Resurrection Part 1

They’re slippery and sticky; buttered in mucous and blood. And just about as attractive as rats emerging from a drainpipe. Yep. I honestly thought that all newborn babies were downright ugly until I had my firstborn.

So when she was slapdashed on my breast, a brook of emotion washed over me—a combination of gratitude, euphoria, maternal pride, the purist love and a measure of panic.

My baby girl took my breath away. She was gorgeous.

Her skin and sinews, lungs and limbs, muscles and marrow composed to perfection—knit together in the room of my womb. I was astounded at the gift of creating life from my own body.

Nonetheless, I gave myself a fright when I gathered the strength to peek at the bathroom mirror. I was leaking all over the place, firstly, from my eyes and then in other unmentionable spots. Stretchmarks intruded odd places. A dark line ran down from my bellybutton. (They said it would fade over time. Utter rubbish.) And my mummy tummy, to this day, takes the lead wherever I go.

Don’t get me wrong, I would gladly undergo this metamorphosis all over again to have my children. However, a part of me would also love to have my pre-pregnant body again.

Now, I have a lot of respect for people that sweat it out at gyms, courts, fields, pools and dance studios. Moreover, I have even greater respect for those that can control what goes into their mouths.

I watch them determining the precise weights of chicken, salmon, cereal etc. on a kitchen scale. I marvel at the speed by which they mentally calculate the number of calories they’ve consumed. I laugh at them playing Pantry Tetris—of finding adequate space in the cupboard in order to fit gigantic tubs of protein powder (this is the whey), and then guzzling down these expensive pre workout shakes. I do envy them for their discipline.

So, I applaud all of you who work hard for your beautiful bodies. May you be blessed with a million plus followers on Instagram.

Yet, the desire for a perfect body is not limited to women. I recently came across an article about a male bodybuilder dubbed the Brazilian Hulk.

For years, Valdir Segato injected himself with Synthol—a chemical cocktail of oil, benzyl alcohol and lidocaine—to enlarge his muscles. With syringe in hand, he targeted his biceps, pectorals and back muscles.

I’m not sure whether he was attempting to perpetuate the himbo stereotype, but it seems that he willfully ignored the frightening list of side effects from synthol use. Complications include occlusion of the pulmonary artery, myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, and nerve damage.

Sounds nasty, doesn’t it? Sadly, the Brazilian Hulk, with his whopping 58cm biceps became addicted to the substance, and died on his 55^th birthday from Synthol use. Was it all worth it for a Hemsworthian physique?

We Christians don’t have to go to such extreme lengths. We have something exciting to look forward to—a resurrected body that will be better than our present one. So, we can forget the Botox, the plastic surgery, the drugs, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. God has promised us new and improved glorious bodies.

Does the Old Testament mention anything about a bodily resurrection?

It certainly does. Job looked forward to his own resurrection. He said, ‘For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.’   Job 19:25-26

The Major Prophets also expected a day in the future where great numbers of people would experience a bodily resurrection. Consider Daniel who wrote, And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  Dan 12:2

We read in Isaiah 26:19 the following, Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

What does the New Testament reveal to us about resurrection?

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of his own body coming back to life. In Mark 14:28, he said to his disciples where he would meet them after his resurrection.

“But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”

Which begs the question; to what extent did his believers understand resurrection? Many Jewish people living at the time of Christ had some hope of a future bodily resurrection. After Lazarus had died, Jesus said to Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

She believed in resurrection as indicated by her response to Christ. “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”   John 11:23-24

However, some Jews clearly could not grasp Christ’s teaching on the matter.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.   John 2:19-21

Then there were religious groups such as the Sadducees that clearly rejected bodily resurrection. The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection   Matt 22:23

Resurrection is Physical

When God brought Adam into existence, he joined Adam’s body, which was made from the dust of the earth, and Adam’s soul together. He was not a living human being until he had both physical and spiritual parts.

Our soul is that immaterial part of us which reflects our mind, will, and our emotions. It is our inner character.

Our bodies are an essential part of who we are. God intended for our physical bodies to endure as long as our souls. But as a result of the fall, when our first parents—Adam and Eve—sinned against God, death tore apart what God meant to be joined together. Our bodies became subject to decay and corruption and ultimately death.

When Jesus paid the price for our redemption, his sacrificial death for all our sins, it was to redeem our souls and our bodies. Clearly, resurrection restores God’s original intention, for body and soul to be unified.

Our resurrected bodies will be the same bodies God created for us, but they will be raised to greater perfection—they will be glorious.

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.   Phil 3:21

Christ’s resurrected body – our example

After he died and rose again, Jesus spent forty days on earth in a resurrected body, demonstrating how we would function as resurrected human beings. Hearing about an empty tomb, or even seeing with their own eyes Christ’s empty tomb still left some disciples skeptical.

For the first Christians, they needed to see and touch the resurrected Christ.

Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Christ and when she finally recognized who he was, she clung to his body. Which caused Jesus to say, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” John 20:17a

Now, the body of Jesus had not been anointed due to his quick burial before the beginning of the Sabbath day. On the third day after his burial, a group of women brought spices to pour over his body to counteract the odor of decay. Anointing a body was also an expression of loving devotion. Of course, they did not have a chance to do this for Christ because his body wasn’t there.

What a privilege for these loyal women to meet up with the risen Lord as they were returning from the empty tomb. He stood before them and spoke to them. They bowed down to the ground in worship. They took hold of his feet, to make ensure he was not a disembodied spirit or apparition. They touched him with their own hands.

Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.  Matt 28:10 b

Hunger pangs

We also know that after his death and resurrection, Jesus ate food like any other person who is alive. Imagine how the disciples felt upon seeing Christ asking for food like a normal person with a healthy appetite.

He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.   Luke 14:41b to 43

Jesus tried to dispel their doubts by convincing them to handle his body, and to inspect the wounds from the crucifixion, which he bore on his hands and feet. All physical proof that he was who he claimed to be. In effect, he was saying touch my scars.

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.   Luke 24:39

On a separate occasion, he urged Thomas to poke his finger in the indent where the Roman soldiers had pierced six-inch nails into his wrists, and to place his hand by his ribs where they had speared him. In doing so, in examining flesh and bone, Thomas needed no more convincing. Jesus was alive and well.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.   John 20:27

At another time, he cooked a seafood breakfast over a fire and invited his disciples to join in a meal with him by the seaside.

Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.    John 21:12a

Christ’s power over death and the grave

During his earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated his power to bring the dead back to life. We remember Lazarus entombed and wrapped in burial cloths. He came out of the grave at the command of Christ’s voice.

We think of the widow’s son at Nain, whose body was whisked away in a casket. Jesus approached the coffin and touched it with his hand to slow the procession of mourners. Christ leaned over and commanded the young man to rise up. Blood coursed through the young man’s body, warming his extremities. His eyes flickered open. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright in the casket and words tumbled out of his mouth.

Then there was the lifeless body of Jairus’ daughter. Jesus entered Jairus’ home and made his way to the room where the dead girl lay. Gently, Christ took the child’s limp hand into his own. He spoke, coaxing her to get up from her bed. She stirred, rose from her bed and walked about the house to the stunned expression of her parents.

These individuals were raised from the dead in their natural earthly bodies, but one day, they will be resurrected with glorified bodies.

Christ’s resurrection proved that he truly was the Messiah. He is the resurrection and the life.

Of his own life he said in John 10:18, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

As Christians, this should give us confidence in that we don’t serve a dead man, but the Living and True God.

Join me next time for Resurrection part 2

Bibliography

Author unspecified. 2022, ‘Why is the Resurrection of Christ important?’, Got Questions. Your Questions. Biblical Answers. Retrieved 17 Aug 2022 from

https://www.gotquestions.org/resurrection-Christ-important.html

Guzik. D. 2018, ‘John 20 – An empty tomb and a Risen Jesus’, Enduring Word. Retrieved 17 Aug from

John Chapter 20

Laurie, G. 2011, ‘What did the Resurrected Body of Jesus Look Like?’, Christianity.com. Retrieved 17 Aug from

https://www.christianity.com/jesus/death-and-resurrection/resurrection/what-did-the-resurrected-body-of-jesus-look-like.html

Steinberg, B. 2022, ‘‘Brazilian Hulk’ Bodybuilder who injected oil into muscles dead at 55’, News.com. Retrieved 17 Aug 2022 fromhttps://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/brazilian-hulk-bodybuilder-who-injected-oil-into-muscles-dead-at-55/news-story/761331652558b4ec7fa616416e0ac194