Just Like a Seed. (1 Cor. 15:35-49) *Verses in NKJV*
Opening story: I remember the first time a saw a dead body. Man backed over by dump truck…
– I can see how a Christian talking about “the dead coming back to life” could be confusing to the person who doesn’t understand our religious lingo… (washed in the blood, die to live, etc…)
– We have been talking about the resurrection the last few weeks on Wednesdays nights, as we continue through 1 Corinthians… we should be done by the end of the month.
– (read) 1 Cor. 15:35-49
– Jesus Christ was the first of those resurrected, this is undisputed. Listen to Andy’s sermon from last Wednesday…
– We are also talking about our own resurrection. Jesus talked about this resurrection from the grave, to new life in heaven or to our destruction. (Even Old Testament prophets foresaw this event.)
– John 5:28-29, Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
– When Christ returns, the resurrection will occur. New bodies, new heaven, new earth, etc…
– The listener is asking, “How? What does this look like?” So, Paul used what they did understand to explain the concept of what they didn’t understand.
- A seed has to die before it becomes a flower.
– Paul used the example of a seed, something they could understand, to explain the resurrection.
– “What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow [is]… but mere grain [seed, not the plant that will eventually grow]. But God gives it a body… and to each seed its own [flower].”
– The seed is dormant, basically lifeless, until it is buried in the dirt and darkness. It is raised to new life as a plant, a new creation. Each individual seed is different and grows into its own special flower.
– Example: Poppy seed plant. Tiny seed into huge flower. The seed doesn’t resemble the flower, but you know what will grow. I didn’t recognize it until it bloomed. (I thought it was a weed and almost pulled it out… trying to be helpful…)
– Our physical body is the seed, and our spiritual body is the flower. You can’t explain how the transformation actually occurs, but you can observe the outcome of God’s transformational power.
– Just like the flower doesn’t look like the seed, the resurrected body won’t look like the physical, yet will be identifiable as the individual person… Not broken and flawed, but now glorious, spiritual, immortal, and perfect… like Christ’s own resurrected body.
– Sometimes people want to argue about the details… often as an excuse for not understanding, because they know when they understand the truth, they will also be accountable for the truth.
– Is their question sarcastic, or serious? “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” (Zombies??) Paul explains it to them anyway, even if the question is just foolishness.
– What if a bystander is listening and has the same honest question, but is too afraid to ask it? People are listening to what you do and say as a Christian, even if they don’t appear to be.
– Sometimes people want to argue over “words”, and try to poke holes in what you are saying…
– People might say, “If bodies are raised from the dead, what about dogs? They are sentient. Doesn’t that mean they will rise too? ‘All dogs go to heaven’, right?” Or, what about cremation?!
– Paul says, “No”, and gives them the long explanation.
– Animal flesh and people flesh are different. Our earthly vessels won’t rise from the ground like zombie bodies do… earthly bodies decay. (A cremated body isn’t fundamentally different.)
– We will receive “heavenly” bodies, but not the same as celestial/heavenly things “in the sky” like the sun, moon, and stars… Those are glorious, but we will be even more glorious than all those things.
– Our physical bodies will be sown/buried in the ground, with all of their corruption, dishonor, and weakness…
– Then, at the resurrection when Jesus returns, our bodies will break through the soil and emerge glorious, incorruptible, and powerful as a spiritual body. Just like Jesus conquered death!
– Phil. 3:20-21, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
– Heaven is going to look like a spiritual “dahlia farm”, sown, raised, meticulously cultivated by our heavenly Father… millions of blooms in all shapes, sizes, and colors… each one unique.
- Adam is the father of our flesh. Jesus is the father of our spirit.
– And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit…47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven… 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
– Adam and Jesus are the two most defining men in the bible. They show us who we are and who we could be. We are born in the image of God, but under the curse of man.
– Adam: The first man. The father of our Flesh. His choice is why sin entered the world.
– Jesus: 100% Man! 100% God, Father of our Spirit. His choice brings saving grace to the world.
– Drawing contrast between Jesus and Adam is where we get the “definition of manhood.”
(Reject passivity. Accept responsibility. Lead courageously. Expect the greater reward.)
– Being passive may be the most destructive legacy of Adam. It began way back in the Garden.
– Being passive keeps you from accepting responsibility, leading courageously, or expecting anything greater. It stops you from standing up for justice, overcoming fear, or winning soul for Jesus.
– Passivity is what keeps you living your life through your phone, instead of the real world…
– Our human nature of being passive (men/women) is why people stand by and watch (or film) when something tragic is happening, instead of offering to help.
– Example: Calling 911 as a passerby, not waiting for FD to get there. You thought it was emergent enough to call 911, but not to see if you could help?? (Like the house with smoke/steam from roof.)
– Its true, Eve ate the apple first, but… “Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:6) Adam passively stood by and let it happen.
– Are you being passive in your marriage? In your faith? In your church? In your commitments? Etc… What are you standing by and letting happen??
– Jesus was a man of action as we should be, following in his example:
– Phil. 2:5-8, You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
– Taking action will cost you something, but being passive will cost you everything!
– Quote from the book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: “Too many of us are tentatively playing the game of life as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.”
– There is nothing remotely passive about following Christ or walking out your faith in this world.
– 1 Cor. 15:20-23, But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
– Romans 5:18-19, Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
- Experience the resurrection on this side of Heaven.
– Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus was sick. They called for Jesus to come visit them and heal their brother, and his good friend. When Jesus arrived, Lazurus had already been dead for four days, hope of him being healed had been lost, and only grief remained.
– Martha ran out to meet Jesus and they had this conversation.
– John 11:21-27, Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
– Lazurus was dead, buried, and allowed to decay. Like a seed placed in the ground, w/ the gardener patiently waiting for life to emerge. Jesus called him out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”
– This miracle was done for our benefit, so we would know that Jesus is the Christ and has the power to raise us to new life! As Jesus prayed to the Father he said, “…because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
– We don’t have to wait until the last days to be resurrected with Jesus Christ. We are already dead in our sin, but He has given us a way to be spiritually raised to new life. This is the Gospel!
– Romans 8:10-11, 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
– Romans 6:4, Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
– 2 Cor. 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
– The “resurrection of the dead” is not complicated or debatable. Paul explained it perfectly…
– Like a seed you are dead, then buried, then begin the process of growing into a new creation.
– You are already dead in your sins. You must believe it and accept it, and repent of it.
– You must be buried in the waters of baptism out of obedience. (Baptism doesn’t save you.)
– Now, grow into the life God has prepared for you by being sanctified more and more each day.
– This is salvation!
– 1 Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
– prayer –
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