Life After Death: Resurrection of the Body

1 Corinthians 15: 20-25

Certainty- Christ has been raised and we will too (v. 20)
Raised “in Christ” and like Christ (v. 22) see also Philippians 3: 17-21
Nature of resurrection body- a different kind (v. 35 ff)

3 analogies- essential change
Imperishable, glory, power, spiritual (vv. 42-44)
Spiritual means quickened in spirit by Christ, the life-giving spirit (v 45); Spiritual does not mean ‘non-material’ in this context
What about ‘flesh and blood’ not inheriting kingdom? (v. 50)

‘Flesh and blood’ refers to the current, natural body that is affected by sin.

When will the resurrection take place?

When He (Christ) comes
Then the end will come.
Tied to the end, the last day, when Christ comes again. (see John 5: 28-30)

The Questions:

You never say anything about the Rapture that I hear some talk about.

The NT hope talks about our transformation as ‘Resurrection’
The Resurrection is most clearly understood to be the culmination of our salvation in Christ without any other phases at the coming of Christ.
The general flow of the NT teaching is best understood by the simple, direct expectation that the present life will carry on, then Christ comes which will initiate the Resurrection, Final Judgement, Final victory over sin/Satan/Death, and the transformation of all creation (New Heavens/Earth) see the various verses that link these to the 2nd Coming.

Why did Jesus say we would not be married at the Resurrection?

Mark 12: 25 “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Like angels- independent and will not die
Resurrected glory will not require marriage-- procreation and regulate social order
Corporately we are the Bride of Christ- the glory will be in that our complete joy and satisfaction will be met in the presence of Christ.

What will life be like? Will we work or play? Will it be monotonous if all we do is sing and make music?

The visions of the saints, elders, and multitudes in Revelation are of a people who are joyous and delighted in God and the Lamb (Christ) which leads them to sing! It is a place of constant glory and joy in God’s presence.
Two pictures of Resurrection life: Jesus and the Garden of Eden
Other Scriptures:

John 5: 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day…. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

John 6: 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.... 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil. 3: 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

1 Thessalonians 1:They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Matthew 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. (2 other parables in Mt. 25 about His coming)

1Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. (compare to 1 Corinthians 15: 5151 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. )--this is part of the Resurrection at the ‘last day’.

See 2 Thessalonians 1: 5-10 regarding the judgement of wicked at His coming

See 2 Peter 3 (whole chapter) about the coming ‘day’ being one that corresponds with the end- destruction of current world/elements and leading to New Heaven/Earth (new creation)