United Church of God

Glorified Bodies

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Glorified Bodies

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Glorified Bodies

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How much time do we spend contemplating the change from flesh to Spirit? We will review this promise of God and consider it's meaning in the example of the resurrected Jesus Christ.

Sermon Notes

We spend a lot of time taking care of our physical bodies…  bathing, trimming our hair; combing our hair. Ladies have to take care of their makeup. There's just a lot of effort that we have to put in every day just to take care of our physical bodies, just to make sure we're presentable. How often do you or I think about the spirit body that we will become at the resurrection?

Several years ago at the Feast one of the ministers gave a sermon in which he encouraged us to meditate on being changed from physical to spiritual… what we shall become… a glorified body. Romans 8:16-17 16 The Spirit itself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. We have that same future that Christ has laid out before us.

How much time do we spend meditating on being changed? As we get older it is often on our minds. As our physical bodies have more aches and pains and it's harder to get out of bed in the morning and we see people in our age group in the obituaries more and more, we realize our time is limited on this earth. I remember when I was young… I was like eighteen when I first started attending church with Worldwide and my physical body, I felt pretty good about it. I didn't have too many aches and pains. I didn't have this high desire to leave this physical body, but as you get older you desire that change. It's something all age groups need to be aware of and thinking about because we all are going to face that time.

How clear is the vision in our minds of being a spirit being? Our only example in scripture is Christ. What does the Bible tell us about Christ's resurrected body? Christ appeared to over 500 people over a forty-day period after His death and resurrection and it was right around this time of year… between the Passover and the Day of Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, (at the time Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church) but some have fallen asleep (died). 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. We see here that Christ wanted to make sure that his followers, his disciples knew that he had been resurrected.

Today I want to look at those appearances and some other scriptures that will give us an idea of what our glorified body will be like. My title is "Glorified Body, What Will It Be Like?" The first appearance we have is shortly after He was resurrected and that was to Mary Magdalene. John 20:11-18
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (There was something different about His appearance or it could just be that she wasn't expecting Him to be there and so she did not recognize Him.) 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” (She thought the tomb is empty, someone must have stolen the body, must have secreted it away somewhere.)

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (Which is to say, Teacher). (Just the way He spoke her name, she recognized Who it was.)

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

 

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had spoken these things to her. This was the first appearance.

Luke 24:13-35 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” Some of the commentaries brought up that all the Jews; all the Israelites had come into Jerusalem for the Spring Holy Days so there were hundreds, thousands in Jerusalem. The story of the crucifixion (many probably witnessed it) had gone all through the area and it was big news. They couldn't understand how this guy could not know about it.

19 And He said to them, “What things?” He was kind of pulling things out of them.

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. (They were looking for a political or a military savior. They were under the thumb of the Romans; they were looking for somebody to rescue them from that oppression. They thought He was going to redeem them, get them out of that situation.) Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (All the time He had been teaching the disciples, He had tried to tell them over and over… giving the example of Jonah in the belly of the fish and all of these things that just didn't soak in. They just couldn't connect what was going on around them to what Christ had tried to show them out of the Old Testament about the prophecies.) 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. He went back over it again: Isaiah fifty-three and Zechariah and all those prophecies.

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Here He was a spirit being and He went in and spent the night with them wherever their housing was.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. Again, something about how He broke bread… from what I understand, these two were not necessarily at that last supper with Christ, that last Passover. They must have been around Him enough to have broke bread with Him before and something about His customs revealed to them Who He was. But then, He just vanished. That's something that's hard to imagine…  to just be able to vanish in an instant.

 

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” It mentioned here that at some point He had appeared to Simon Peter. 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. Mark 16:12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. Here it talks about Him being in another form at this time. We don't have the details of what that form was, that appearance.

Luke 24: 36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. They thought a ghost had come in among them. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Here He could appear as a physical body with the wounds still from the crucifixion for them to examine for themselves so they would really know that it was Him.

40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence. We see that as a spirit, He was partaking of food.
 
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. The disciples were finally getting the picture, finally understanding what had happened through the crucifixion.

Then eight days later He appeared to the disciples for the second time: John 20:26-29 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, (Thomas is called 'doubting' Thomas. He wasn't there, he didn't see Him that first time and he thought they were making it up.) “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” He had a big gaping wound in His body there to show Thomas that it was really Him … where the spear had made the blood drain out.

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Right then, he knew that his doubt was not based on fact.

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's talking about us; we weren't there. We have all these personal accounts that proved that Christ changed from physical to spiritual… that He was resurrected. As I mentioned earlier, He at some point appeared to five hundred brethren as it talks about in first Corinthians fifteen. I wish we had gotten more detail about that. That's kind of an amazing crowd for Him to have appeared to after the resurrection. I wish all that He had to say to them had been preserved for us, but it wasn't.

Then we see another appearance to the disciples in a mountain in Galilee, so they were back up north in Galilee. Matt. 28:16-18 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. He evidently had told them to come meet Him on this mountain. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. They're still not sure what's going on here.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. He went on to give them their commission, which we are still following to this day.

Then He appears to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. John 21:1-14 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. There were only seven of the disciples there. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” Christ had tried to give them the commission, but they were just going to go fishing.

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Again, He wasn't recognizable to them. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. He performed a miracle right there before them.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved (which is John) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. Always enthusiastic, Peter. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; [It's amazing sometime the detail that's in the scriptures. They counted out those fish…  one hundred and fifty-three.] and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” —knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. He wanted to make sure that they knew that He was alive, that He had been raised.

Then as Paul said, He appeared to Paul out of due season… later on after Paul was called to go to the Gentiles. Acts 9:3-5 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

We see here that He appeared as a bright light. In other appearances, He appeared more as a man, in a physical body.

Another description of the resurrection is back in first Corinthians fifteen. Paul had a good understanding of the resurrection by this time. 1 Cor. 15:35-38 35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. Here we see burial compared to planting a seed that bears no resemblance to the plant that will come up. The plant is much more glorious…  just as our changed bodies will be so much more glorious than this physical body that we have today.

I was talking to a man this week at a luncheon that I went to and he's a master gardener. He goes out to schools and teaches kids about seeds and planting things and he was relating how you can take the seed and you can freeze it for a hundred years then bring it out and expose it to moisture and nutrients and it will sprout. That germ is still in there for all those years. They've found ancient seeds and been able to sprout the plants; it's amazing how that can be…  that it can be kept for all that time, the seed, and then that plant can come up out of there.

1 Cor. 15:42-52 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [This is for those who are alive at the time when Christ comes.] Here we see a corruptible physical body versus an incorruptible spirit body…  sown in dishonor and raised in glory… sown in weakness, raised in power. A natural body, a physical body changed to a spiritual body. A body from the dust and then a body that comes from God, from heaven. It's a marvelous thing to think about to meditate on.

Back in Revelation, we also have an appearance of Christ to John in vision. Here He comes as a bright light again as He did when He appeared to Paul.

Rev. 1:12-16 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; [A very loud voice.] 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. [Very, very bright. It probably would blind you to look at it.]

We also have some examples in the Kingdom about those who will be teaching in that time… we have this to look forward to.

Isaiah 30:20-21
20 And though the Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.
21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Here we see the spiritual teachers in the Kingdom will be seen by those who are physical. We'll not necessarily appear as a bright light; bright as the sun, we couldn't do much teaching like that. Again we see the going back and forth… appearing as a physical body and partaking of food to being a bright light, depending on the circumstances.

Rev. 20:6 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. We'll be priests and teachers in the Kingdom.

In conclusion, let's turn to 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We just have a vague notion of what it's going to be like, but once we're changed… once we see Christ, we'll know this is our destiny and what it's going to be like. We'll know exactly what it's going to be like when Christ returns. Just learning how to navigate as a spirit being… do you have to go through training? I don't know. How do you vanish and come back or move from one part of the earth or universe is just a split second. It's hard to imagine having those powers. We'll still have some resemblance to our present appearance. Christ was recognizable once their eyes were opened. We'll have spiritual bodies with no physical restrictions.

I read a quote from the NIV Study Bible that talks about Jesus' appearances at His resurrection: " The truth of Christianity rests heavily on the resurrection. If Jesus rose from the grave, who saw Him? How trustworthy were the witnesses? Those who claim to have seen the risen Jesus went on to turn the world upside down. Most of them also died for being followers of Christ. People rarely die for half-hearted belief." Once they got past that doubt, everything changed. These are the people who saw Jesus risen from the grave. This is the primary source of our hope…  the whole reason for existing. Meditate often about life in a spiritual body as we approach the Feast of Firstfruits that looks forward to the time our hope will be realized.