When I was younger in Christ, I didn't know that believers would have a physical body in heaven. I though that we'd be just spiritual beings. I remember when I first discovered in Scripture that we'd have new resurrection bodies and it was quite a surprise. I'm not sure how or why I missed that detail at first but here we see the early Corinthian believers who were being taught incorrectly that there is no resurrection. Paul clarifies to them the absolute importance of the resurrection - that if there is none, then Christ wasn't raised from the dead, and if Christ wasn't raised then he has lied and we are still stuck with the guilt and punishment of our sins hanging over our head. Thank God that the resurrection is real and the tomb is empty!! This is something that we can trust not only the reliable eye-witnesses about, but we still have a physical, tangible proof of the empty tomb!
Paul's discussion about the new bodies that we will have after we are resurrected is quite interesting! He says that they will be different, imperishable, glorious, powerful - a spiritual body. His analogies to a grain or seed being one body and after dying it produces a new body - the plant - is quite a powerful analogy. Our bodies will have a resemblance or relationship to the old body, but they will be quite different. It sheds an interesting light on the questions such as "If a person is handicapped in life, will they be handicapped in heaven?" or "What if a person is old and their body is worn out or a baby and their body is not developed yet?" into a different light since the new body is fundamentally different than the current body. This is especially true in terms of its mortality, but also in other ways relating to the glory and power. Jesus' new body was able to go through walls (John 20:26) but he also ate (Luke 24:43) and had a physical body you could touch (John 20:27). His new body had properties of both spirit and body, similar to how light has both properties of both a particle and a wave. We don't quite know what our resurrection bodies will be like but it all sounds like great news!
Thank you Lord Jesus for paying the price for our sins in your crucifixion and rising from the dead by your power! Thank you for the love and mercy that you have for us even while we were sinners and even when I have still gone my own way! And thank you for allowing us to share eternity with you!
Paul's discussion about the new bodies that we will have after we are resurrected is quite interesting! He says that they will be different, imperishable, glorious, powerful - a spiritual body. His analogies to a grain or seed being one body and after dying it produces a new body - the plant - is quite a powerful analogy. Our bodies will have a resemblance or relationship to the old body, but they will be quite different. It sheds an interesting light on the questions such as "If a person is handicapped in life, will they be handicapped in heaven?" or "What if a person is old and their body is worn out or a baby and their body is not developed yet?" into a different light since the new body is fundamentally different than the current body. This is especially true in terms of its mortality, but also in other ways relating to the glory and power. Jesus' new body was able to go through walls (John 20:26) but he also ate (Luke 24:43) and had a physical body you could touch (John 20:27). His new body had properties of both spirit and body, similar to how light has both properties of both a particle and a wave. We don't quite know what our resurrection bodies will be like but it all sounds like great news!
Thank you Lord Jesus for paying the price for our sins in your crucifixion and rising from the dead by your power! Thank you for the love and mercy that you have for us even while we were sinners and even when I have still gone my own way! And thank you for allowing us to share eternity with you!
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