58 verses of jam packed, mind-blowing content. There are two directions to go with this.
First, we can talk about resurrection.
Second, we can talk about how this impacts our everyday lives.
So, let’s start with the super easy topic of resurrection. I say that tongue in cheek of course. Trying to wrap your head around resurrection is extremely difficult. I think it’s even more difficult because the only thing our culture talks about when someone is “coming back from the dead” is in the form of ghosts, hauntings, scary stuff. Paul is trying to show us that resurrection is a positive experience, more glorious than we could ever imagine. He says people will ask for proof that it exists and proof of how it works, which of course, is absurd and difficult. None of us here on this earth have been resurrected, obviously. So, we need a quick illustration and Paul turns to seeds and plants. He says,
You’d never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed.
And the same goes for our natural bodies vs. our spiritual, resurrected bodies. The one will not resemble the other. There’s no visual likeness between the two. But the truth remains:
The mortal will be replaced with the immortal.
Which leads us to the second topic:
This resurrection reality can and does impact our everyday lives.
It’s what gave Paul the courage to face wild beasts, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, etc. It’s what gives us the courage to throw ourselves into the work of the Master. For me, that’s throwing myself into writing daily, improving properties, leading and coaching people. It’s what gives me the courage to keep working at relationships: being a good husband, a good father, a good friend.
Thus, we can be confident that nothing we do for Christ is a waste of time or effort.
And that, my friends, is a massive thing.
Omer Redden 