Banquet With The King: New Bodies

Meditate.

But someone may ask, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?" What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory. It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

Paul wrote this in about 56 AD. That was a long time ago, but people even today have the same questions that Christians were asking him then. How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have? Paul wisely said…we are still going to have our same bodies…just spiritual, glorified bodies. We’ll be strong…not weak…and like Jesus when He was resurrected, we will be able to walk into a room without going through a closed door. The great thing is, like Jesus, we will be able to eat. Remember Jesus asked His disciples if the had anything to eat (Luke 24:41). Guess my focus is on food. You guessed it…I’m dieting again, but food is important. Both physical food and spiritual food are important for our existence. Reading God’s word is our spiritual food. Have you fed your spiritual self yet today? Dig into some scripture passage…or read more in the book of First Corinthians. There is plenty of food there for thought and spiritual growth.

Once again we see that God is in control. He gives new bodies…to grain or plant seeds buried in the ground…and to people. Our Heavenly Father restored Jesus to life—resurrected Him with a glorified body. That is the promise that we all have. We—all believers—will be raised from the dead.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:20-24

When Jesus was challenged about marriage and resurrection He said:

But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. But now, as to whether the dead will be raised--even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him. Luke 20:35-38

Alive! That is what we are…alive! As soon as we repent of our sin and declare Jesus as our Savior—we are alive…forever. Our bodies may die—but those will be resurrected one day, just as Jesus was resurrected. Our souls live forever…and as believers we will live with Jesus…forever. Great promise!

Prayer ~ Dear God, Your word is always food for thought. Please give me wisdom to understand it and the boldness to share Your Truth with others.

Verses of Salvation and Thanksgiving…and Hope for Israel ~ "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance--all who seek the LORD! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation." The LORD will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. "Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! Isaiah 51:1-6

Celebrate Veteran’s Day

Consider those who gave their lives for our country.

Thank a Veteran for his contribution to the freedom of our nation.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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Banquet With The King

Thursday, November 11, 2021

New Bodies

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