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Sunday Sermon for October 10 2021
Sunday Sermon For October 10 2021
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THERE’S NOTHING TO EAT MARK 6:34-37 Pastor Barry Kerner
THERE’S NOTHING TO EAT
MARK 6:34-37
Pastor Barry Kerner
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
Having children in the house can prove very challenging. We go grocery shopping often so most of the time we have plenty of food around the house. I have been amazed whenever I hear my kids say to Cheryl and me – “There’s Nothing To Eat.” How many times have you heard this from your children while they’re rifling through the refrigerator and cupboards on a food foraging mission? How many times did we ourselves say that to our own parents while we were growing up? And the usual answer that comes from mom or dad is this – “there’s plenty of food in this house for you to eat!”
Sound familiar? More often than not, there is indeed plenty of food to eat that’s right under our nose. It might not be exactly what we wanted or what we were looking for, but there is food right there, if we’re willing to accept it
And that’s where the problem lies – we’re not sure we are willing to accept it because it’s not what we were looking for. This helps to set the stage for today’s Gospel lesson as Jesus feeds the 5000 with five loaves and two fish. Other than Jesus’ resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle to occur in all four gospels. This repetition gives it a high degree of importance. I want to focus on just one detail of the narrative. When the great multitude came to Jesus in the wilderness, he was moved with compassion because he saw they were tired and hungry. Late in the day his disciples suggested he send the people home so they could find something to eat.
Let me take a moment to back up to ensure we know why Jesus and the disciples were there and how they encountered so many people who wanted to hear him. John The Baptist had become a thorn in the side of the monarchy and an enemy of those who believed they didn’t have to be accountable for their actions. Out of hatred and jealousy, King Herod’s wife and daughter demanded – and received – John’s head on a platter.
In grief and sorrow, Jesus withdrew to a place apart; a place where he could spend time alone praying and recovering from his heartfelt anguish. But solitude was something which was rare for him, and it was not to be found this time. The crowds followed him. And his compassion overrode his fatigue and he moved about them, Preaching- Teaching – Touching – Healing
When evening came, it was obvious they were hungry. After all, even the most compelling of teachers – even the Son of God – can’t hold a crowd’s attention indefinitely without a break now and then for food and a bathroom run. There were five thousand men there that day. The miracle that is about to happen only increases in amazement when you stop to consider there were probably more than 5,000 people there – the text says 5,000 plus women and children.
Let’s make the assumption that many of those men were married. They would have had their wives along. In addition, there would have been children as well. All in all, we may be talking about 15 to 20,000 people – a huge crowd.
The disciples, not being all that creative, didn’t see any way they could feed all these people. So they began to encourage Jesus to send them away while it was still light enough that they could make their way into town to find food and shelter. Jesus told them sending them away wasn’t necessary. He told the disciples to feed them. Wait a Minute, What….Really?
The disciples in essence were saying to Jesus, the crowds hunger was not their problem. Jesus floors, them by saying – “Give Them Something to Eat.” Don’t be too hard on the disciples, after all, what would we have done? It’s late, and the people are tired and hungry. The local Burger King is closed for remodeling. The nearest Walmart is miles away in Jerusalem. Pizza Hut doesn’t deliver to the wilderness. Door Dash needs a physical address.
The disciples therefore make a very practical suggestion — “send them away and let them find their own food.” That’s the logical plan. The suggestion is not made from bad motives. It was just that in themselves the disciples had no resources to meet this enormous need of the people. They had no food and no money. What else could they do There was nothing THEY could do, nothing! So they tell Jesus, “There’s nothing to eat.”
Most of us would have said the same thing. We’re quick to see what we can’t do and quick to talk about what we don’t have. The disciples saw the crowds and realized their inadequacy. Somehow, they forgot that the Son of God was standing right there with them. In the days of Jesus, take out and prepackaged snacks weren’t an option. There were basically two food groups – bread and fish. The disciples looked around, rummaged through their pockets, canvassed the area, talked with other folks present and discovered that all they could come up with were five loaves of bread and two fish. Nowhere near enough for such a large crowd!
This is how Jesus often works with his followers. Over and over again he puts us in positions where we are helpless, and then he says, “do something!” In our desperation we cry out to heaven, “How?” and he replies, “I’m glad you asked.” It’s not that Jesus wants us to fail, but he does want us to know that without him we can do nothing. In fact in John 15:5 Jesus makes that clear when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing!” Our success depends totally upon him, and the sooner we learn that the better off we will be.
John’s account of this miracle tells us it was Andrew who found the young boy with the five loaves and two fish and brought him to Jesus. We should not miss the obvious lesson here – don’t ever despise the day of small things. Job 8:7 reminds us, “Though your beginning was small, your latter end will greatly increase.”
Just because something is small or seemingly insignificant doesn’t mean God can’t use it. He used a baby’s tears to attract Pharaoh’s daughter, and the infant Moses was saved from certain death. Later he used Moses’ rod to deliver the children of Israel. And still later a teenage boy named David used one smooth stone to defeat the mighty giant Goliath. Now Jesus is about to feed 5000 men and their families with just five loaves of bread and two fish. How little we have doesn’t matter with God. He can use anything we offer to Him.
Along with not being very creative, the disciples didn’t remember their history very well. They had heard all of the narratives of the faith. They had been told about the exploits of their heroic ancestors. They grew up knowing they could trust God. But at that particular moment, they forgot. I guess there is nothing all that unusual about that. We forget about God from time to time ourselves. In our times of distress we often forget how God has delivered us in the past, time and time again. So the Disciples forgot their history. They forgot about, among other things, the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
During the ministry of the prophet Elijah, there was a drought in the land. He found himself up in the city of Zarephath, in modern day Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast. There was a widow there who was down to her very last bit of flour and cooking oil. She was planning to make one last meal for her and her son and then prepare to die. But Elijah asked her to feed him first. After he selfless sacrifice, Elijah promised her that as long as the drought lasted, she would always have flour and oil. The writer of I Kings tells us during the course of the drought, the woman’s jar of flour was never empty and her jug of oil did not fail. The disciples had forgotten about that.
In 2 Kings:42-44 we can read about the time the Prophet Elisha was down in the Jordan Valley during a severe famine. He happened to be in the company of about a hundred people when this fellow came along with twenty barley loaves and a sack of grain. Elisha told the man to give his provisions to the people to eat, but he said there was no way this food would feed a hundred people. But Elisha repeated his instruction, everyone ate, and they had food left over. The disciples had forgotten about that
So, Jesus’ disciples had come up with a just a little bread and a couple of fish from a little boy whose mother thought enough to make her son a small lunch for one, saying to him, “if you want to go with the crowd to hear Jesus, I better fix you something to eat, because I heard He can be long winded.” Jesus knew that little boy’s lunch would be enough.
First, Jesus had all of the people sit down on the grass. After blessing the food, Jesus gave it to his disciples to pass out to the crowd. Not only was there enough to feed everyone, but after dinner was finished, they collected twelve baskets of leftovers.
We become concerned that we won’t have enough. We worry over our limited resources, and we forget Jesus’ words,“Bring them here to me.” Jesus invites us today, as he did his disciples then, to bring what we have to him, trusting that little is much in the hands of our Lord.
Will we bring what we see as small and insignificant to Jesus that he might bless them and us? Will we follow Jesus’ command so that he might do what seems impossible to us? God asks us to do the impossible and then he gives us whatever we need to obey his command.
Jesus often told people to do impossible things.
- To a Lame man he said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and walk”
- To a Dead man, he cried out, “Lazarus, come forth”
- To 10 Lepers he said, “Show yourselves to the priest”
- To Peter he said, “I bid you come walk out on the water”
There is a sense in which every command of the Lord is impossible for us to obey. On our own we will always lack what we need to obey God’s commands. But when we partner with God he is faithful to give us whatever we need when we ask. We then bring it to him to accomplish the impossible. What God demands, he supplies. He bids us to rise up like eagles and gives us not just wings but the air beneath those wings to soar.
Jesus tells us to give them something to eat. He knows we have resources we don’t yet realize. When the Hungry come looking for a bit to eat. When the Grieving come looking for comfort and reassurance. When the Lost come looking for a new direction. When the Weak come looking for strength. When the Resentful come looking for understanding. When the Afraid come looking for courage. When the Addicted come looking for freedom. And, when the Hopeless come looking for hope. It is up to us to remember the words of Jesus, “YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING…”
When there are needs around us, people do not need to be sent away. We have it in our power to help them see God through us. When people wonder what God is like, let them look at us as we model godly behavior. Let them see God through our eyes. Let them understand the lengths God will go to to meet their needs. When someone needs to hear the Gospel, let them look no further than our lives.
If the Lord can feed 5000 plus people with five loaves and two small fish, can’t he provide for all our needs today as well? We live in a time of great uncertainty. There are all kinds of things going on in our lives and in the world today that can make it hard to sleep at night. What are we to do? There is a call to each one of us. Instead of worrying ourselves sick, we need to trust that the Lord will indeed provide. The Lord, whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts, invites us to put our trust and confidence in him. He may well choose to provide for us through means that we would never have imagined in our wildest dreams. And when we are called, like those first disciples, to do what seems Unlikely – Improbable – even Impossible by human wisdom and worldly standards, we look to Jesus to do what is more than possible. I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!
I can’t recall if it was a book I read or a Bible Study some years ago entitled “How To Prepare For A Miracle.” There were four steps recorded in the process of receiving miracles in people’s lives.
- Admit that you have a need;
- Assess what you have to work with;
- Give God whatever you have;
- Expect God to multiply whatever you give him.
More often than not, the Lord is not able to bless us or send miracles for our situation because we are too quick to shout – THERE’S NOTHING TO EAT! Sometimes, it seems to me that Christians can be a little self-centered, selfish, and arrogant. Those attitudes can keep the miraculous from happening.
I do believe Jesus came in order that we might have life and have it more abundantly. But I don’t believe that OUR abundant life is first on the agenda. The more that I read the Gospel, the more that I come to understand that our task is to ensure the abundant life of others first. When we are so occupied with meeting the needs of others, it seems to me, our own abundant life will take care of itself.
Our calling therefore is to give them something to eat. I believe when Jesus tells us to do that, we always underestimate our resources. We always tend to believe that –
- We don’t have enough
- We can’t do enough
- We don’t know enough
- We’re not smart enough
- We’re not creative enough
Years ago one of my favorite TV shows was “MacGyver.” Anyone remember that show! He was pretty cool. He was some sort of special, super-duper secret agent who always went on assignments with nothing in his pocket except his Swiss army knife. In every show, he would get into trouble and would be facing a situation of certain death. But he would always find a roll of duct tape somewhere and some other little items. With those things and his pocket knife, he was always able to solve any problem he faced. The guy could build a 747 with duct tape and a pocket knife!
Do you know that we have provision enough though the hands of Jesus? Thanks be to God that Jesus provides not only food for the body, but food for the soul as well. Jesus is our Bread of life, who died for us that we might live for him.
God, who did not spare his own Son, but freely offered him up for us all, calls us to trust that he will do what we ask him in faith to do in the Lord’s Prayer — “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Jesus will give us what we need for this day. When all is said and done, isn’t that all that any of us has – this day? May our use of this day bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ by serving the needs of our neighbors in Christ’s Name
The thing that Christians need to realize is that we already have been given abundance. Sharing that abundance with others is our task and our joy. Miracles occur in our life when we help others see the miracles in their own lives.
But, like the crowd that followed Jesus we must have a Hunger for It. If you want success in life – you must be Hungry for it. If you want your relationship restored – you must be Hungry for it. If you want to grow in this Christian Journey – you must be Hungry for it. Can I tell you that there is plenty to Eat if you are Hungry enough.
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Jesus Restores Our Lives Colossians 3:12-17
Jesus Restores Our Lives
Colossians 3:12-17
Pastor Barry Kerner
If we are in Christ, if we have become Christians, a change has taken place. We have had to say goodbye to the Old Man, to Mr. Wrong and all the habits, passions, and practices of the past. And because Jesus has restored our life, because He has given us abundant life, we are new creations, made in His image.
Here in Colossians 3 verses 12-17 we are given clear and cogent instruction on what the new person in Christ looks like. We are told how to live the new life in Christ and what that restored life looks like. A certain and undeniable change should have taken place. That change is not something we have done. It is something Christ has done for us, in us and through us. And as we read and study this passage, we need to remember that the Bible is not a book about people. It is a book about God and His dealings with people – In this case God’s dealings with us as His people.
With your Bibles open let’s read Colossians 3 verses 12 through 17.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
As we examine this text, let us remember that God is always proactive. He always takes the initiative. He took the initiative in creation, He took the initiative in salvation, and He takes the initiative in our sanctification. God always takes the initiative and then calls upon us to respond appropriately.
Notice five areas where He has taken the initiative to restore us, and the response He expects from us as those who have been restored to fellowship with Him.
First, because He chose us, we enjoy favor with God (v. 12a)
Paul begins by reminding us of the fact that God chose us or elected us, and therefore we enjoy a position of unique favor with God.
We are Holy – set apart from sin, from the rest of the world, and set apart unto God. We are God’s unique creation, His people, chosen to demonstrate His reality to the world in which we live. We were chosen to be different so that others can see His power and glory. He restored us to demonstrate His power to the world around us.
Phillips’ translation says because you are “Picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God Himself.”
Now not only are we holy, or set apart unto God, but we are beloved, or loved by God. It means that God loves us and wants the very best for us.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8a: “The Lord was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you . . .”
And Because God loves us He counsels us to put off the old man, the sinful way of life, and to “put on,” or clothe ourselves, cover ourselves. It is the same word used in Ephesians 6:14 where the Scripture tells us to put on the armor of God before we do spiritual warfare. But in this context he is telling us to put on certain characteristics that will prepare us for peace, not war. Whereas in Ephesians we are putting on the armor for war, here we are dressing ourselves for a peaceful existence with other Christians. We are to clothe ourselves with garments of the new life in Christ. These are the garments worn by the person who has been changed by Jesus
This brings us to our second observation. Look in verses 12b-14.
Because He changed us, we love the People of God (verses 12b-14)
Paul is clearly talking about unity in the church. He is talking about the kind of harmony that should exist among those people who really love the Lord, among those people in whom the Holy Spirit is living.
Verse 14 sums it up, and the preceding characteristics should all be seen in light of the love God commands us to have for one another. Remember that love is the sash or belt that binds all of these garments together.
- We are to have heartfelt compassion
This is mercy or sympathy. As Christians we are part of the same family and we should not be indifferent to one another. We should not be cruel, harsh, and cold toward one another. One of the characteristics of a genuine Christian is that he or she possesses heartfelt compassion for other Christians. This is nothing less than feeling towards others as God feels towards them.
- We are to put on kindness
This is a sweetness of disposition. It is also translated generosity or goodness. A person who is kind has good things to say about others, is considerate of the feelings of others. Their words are tempered with grace and with tenderness. A kind person is not abrupt or harsh but is soft-hearted, and genuinely cares about others.
Everyone of us knows someone like this, someone whose manner and smile communicates kindness, even if they never said a word. This, too, is evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside of a Christian.
- We are told to put on the garment of humility
This means that we are to submit ourselves one to another. Putting the other person before ourselves, to have a proper estimation of ourselves. It means to be lowly. In God’s economy it is the lowly that are exalted and the proud who are brought down. If Jesus humbled Himself, even to death on the cross, we too must humble ourselves.
We live in a world where we are constantly told we must promote ourselves. People today are seeking to “one up” the next guy. Their pride is easily wounded. In this crazy society people even shoot each other if someone disrespects them on the freeway. The Christian should never be possessed by this type of attitude.
It is interesting to me how we have come to understand sin. In many Christian circles mortal sins are always defined by sins of the flesh. Those who drink or smoke, watch R-rated movies, and other such worldly things are looked down upon as the dregs of society. While sins of the heart sins such as pride, arrogance, anger, envy, hatred, and mean spiritedness – are tolerated. Self promotion and boasting may be seen as marks of a “secure” or well adjusted person in the world, but in the church such attitudes create division and discord. Humility enables us to be servants instead of insisting that others serve us.
Remember that God is always more concerned with the condition of our heart for it is the heart that determines the actions and course of our lives.
- We must put on the garment of gentleness or meekness
It is the willingness to suffer injury instead of inflicting it. What a contrast with the way the world thinks. The world sees meekness as weakness.
Sometime ago humorist J. Upton Dickson said he was writing a book titled Cower Power, and that he had also founded a group for submissive people called Doormats – an acrostic for Dependent Organization of Really Meek and Timid Souls, if there were no objections. Their motto was, “The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s OK with everybody.” Their symbol was a yellow traffic light.” That’s the way the world sees meekness, as weakness. But the Bible says Jesus was meek, and we know He was not weak. Meekness, from a biblical perspective, is strength under control. It takes a greater strength to exhibit meekness than to burst forth with anger and lose control.
- We are told to clothe or envelop ourselves with patience
This is long suffering, especially in the face of injury or insult. It is marked by the ability to respond in love when others treat us poorly.
William Barclay writes, “This is the spirit which never loses its patience with its fellow-men. Their foolishness and their unteachability never drive it to cynicism or despair; their insults and their ill-treatment never drive it to bitterness or wrath”
Patience in our own strength is impossible. Patience is not something the world teaches us to practice. In fact, while the world may give lip service to these characteristics in a kind of patronizing kind of way, it looks down upon these traits and ascribes them to weak, timid, insecure losers.
So the question is this: Will we give in to worldly pressures and act like the world, or will we allow Christ to have control of our lives, and live according to His mandates, regardless of what the world thinks?
When we clothe ourselves with gentleness and meekness two specific things take place:
- We forbear with one another
That means to put up with or tolerate one another. It can even mean “to endure.” Have you ever know those people you simply had to endure. Being around them is never any fun, it is never a joy or pleasure. But we are told to tolerate, to have patience with or endure these people. There can never be unity in the church unless we are willing to tolerate one another. The only way we can do this is through forgiveness.
- We forgive one another
That’s the second thing that happens when we clothe ourselves in these traits – we forgive one another, even as Christ forgave us. Even if you have a valid complaint against someone, forgive.
I have seen people who call themselves Christians who have unforgiving spirits. Their pride and ego was wounded and they cannot bring themselves to forgive another Christian for some offense. One author puts it this way: “Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you for hurting me.”
To forgive someone involves three things. First, it means to forego the right of striking back. One rejects the urge to repay gossip with gossip and a bad turn with a worse turn. Second, it means replacing the feeling of resentment and anger with good will, a love that seeks the other’s welfare, not harm. Third, it means the forgiving person takes steps to restore good relations.
For the true Christian, forgiveness may not be easy, but it’s not optional either. It is an essential characteristic of the transformed life. Forbearance and forgiveness are never a problem when we are talking about people we really love. Because He restored us to fellowship with Him, we love the people of God even as He loves them..
Third, because He called us, we participate in the peace of God (v. 15)
The word translated “called” means to summon or to call your name, as if you had been summoned to court or to the table of the king. The imagery here is that God has called us out of the world to live in His eternal presence. In His presence there is peace. There is no fighting between His people. If Christians could simply picture themselves in the presence of God, where His holiness, might, splendor, and glory were on display, there would never be any lack of unity or peace between them.
The peace of God mentioned here is not the indwelling feeling of comfort, but rather an external reality that mediates between Christians. What Paul is saying here is that the peace of God should govern our hearts. It should have control of and power over our hearts to the end that as a body we are one.
Don’t misunderstand me. There is a right way and a wrong way to have peace. The wrong way is to leave sin unchecked, to compromise truth for the sake of unity, to allow the devil a foothold. The right way is by speaking the truth in love, confronting sin, and forgiving the sinner. But because we are called or summoned into His presence, we are to allow His peace to arbitrate all of our dealings with one another.
Fourth, because He counsels us, we build up the family of God (v. 16)
There is much we could say about the word of God, about its promises, its power, its prophecies, its principles and its priorities. But the context of what Paul says here is the instructive nature of the Word of God as we meditate upon it, as we ingest it as spiritual food. He is talking about the fruit that is borne from instruction. That is the richness of the Word, the fruit it bears in our lives.
As it teaches us, we instruct, teach, and admonish one another. The truth here is that we are one other’s keepers. We are accountable to God for one another, particularly in the local church.
In wisdom we are to teach and admonish one another. Teaching is the positive side of this coin. It is where we positively instruct one another, where we share insights, truths, and wisdom with each other. Admonition, on the other hand, is the negative side of teaching. It means to warn or to caution others. When you love someone, you do both. You instruct them as to what they should do and you warn them as to what they should not do.
Because God’s Word is at home in our hearts, we are to allow it to direct our interactions with one another. We are to allow God’s Word to teach us, to counsel us as we teach and admonish one another. And all this is to be done in an attitude of praise and worship, as we give thanks to God for all He has done.
This is fascinatingly insightful. Some people, when they admonish or teach others, assume a condescending or holier than thou attitude. But what the Scripture is teaching us is that our attitude should be one of praise and worship, one of gratitude and thanksgiving.
When you are focused upon praising God, upon worshiping Him, upon thanking Him for all He has done for you, it will keep you in His presence, mindful of His mercy and His grace, mindful of your own unworthiness. It will keep you from having a wrong attitude toward others.
Finally, because He cares for us, we cherish the Name of God (v. 17)
Our gratitude causes us to be careful about how we carry the name of Christ. This is one aspect of third third commandment on not taking the Lord’s name in vain. If we call ourselves Christians are we reflecting Christ or are we living in vain reflecting things of the world. It causes us to be mindful of the fact that we are called Christians, and that our actions reflect to the world the reality of Christ. That’s what it means to do something in the name of Christ – to do it on His behalf, under His authority, and according to His will.
Conclusion
Is that wonderful change in your life evident? Has light filled the darkness of your soul? How has it changed the way you treat your fellow Christian? Has His presence given you the ability to forbear, to forgive, to love others more than you love yourself? What change has been wrought in your life? Has your life ever been restored? And if not, why not today?
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The Joys Of The Resurrection Body 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
The Joys Of The Resurrection Body
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Pastor Barry Kerner
If you’ll turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15 we’re going to look at verses 51 and 52. While I’ll be using many other verses today, I want to concentrate on what these two verses have to say to us.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
“Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
We have a marvelous subject before us today. The resurrection body. There is a good, better, best pattern to the Christian life. To be in Christ is good. To be with Christ is better, better by far. But even for those who are with Christ now, the best is yet to be.
Our loved ones who are with Christ are fully conscious and actively engaged, but they are also eagerly waiting for the resurrection body that will be the gift of God to all of his people when Christ returns in power and in glory.
Today I want to encourage you as we look together at what the Bible has to say about the resurrection body. We are going to look at four doctrines, four promises, four changes, and then four conclusions. We begin with four doctrines that teach us the importance of the body.
The Importance of the Body
First, the Doctrine of Creation: God made us body and soul
The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7)
The doctrine of creation tells you what you are: A body/soul unity. God made the body of Adam from the dust of the ground. It was a biodegradable corpse, but then into this corpse, he breathed the breath of life. So the life of Adam is a body/soul union.
This is the reason that the Bible sometimes speaks about death as an “enemy,” or as the “last enemy.” Because death is the undoing of our nature. It is the tearing apart of what God has joined together.
You have a cell phone. But if it is not connected to a network, it is no longer a phone. It cannot fulfill the function for which it was made. The same can be said for the network. The fact that there is a cellular network is of no value to you if you do not have a phone. It is the joining of the two together that makes this wonderful gift of telecommunication possible.
God created your body as much as he created your soul. All that God has created is good.
That is why he will not scrap it and start again. What God has made, he will redeem, and that means your body as well as your soul.
Second, the Doctrine of the Fall: Sin ruined us body and soul
Our bodies, as we experience them, are very different from the bodies that Adam and Eve experienced as they were created by God in the garden. They had no aging, no disease, no pain, and no death. All of that came with the entrance of sin into the world.
Sin has afflicted every area of our lives. That would include tooth decay, cholesterol that goes up, energy that goes down, skin that sags, bones that ache, eyes that need glasses, and hearing that declines. We live with the trials of chemical imbalances in the body, and hormones flying around out of control. On top of that, a multitude of diseases, maladies, and conditions that afflict various people at various times during the course of their lives.
Third, the Doctrine of the Incarnation: Christ became one with us in body and soul
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)
God became a man in Christ Jesus. The body of Jesus was a body like ours with a central nervous system. He grew in strength from a baby to a child to a man, and he knew what it was to be hungry, thirsty, and weary.
The first heresy, the first false teaching that the early church had to contend with was not the denial that Jesus was God, but the denial that he was man. In that culture people got to thinking, “How could God, who is pure spirit, possibly get mixed up with something as base as the human body?”
There was a nervousness about the Son of God taking on human flesh, but that is precisely what the Bible teaches. That’s why you find in 2 John 7: “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.”
If the Bible said, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word remained spirit” (John 1:1), we would have to limit God’s interest in our lives to the things of the spirit like prayer, meditation, and bible study. It would mean that God was concerned with your heart but not with your home; with your spirit but not with your schedule; with your character but not with your activity.
But the Bible doesn’t say, “the Word remained spirit.” It says, “the Word became flesh!” God entered the world of noisy kids and pushy parents, the world of overcrowded schedules and unscrupulous traders, the world of relentless pressures and unending demands.
When Jesus went to the cross, he died, not only to save your soul, but also to redeem your life! That means God invading every part of your life – marriage, checkbook, career, kids –everything!
Fourth, the Doctrine of the Resurrection: Christ will redeem us body and soul
All religions have some belief in the idea of survival after death. This is also true of popular culture. That’s why when they made a movie about the Titanic, Celine Dion sings of how “My heart will go on.” Some idea of the survival of the soul is common to humanity.
But the resurrection of the body is unique to Christianity. Only Christians have a risen Savior. At the heart of our faith is the great truth that the tomb was empty, that the corpse of Jesus was raised to life, and that all who belong to him will share in his resurrection.
The resurrection of the body is a Crown Jewel of the Christian faith. It is a truth to be treasured and put on display for all to see. We should be proud of this and commending it to the world. It is a promise to excite our interest, a hope to anticipate with joy. It is a tragedy that many Christians do not have a firm grasp on this wonderful truth.
I have met many Christians, good people, who have the sub-Christian idea that what God has prepared for us is a kind of half-life, a compensation for those who did not have the strength to continue with real life in this world. But friends, the resurrection is the purpose for which you were created by God and redeemed in Christ!
Let’s look at four Scriptures that speak of what God has promised, marvelous promises throughout the Bible about the resurrection of the body.
Promises about the Resurrection of the Body
#1: Job 19:25-27
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Notice what Job already knew: a. that his Redeemer lives, b. that his Redeemer will stand on the earth, and c. when that happens, Job will see God with his own eyes.
Job is talking about the physical here: My eyes! My flesh! I will see God! And all this will happen when my Redeemer, who lives, stands upon the earth. You will see God as truly as you see this pulpit in front of you.
#2: Romans 8:22-24
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.
The redemption of the body is the hope in which you were saved. The great purpose of God is not to save a part of you (your soul) but the whole of you (body/soul unity). Christ made you (body and soul), and he will redeem you (body and soul). He will do it in this order; soul now, body later. All that God has made is good and all that God has made he will redeem.
#3: Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
- The human body is described as ‘lowly’
At its strongest and most developed, the human body is fragile. Even if you are really fit, and you get hit by a truck, you will be in trouble. Our bodies are fragile.
- S. Lewis says, “When you are learning to ride they give you unimpressive horses. Only when you are ready for it are you allowed an animal that will gallop and jump.”
Wait till you see the upgrade. Even if you’re impressed now. You ain’t seen nothing yet!
- Your body will be ‘transformed’ by the Lord Jesus Christ and by his power
The resurrection of the body is a truth that cannot be grasped apart from the work of Christ and the power of Christ.
The credibility of this great truth is that Christ demonstrated his power to raise his people by rising himself! Every Christian says, “Yes, the Savior has given me a new heart!” He will also give you a new body. It will be the completion of his redeeming work in your life.
- Your resurrection body will be like Christ’s glorious body
That means it will be a physical body. You will not be a disembodied ghost or spirit in the new creation. The reason you won’t spend eternity floating on the clouds is that bodies don’t float, right?
Jesus said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). Flesh and bones! This is a physical body! Jesus is talking about his own resurrection body.
In terms of appearance, Jesus’ resurrection body was so similar to the form of the body we have now that Mary could mistake him for a gardener. And to the two disciples on the Emmaus road, he looked like just another traveler.
So, although the resurrection body will be very different, the similarities to the body you have now are more striking than the differences, according to the Gospels: “He said to them,
‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and took it and ate it before them” (Luke 24:41-43).
Later in John’s Gospel, we have Jesus not only cooking breakfast but eating it with the disciples. We are definitely talking about barbecue in the resurrection folks! We are talking about walking, running, jumping, and hitting balls out of the park on this renewed planet made perfect, as it shares in the redemption of all the children of God. Get that into your mind and you might start looking forward to it!
“A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:40). That’s about as physical as you can get. So forget the idea of a body that passes through walls. You can’t play football with a body that passes through walls! How could you block and tackle?
Wayne Grudem says, “No [Bible] text says that Jesus passed through walls or anything like that.” Why would anyone think that? Because the Bible says the disciples were meeting behind locked doors when Jesus came in (John 20:19). But Peter was also behind locked doors in prison and God miraculously opened them so that Peter could walk out (Acts 12:10).
The idea of heavenly bodies that materialize and dematerialize comes from watching too much Star Trek, not from the Bible. Jesus speaks about his resurrection body in terms of flesh and bones. The first thing you need to know about the resurrection body is that it is a body! When you get that settled in your mind, you will have far greater anticipation of the joys that lie ahead.
#4: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
The transformation of the body you have now, into the body you will have, will be instantaneous. All believers will receive this gift at the same time. What do we know about this new resurrection body? There’s continuity, but also changes. Here are four of them.
Changes with the Resurrection Body
The Resurrection Body is Imperishable
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. (1 Cor. 15:42)
Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11), but the body he came back in was the same body, not a resurrection body, which meant that at some point he would have to go through the whole miserable business of dying again!
But Jesus rose in the power of an endless life (Heb. 7:16) and he’s never going to go through death again, and neither will you in the resurrection. Your resurrection body, like his, will be a body that will never die. Your resurrection body will never age, and it will never decline.
People say you can’t put an old head on young shoulders, but in the resurrection the wisdom of maturity will be combined with the strength of youth. All of Christ’s people will flourish to their full potential.
The Resurrection Body is Glorious
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. (1 Cor. 15:43)
Think about the face of Moses, when he came down the mountain after he had been in the presence of God. His face was shining. Why? Because he had been in the presence of the Lord of Glory.
Think about the transfiguration of Jesus: He goes up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and their faith was strengthened with a preview of the future glory of Jesus! There was a brightness and a radiance about him. And there will be a brightness, a radiance, and a glory, not only around you, but in you (in the resurrection body).
The Resurrection Body is Powerful
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. (1 Cor. 15:43)
The [resurrection] body is going to have more energy, more physical capability, more stamina, more athleticism, more speed, more coordination, more durability than it ever had because we’re not going to need the body less, we’re going to need it more and use it more.
Think about what this will mean for all of our friends who have been restricted to wheelchairs, or have physical challenges that have restricted their lives in this world. What will it mean when finally and fully Jesus’ words will come true in all of their fullness? The blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lame will walk.
The Garden of Eden offered scope for the pursuit of art in all its creativity, the pursuit of science in all its forms, and technology as well as theology. The same will be true of the world to come.
Donald Macleod says it well, “Not only the Creator but the Creation, too will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. It will challenge their intellects, fire their imaginations, and stimulate their industry. The scenario is a thrilling one: brilliant minds in powerful bodies in a transformed universe.”
If you work out at the gym and you want to engage someone in conversation, try asking them, “How would you like to have a really strong body, a really powerful body?” Then you can tell them, “You will have one on the resurrection!” I guarantee if you ask them this question, though, at first they’ll think you’re trying to sell them some kind of supplements!
The Resurrection Body is Godly
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:44)
I use the word ‘godly’ here, because the word ‘spiritual’ is often misunderstood. A ‘spiritual’ body! What is that? That doesn’t sound like a body in which you could go bungee jumping, snorkeling, or snowboarding!
The resurrection body is a physical, material ‘flesh and bones’ body. When Paul speaks about a spiritual body, he is speaking about a body that is fully responsive to the Holy Spirit. That is a marvelous thought! In the resurrection body, you will never feel or think or say, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Your resurrected body will be as eager to do the will of God as your redeemed spirit.
Here’s what you have to look forward to in the new heaven and the new earth: A body that is adapted to life forever and will never decline, a body that is glorious and powerful, a body that is fully responsive to the Holy Spirit.
Living in the Light of Your Resurrection Body
Recognize that you are wholly owned by Jesus Christ
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
Christ has the right to determine where you live, what you do. He bought you with his own blood, and over every area of your life, Jesus Christ says “Mine.” You are not your own! Your life is his to spend and the great calling of your life is to glorify him.
Be done with everything that defiles your body or your soul
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
(2 Cor. 7:1)
Since we have these promises, not “since we have these rules.” He could have appealed to the law, but he is going for a higher motivation.
There is a glorious future for your mind, so use your mind in a way that glorifies God. Don’t pollute your mind! Fill your mind with what is pleasing to God.
It’s the same with your body. Don’t use your body as a vehicle for sin (Rom. 6:13). Use your eyes, ears, hands, and feet in ways that honor Christ. Let your tongue speak words of kindness. Let your hands be a means of helping (not hurting) others.
Offer your whole self to God
I appeal to you… brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Rom. 12:1)
It is common in church circles to speak about “giving your heart to Jesus.” We understand what is meant by this, but the obvious question is: Why should it only be your heart? It’s not enough to say that your heart is in the right place. God wants more than your heart.
“Present your bodies.” The body is what gives us the capacity to act. Spend your strength in ways that honor Christ! This is the greatest motivation for living a sacrificial life.
One of the implications of the doctrine of the resurrection is that you don’t have to worry half as much about your bucket list! You can afford to live sacrificially. You can afford to lay down your life if need be.
The new earth will be better than the earth we have now. The resurrection body will be better than the body you have now. And you will have forever to savor the pleasures that God has in store for you.
That is the whole basis on which the Christian can say, “I will spend my life doing everything that you call me to do in this world until I see your face.” Otherwise, you will live another life, because you didn’t really believe in the resurrection.
Never give in to discouragement!
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)
“Therefore…” Because you will soon savor the joys of life in the resurrection body. Because your struggles with sin in this world will soon be over. Because the weariness that comes with being sometimes stretched to the limit will soon be a thing of the past. Because you are pressing toward the resurrection…
Keep giving yourself to everything that God is calling you to do. Don’t hold back in any way.
Do it with joy, and do it knowing that if even a cup of cold water will not go without its reward, you can be sure that a life of faith laid down in service for Jesus Christ will be a life that cannot be lived in vain.