The resurrection body

This is an outline text of a family service talk

When Christians die, they go to be with Jesus.
We know that because Jesus said so and because the apostle Paul tells us so.
And at the moment, Xns who have died & are with Jesus don't have bodies – they don't need them now.
But when Jesus comes back to earth to make the world new and to get rid of all evil and sin, how will he raise the dead? What sort of body will they have?

Those are the questions the Christians in Corinth were asking – will these Xns who don't have bodies now, go back into their old bodies?
If so, how? And will they just be skeletons?
“Don't be silly”, says Paul, in v36 “What died isn't the same as what comes to life.”
And he answers each question in turn, with illustrations from plants and animals.
So first question: How are the dead raised?

Here's a seed.
It's quite big for a seed. It's dull and it's cream-coloured.
A few days ago, I buried one of them.
And it here it is now – very much alive.
God has given the seed a beautiful new body.

So the answer to our first question, 'how are the dead raised?' is: God gives them a new body.

But what about the second question? What kind of Body will we get when we're raised from the dead?

The simple answer is: a body that's just right for life in heaven.

So in v39, Paul reminds people that not all creatures have the same bodies:

So, we have a human body, and a stick insect body, and a gecko, and a hamster (children had brought in their pets, and we showed them via video-link on the screen).
Each body is just right for that particular animal's situation – the human body is not good for living in small twigs and leaves.
The gecko hates sand, but loves hard dry rocks – and his feet are specially designed for climbing up walls and rocks.
But hamsters love sand, and they love to burrow – so their feet are perfect for digging.

Animals are perfectly suited to where they live.
In the same way, God will give us a body just right for heaven – so it won't be the same as this body – this body is just right for life here & now. The new body will be different.

Then Paul illustrates his point by looking at the planets, sun, moon, & stars.
The earth has one kind of greatness, and the heavenly bodies – the sun, moon & stars – have another kind of greatness.
In fact, even the heavenly bodies are all different – the sun … the moon... and the stars.
God is able to create all kinds of different bodies – each one suitable for its job – the sun to give warmth & light; the moon to control the tides; the stars to guide the travellers of old.

And so it will be at the resurrection, says Paul, in vv42-43.
And he lists how this body is different from the body we'll have in heaven:
This body is sown perishable, in dishonour, in weakness, a natural body.
The resurrection body will be raised imperishable, in glory, in power, a spiritual body.

This body is perfectly suited to this temporary life – to a life which, sooner or later, ends in death.
But the Christian will be given a new body suitable for heaven – a life which will never end.

And in the following paragraph, Paul goes on to explain that this body, this life, is just like Adam's – affected by sin and under God's wrath, it gets old, wears out and dies.
But our resurrection body & life will be just like Jesus – the man from heaven. In heaven, we won't sin and God won't ever be angry with us. And our bodies will be full of the power of the Spirit and the glory of Jesus.

So if you've ever wondered what your body will be like in heaven, the answer is... well, your body will be... different, like Jesus, and so perfectly suited for living in the new heavens and the new earth.