Catechism Class: A PHYSICAL Body!
Catechism Class.
Lord’s Day 22 Q57 The Resurrection of the Dead – B
This lesson is about my FLESH, my human body, being reunited with my soul, and made to be like the resurrected, glorified body of Jesus, my Saviour. Before we begin, it would be good to read from 1st Corinthians 15:35-54, to prepare for this lesson. There are four elements to our catechism answer:-
1. What Does the Catechism Mean by ‘My Flesh.’
We’ve already noted that many Christians, while believing firmly in the truth that there is life after this earthly life has ended, and that for those who are Christ’s, that life will be eternal heavenly joy and happiness, in the presence of the Saviour Himself, – they seem to neglect to some extent the fact that the Bible teaches a physical – bodily resurrection. That was the problem in Corinth in the days of the Apostle Paul. The believers there knew with assurance that they would go straight to heaven after death, but they weren’t too sure about what happens to the body. Like many of us, They had been to funerals. They had seen their relatives, people they loved, laid down in the earth, or cremated on a funeral pyre, and they knew, – yes they were convinced that they would never see those people in a physical form again. So Paul reminds them of the reality of the resurrection of the dead, that one day they would rise from the dead, and would be physical human beings in a physical universe. It was and is a distinctly Biblical doctrine. READ Job 19:25-27 Job was confident that he would see God, not just in a spiritual sense, in his soul, but physically, after his body has been rotted away into destruction, he would see God in his own flesh. Isaiah knew this too. Isaiah 26:19
2. How Can Such a Miracle Happen?
Our instructor tells us that we will be “raised by the power of Christ,” Romans 1:3-4 That power created the worlds, the universe, out of nothing, that created a man and woman – literally out of the dust of the earth, the power of God breathed life into the womb of the Virgin Mary, to bring the Baby Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, into this world, the power that raised Jesus up from the dead, and that empowered his ascension into heaven, and that seated him in heavenly places, and that will bring an end to all evil and wickedness at the last day – that mighty power is more than enough to raise our decayed human bodies from the dust and reunite them with our eternal souls. Romans 8:11 If we know Christ we already know his power, for we have it already indwelling us, by the Holy Spirit, working to cleanse us and prepare us for glory. Philippians 3:10-11
3. The Meeting of Body and Soul. my flesh, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul
The catechist tells us that on the last day, our souls, which have been with the Lord, will be reunited with our body, now raised from the dust of the ground. But it can’t be the same body though, can it? We will receive a NEW BODY, Here’s Matt Perman, writing on the ‘Desiring God’ website, …the Bible teaches that the resurrection is a transformation of the same bodies we had on earth. As humans, we are not just spiritual, but physical. Our bodies are a very important part of our identity–they are part of who we are. Therefore, if we deny that we are raised with the same bodies we had on earth, we are denying a significant part of our identity. At the same time, if we deny that our resurrected bodies are transformed, we are left with the depressing idea that we will forever be subject to the weaknesses we now have, such as sickness, fatigue, etc. As Piper has said: “The old body will become a new body. But it will still be your body. There will be continuity. God is able to do what we cannot imagine. The resurrection is not described in terms of a totally new creation but in terms of a change of the old creation”
Matt nails it, – our physical bodies will be restored to be God honouring, glorifying bodies, just as God intended, just as Adam and Eve were after creation in the Garden of Eden, before the Fall of Man.
4. Our Flesh Transformed. made like Christ’s glorious body.
We need to look again at 1st Corinthians 15, where Paul gives us a hint of the differences, when he sets out a series of comparisons, 1 Corinthians 15:42-45
- Corruption Vs Incorruption! v43 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. In this world, everything is subject to corruption and decay!In our new resurrection bodies, there will be no change, and no decay! No more birthdays!
- Dishonour Vs Honour! It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. Our bodies often let us down! In our new resurrection bodies, all that temptation to sin and dishonour will be gone, for our new bodies will be spiritual! In the resurrected body the human body will be transformed into a glorious body! Paul tells us in Philippians 3:21 that this is the work of Christ.
- Weakness Vs Power! it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. Think of the inherent weaknesses of these human bodies. The strongest among us has limitations on his strength! Again in death, that weakness reaches its inevitable conclusion. 2 Cor. 5:1-2 At the resurrection, we shall be raised in POWER!
- Natural Vs Spiritual! v44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. Here and now we have a physical body. Then we will have a spiritual body. The interesting word here is the word BODY. The Greek word is σωμα There are certain differences in these two bodies, but THE SPIRITUAL BODY IS STILL A BODY! It will be a body, made for a different environment, perfected and glorified, and fit to be in the presence of Christ! 1 John 3:2
So, our bodies will be fully equipped for eternal life, to dwell forever with the Lord.
So what have we learned in this lesson? Firstly that by the power of the risen, ascended Christ, my flesh, my body will be raised to eternal life, and body and soul will be reunited, changed, not a new body, but this human body, made to be like Christ’s body, fully equipped for eternal fellowship with God for ever in the new heaven and earth. It will all happen when Christ returns so we say with Paul, “Maranatha!” And with John, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
The Salty Scrivener 