DEATH DETHRONED – RESURRECTION by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  According to “The State of American Theology Study 2020” by Lifeway Research, when people were asked whether they believed that the “Biblical accounts of the physical (bodily) resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate. This event actually occurred,” this is what they answered: Americans age 18-34 are the least likely to Agree (59%); Americans who attend a religious service at least once or twice a month are more likely to Agree than those who do not (89% v. 48%); Evangelicals (92%) and Black Protestants (92%) are more likely to agree than Mainlines (71%) and Catholics (75%); Americans with Evangelical Beliefs are more likely to Agree than those without Evangelical Beliefs (98% v. 59%). I don’t know about you but I’m not that impressed with the 89% or 92% or even 98% belief that Jesus physically rose from the dead…we need 100% rock solid assurance because his physical resurrection assures our physical resurrection. We’re in our series leading into Easter titled DEATH DETHRONED, where we are looking at Death and the Afterlife, and what Jesus has done for us. Today our focus will be on our physical resurrection one day. We’re going to learn how Jesus has become the firstfruits or the sample of our physical bodily resurrection to come. 

1 Corinthians 15      20 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

Context: Since ancient times, people have struggled with the question: “Are human beings mortal (subject to death) or are human beings immortal (not subject to death)?”There have been people and belief systems that hold to pure mortalism, which is the total cessation of existence. In our world, atheists hold to this view. By and large, most people believe that human beings are immortal. What that means falls under 3 views (Rae, “Immortality,” in NDT 2): Reincarnation, Immortality of the soul, and the Christian view of the Resurrection of the dead. “Reincarnation” comes from Hinduism (Upanishads) and classical Buddhism. It believes that when a person dies, his/her soul comes back into another human body at birth in order to atone for the sins of the former life, karma. It can also come back as an animal or even plants. Sometimes the word used is “transmigration” or “metempsychosis.” The goal is to free oneself from the vicious cycle of life, to move on to perfection. In Hinduism, it is called Brahman and the nothingness/emptiness, and in Buddhism, it is called Nirvana. The second view of the Immortality of the soul was held by some of the Greek philosophers like Plato and Socrates. They believed in the afterlife as a “shadowy existence of a replica of the body.” It’s like existence in black and white with no real meaning, purpose, or abilities. In other words, one’s essential individual identity exists beyond the death of the body. The Western world believed in the third view (Christian view of the Resurrection of the dead) until the Renaissance and the Enlightenment when because of the influence of Arabic  scholars, the traditional/biblical views were challenged. Now, there was a sense of uncertainty as to who we are and what happens to us when we die. It led to the false belief in the west that were all going to heaven, just taking different roads to get there. There have also been attacks against biblical view of Resurrection in the form of Conditional Immortality and Annihilationism. We will see them next week in our message on hell. 

Question: What do you think happens to us when we die? Do you believe in a conscious afterlife that never ends? The bigger question is “Who are we?”

True answers to these questions can be found only in the Bible. But, let me reiterate:

1. We must study carefully what the Bible has to say. This requires us to understand the original language, word meanings, proper grammar, and proper context.
2. We must study the progressive revelation of the Bible. The message in the Old Testament does not contradict the message in the New Testament, but there is a progression. The Old Testament is like your elementary school and the New Testament is like your high school. If you try to skip elementary school and try to get into high school, you may not know have the basic components of knowledge. If you stay only in the elementary school, you will only go so far and even misunderstand the truth.
3. We must look at everything through the grid of Creation, Fall, and Redemption.God made everything wonderful, but something tragic happened when sin came into this world. Jesus came to redeem us and the whole creation.

What we believe about the Resurrection matters because it changes the way we see ourselves now (if there’s no physical resurrection, there’s no judgment). It also changes the way we see our future after we physically die. It also changes the way we see people around us. If there’s no life beyond the grave, why should I witness to the lost?

With that said, let’s dive in and try to understand what the Bible has to say about the Resurrection and what Jesus has done for us:

1. Creation explains the need for the physical resurrection (Morey).

Man was created as a physical-spiritual being and must return to that makeup again. Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” When sin came in, there was a separation from God, the world, others, and even from his own body. Of course, the worst separation was the first one – being separated from God; the last one was no less. As Morey states, “The terribly tragic effects of sin ultimately result in the ripping of man’s mind or soul out of his body and his unnatural continuance as a disembodied spirit in a conscious afterlife.”

Illustration: How do you feel when your car breaks down or you lose your phone? Have you ever lost your little child? Scared, Helpless, frustrated, limited, etc.

1 Corinthians 15      23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

Death is unnatural and it does bring sorrow. People often quote 1 Thessalonians 4:13“lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” True, but we do sorrow…

2. The hope of a physical resurrection was held by believers throughout the ages.

Old Testament:

• Job 19       25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
• Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.”
• God took Ezekiel to the Valley of Dry Bones – Ezekiel 37       7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” Double implication here.
• Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
• There are many other references to a physical life beyond the grave in the OT (gathered to his people, joined the fathers, David going to his dead son, etc.).

In other words, the hope of glorification was not borrowed from some other religion or culture. It was the faith of the Old Testament believers who were waiting on the One.

3. Jesus came to redeem not just our spirits but also our bodies.

Romans 8      16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together… The theological term for our physical resurrection is Glorification. Romans 8       23 “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance…30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

We have removed a critical benefit of Christ’s work, and it’s no wonder that the gospel seems acceptable not incredible!

Question: Do you truly understand what Jesus came to do for us? Are you looking forward to the glorification to come?

4. Jesus not only conquered death, but he also became our prototype.

Paul uses the analogy of farming to explain what happens when we die and what will happen when we are bodily resurrected one day. 1 Corinthians 15        35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain….42 So also is the resurrection of the dead.” Now, Paul uses 4 descriptions:

i. Imperishable

42 “…The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” The word is “aphtharsis” = does not decay or spoil.

ii. Radiant

43 “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory…” The word is “doxa” = glorious.

iii. Powerful

43 “…It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.” The word is “dunamis” = strength, force, might, ability.

iv. Led by the Spirit

44 “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body…” “pneumatikos” means spirit led and seldom just spiritual.

Listen to how it will be on that day – 1 Corinthians 15       49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man…51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Paul said the same thing in 1 Thessalonians 4      16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” There won’t be resurrected body believers and un-resurrected body believers. We will all have a glorified body whether dead or alive at Christ’s coming.

Let’s return to 1 Corinthians 15 one more time – 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

People try to sound spiritual – “As long as I am in God’s presence one day, I’m good.” Even when we die and are in God’s presence, it’s still not victory until we receive our resurrected bodies!” 

Maybe God is taking you through trials to prepare you for the life to come. “We can only hope to the extent that we are dissatisfied with this world” – Fenelon.

Will you hear his voice at his coming? Will you be glorified? Are you saved?