh:
God also creates various kinds of flesh:
Humans
animals
birds
fish
God also creates different types of bodies:
God also creates different types of bodies:
Heavenly — has one kind of glory
Earthly — a distinct other kind of glory from the Heavenly
In creation, we observe different kinds/levels of glory:
In creation, we observe different kinds/levels of glory:
The sun has a glory
The moon has a glory
The stars have a glory — even from star to star.
You are familiar with different kinds of glory by nature.
You are familiar with different kinds of glory by nature.
That is how glory functions with the resurrection of the dead...
That is how glory functions with the resurrection of the dead...
The glory of the earthly, natural body is likened to seed husk when compared to the glory of the spiritual, heavenly body.
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.
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.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:
Raised in glory… Raised in power...
The Lord’s prayer — “for thine is the Kingdom, power, glory...”
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus dies and puts the husk of his earthly body in the ground and dies as a seed. And the Son of man is glorified. (12:23)
Jesus dies and puts the husk of his earthly body in the ground and dies as a seed. And the Son of man is glorified. (12:23)
1 corin 15:
Jesus dies and puts the husk of his earthly body in the ground and dies as a seed. And the Son of man is glorified. (12:23)
Three days later, Jesus arises and is gifted a new body.
45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
This is the image in 15:45-45 of Adam & Jesus:
This is the image in 15:45-45 of Adam & Jesus:
Adam formed from the dust… returning to dust.
Jesus was the last Adam… becoming a life-giving spirit with a heavenly body.
Adam from earth.
Jesus from heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Our bodies are born in the image of Adam… we shall bear, in the resurrection, the image of the resurrected Jesus.
First a mortal body, like Adam. Then an immortal body, like Jesus after the resurrection.
Our mortal bodies now — in the line of Adam — cannot INHERIT the Kingdom of Heaven forever...
Our mortal bodies now — in the line of Adam — cannot INHERIT the Kingdom of Heaven forever...
However, they can CONTAIN the Kingdom of Heaven for a time...
However, they can CONTAIN the Kingdom of Heaven for a time...
And this CONTAINING is provides a resiliency and unshakability of the Kingdom’s presence on the inside of us which will reside forever in a new, imperishable, immortal, heavenly body.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
It turns out, all around us is mortal and perishable:
It turns out, all around us is mortal and perishable:
The earth will give way to a new earth
Heaven will give way to a new Heaven
Our bodies will give way to a new body
GOD HAS CREATED AND WILL RECREATE ALL OF IT...
In these mortal bodies — even carrying the resiliency of the Kingdom of God inside of us — we can still feel:
In these mortal bodies — even carrying the resiliency of the Kingdom of God inside of us — we can still feel:
Strangers
In the dark
Hidden
Lost
Broken
Ashamed
Scarred
Unloved
This is the stuff of a dusty, mortal, perishable World & Body...
On the inside… where the spirit resides in this mortal body and will forever reside in the immortal body that waits for us — God puts His Kingdom of Glory —
Who God is
What God is like
Through whom what God wants done gets done
A new glory is his and ours.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
The loss of your life is the loss of the husk… what is kept is the real, true, eternal you, which comes from God… bringing you fully alive — that you are glorious, and God is glorified.
QUE THE SOLO… THE DUETS… AND THE CHORUS… OUR RECICATIVES NEED A SONG!
PLAY CLIP 2
Nothing more foolish than glory in a husk… and that is where we are… without apology. Boasting only in Jesus.
Nothing more foolish than glory in a husk… and that is where we are… without apology. Boasting only in Jesus.