- 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 - But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 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. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 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. 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. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
- 1 John 3:2 - 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.
A glorious future awaits us—but nothing can compare to the joy of seeing Jesus face to face.
When we hear the word "resurrection," most of us immediately think of Jesus rising from the dead. But His victory over the grave shows us what will happen to us as well (1 John 3:2). One day, everyone who believed in the Messiah and has already passed away will rise in a body similar to His, and those who are alive at the time of His coming will be changed from mortal to immortal in the twinkling of an eye.
One of the first questions is: "What will I look like?" These mortal bodies of ours here on earth will be transformed into glorious bodies like His (of course, without the divine nature). In today's verses, the Apostle Paul reveals some characteristics of these bodies: they will be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. There will be no more sin, sickness, pain, suffering, weakness, fatigue, or death.
Another question is: "Will we recognize our loved ones?" Think: how could such powerful and glorious bodies be limited? Our senses and thinking abilities will not weaken; on the contrary, they will be perfected.
A great future awaits us. But there is something even greater than the joy of having a new body and meeting our loved ones again—it is to see Jesus face to face! It is He who made all this possible.
Let us love Him with gratitude and serve Him faithfully.
Reflection
How does your heart feel when you think about meeting Jesus Christ face to face, and how does this affect the struggles you face today?