The Resurrection of the Body
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - A Doctor, a Nurse, and a Preacher have a conversation. Sounds almost like the start of a joke but this is no joking matter. A Dr, a Nurse, and a Preacher have a conversation about what happens after a person dies. The Dr. said after all the resuscitation attempts have been exhausted then it is over, they are buried and the body decays. The Nurse said, “No after death the person must go and meet their maker and answer for the way they lived on earth”. The Dr. said Well that would be impossible and there is no scientific way possible after a person is dead to come back to life, after so long without oxygen, the organs die, then the mortician embalms them and there is no way life could be possible. The Nurse looked at the Preacher and said after death won’t a person be raised again to meet God and be judged. The Preacher said “Absolutely, it is called the Resurrection of the Dead and the White Throne Judgment”.
The Dr. emphatically protested stating it is scientifically impossible for the dead to be resurrected. The Preacher quoted Matthew 19:26 “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”. The Dr. threw up his hands and said I don’t have time for this nonsense and walked away. The Nurse and the Preacher talked for a while longer about the resurrection of the body when the Nurse then said I just want to make sure I am right. The preacher then began to explain how he could be right and ready but repenting, being baptized in Jesus’ name and filled with the Holy Ghost and living his life according to the Will and Word of God.
That is a true story that happened between a Dr. a male Nurse, and myself at work several years ago as far as I know the Dr never accepted what we were talking about, but the Nurse approached me several times after that with questions and I even prayed with him right in the hospital on the job. He retired and I moved away, and we never stayed in contact, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that the seed had been planted.
Today I want to talk about the resurrection of the body.
Prayer: -
Scripture: - 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 focusing on verses 35-58.
One of the glorious truths revealed in God’s Word is that concerning the resurrection of the body. Understand death entered this world by sin Romans 5:12, because of sin it is appointed once for man to die Hebrews 9:27 after death then there is the judgment Revelation 20:11-15. In order for that judgment to take place there must be a resurrection 1 Corinthians 15 the resurrection of the body.
In scripture there is a certain sect of people called the Sadducees who said in Matthew 22:23 that there was no resurrection, Jesus answered and said in Matthew 22:29 “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”. As the Dr. in my story there are many Sadducees today who do not know scripture nor the power of God and believe there is no such thing as the resurrection. I remember learning in Sunday School many years ago that they are called Sadducees because they don’t believe in the resurrection and that makes them (Sad you see).
People who do not believe in resurrection or believe the resurrection of the body is an utter impossibility. Fail to understand scriptures and the power of God. To deny the resurrection of the body is to deny that Jesus rose from the dead 1 Corinthians 15:13-14.
WATCH THIS:- If God made man out of the dust of the earth, breathed the breath of life in his nostrils and man became a living soul in Genesis 2:7; healed people of leprosy, opened blinded eyes, caused the lame to walk, opened up deaf ears, stop a woman’s issue of blood that had lasted 12 long years and raise Lazarus from the dead. Wouldn’t it be just like Him to resurrect us.
Reasons why we believe in the Resurrection of the Body.
First and foremost is because to deny the resurrection of the body is to deny that Jesus rose from the dead 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 says, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain”.
We believe in the Resurrection of the Body because of Scripture.
All through scripture there is the testimony of the resurrection, in Job 19:25-27 the oldest book in the Bible says, “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, (That’s Death & Decay), yet in my flesh shall I see God: (How can he see God after death in his flesh-there has to be a resurrection) Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me”. Genesis 22:5 says, “And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you”. Then when you read Hebrews 11:19 says, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure”. Abraham knew that God is able to resurrect the body from the dead if he had to. Isaiah 26:19 says, “Thy dead man shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead”. Ezekiel 37 the valley of dry bones is Resurrection. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first”. Jesus said in John 5:28 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth; they that have done good unto righteousness of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”.
1 Corinthians 15:12 – 20 says, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept”. Because Christ has been raised from the dead and is the first fruits of them that slept then we can say as the song writer said “Because He lives I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives”. Because I know He holds the future the future is the resurrection of the body and for those that are still alive the Rapture.
I Thessalonians 4:14-18 says, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words”. Be encouraged because we will be resurrected.
Acts 24:15 says, “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust”.
Philippians 3:10-11 says, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead”.
Revelation 20:4-6 & 13 says, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works”.
We believe in the Resurrection of the Body because what Jesus said about Himself.
Jesus reveled His identity by the claims He made. In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whosoever comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst”. He gives and sustains life without ever being depleted. He said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” John 8:12. His way is life and light because He is life and light. Then in John 11:25-26 Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this”. Because what Jesus said about Himself is true and He is what He said He is when He said I am the resurrection and the life to not believe that is foolish.
We believe in the Resurrection of the Body because the Holy Ghost is God’s guarantee that our bodies will be raised again.
Romans 8:9 - 11says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you”. That is the guarantee that the resurrection of the body will definitely happen.
Ephesians 1:11-14 says, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory”. The earnest of our inheritance WATCH THIS:- earnest is the downpayment, the proceeding of what is to follow, a promise of what is to come.
So, what will the resurrected body be like?
1 Corinthians 15:35 says, “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come”. A very interesting and important question! So often you hear people say when I get my new body in the resurrection I want muscles, or a certain shape, I want a skinny body, etc. But what does scripture say about the resurrected body.
It will be the same body, yet different in many ways. Verses 37 and 38 make this clear “to each kind of seed he gives its own body”. If wheat is sown, wheat will grow; if corn is sown, corn will grow, and so on. The new body will be the same body in that it will be absolutely identified with the body which has died. If Melvin Maughmer Jr is sown then it will be Melvin Maughmer, Jr. who will be raised; and yet it will me in a new body the same, yet different.
It will be like Jesus’ resurrected body; a real body that has flesh and bones Luke 24:39 says, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have”. It will be recognizable John 20:16 says, “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master”. She recognized Him.
It will be a powerful body that can walk through locked doors John 20:19 says, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you”.
It will be a God given body that is designed for our new environment. Verses 38-40 says, “But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another”. God is going to give us a new body which is perfectly suited to the new life we are to live with Him. Just as the bird has a body that is fitted for flight, and fish have a body fitted for life in water, so us the children of God will have a body fitted for life in Heaven with the Lord.
It will be an incorruptible body, not a corruptible body. Verse 42 says, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption”. It will not be subject to the effects of sin, no decay, no pain, no arthritis, no need for a Hip replacement. Disease nor death will ever be able to touch these bodies, nor will they fail to lose their powers, faculties or senses.
It will be a glorious body and unmarked by dishonor. Verse 43 says, “It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power”. Dishonour implies sin. Our earthly bodies have been dishonoured by sin, and sin has brought disease, decay and death; but all this will be changed when we receive our new bodies. In them we shall not have the ability or the capacity to sin, but only to serve the Lord in holiness throughout all eternity.
It will be a powerful body in which there is no weakness. Our current bodies bodies are weak and need constant care, rest, sleep and food, and even then with the years they get weaker still and die, but with the resurrected body no weakness, no fatigue, no exhaustion.
It will be a spiritual body, not a natural body. Verse 44-46 says, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual”.
It will be a heavenly body, not an earthly body. Verses 47-49 says, “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly”. Everything about our present bodies is earthly; everything about our new body will be heavenly.
CLOSING: -
In Titus 2:13 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”.
This “Blessed Hope” is the Resurrection of the Body, the Rapture of the Believers, the changing from mortal to immortality all of which is done in the moment in a twinkling of and eye at the appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
1John 3:1-3 says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure”.
If there isn’t any resurrection, our faith is pointless. If Christianity is simply about this physical life and then we die to never exist again, then it really doesn’t matter what we do or how we live or what we believe.
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are most miserable. If there is no resurrection, then there would be reason to believe in Christ.
If there is no resurrection, then the crucifixion of Christ didn’t achieve anything for us, and we are still in our sins but there is a resurrection, not only for Christ but also for us as well.
Because there is a resurrection, we have a different lookout on death. We know that death does not end it all like the Dr. in my opening believes. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage”.
Because we understand there is a resurrection, we are freed from the fear of death. That spirit has been conquered, and we share in the victory that Christ has won! He has triumphed over death, and we share in his life, freed from the fear of death.
Let me encourage you with these words as scripture says in 1 Thessalonians 4:18. Verses 16:17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
