The Hope of the Resurrection

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

1^st Corinthians 15; 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-19; 2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10

Introduction:

We were in 1^st Corinthians 14, and we were nearly (but not quite) ready to begin 1^st Corinthians 15. (People sometimes call Chapter 15 “the Resurrection Chapter.”) However, we recently lost our beloved Jan Larsen. It seems good to me to address the “Blessed Hope” of Believers today, rather than waiting.

First, I want to point out that the “Blessed Hope” in Titus 2:12, 13 is the returning Person of Christ. He is the Person of our Salvation. Furthermore, God describes Him, the indwelling Christ, as our “Hope of Glory,” in Colossians 1:27 “…Christ in You, the Hope of Glory.”

So, regarding our current “Hope of Glory:” Each of us has embraced that Hope, by believing the Gospel. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Notice that this is the ONLY thing God describes as being His power to save sinners. This is THE power of God unto salvation, “to every one who believes.” The choice is there for everyone. He does not offer His Grace by any other means but through the Person of Christ. Jesus said so. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)

Does that sounds “exclusive?” Well, the fact is, our sins excluded us from the presence of God. This is Him offering us restoration: we can be INcluded in the Family of God.

So, What Is The Gospel? What is the Good News?

¹  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Here is the Gospel in outline form:

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 of Cephas, then of the twelve:

⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

⁷ After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

⁸ And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Point by Point

If you want to see it “point by point,” notice the first three points, in verses 3, 4. Together, they complete the Gospel…the GOOD News!

1. The death of Jesus, for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,
2. His Burial, also in accordance with prophecy (Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:39-42), and
3. His Resurrection, on the third day, also confirming the scriptures, fulfilling Prophecy,

And, the next few comments are simply the confirmation of the many eye-witnesses, most of whom were still living at the time of that writing.

Paul goes on to emphasize the importance of the Resurrection. There were people present (especially including the Sadducees, but possibly the Gnostics and others) who denied that the resurrection was possible. He points out in verses 12-19, that if there “is no resurrection,” then Jesus is not resurrected, which would mean He was not the Savior, as that was a requirement, as part of His Credentials.

And that would mean that those who believed in Jesus had a vain faith: a vain hope in a false Messiah. And that would mean that they were still in their sins, and still headed for Hell!

But in verse 20, he answers that doubt with finality: “But now, Christ IS risen from the dead and IS become the firstfruits of them that slept!”

So, we should address some questions regarding the Resurrection:

Why Will We Be Raised?

In verses 21-22, we see that, in the wisdom of God, He saw it fitting that “… since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

And then He spells out that the result that there are only two places we can be. You are either “still in Adam,” and thus, dead in your sins, or: You are “in Christ” as we read in Ephesians 1 & 2, and eternally alive!

Thus, those who can say with confidence that they will spend eternity with Jesus can only do so because He shed His blood for their sins… and they have trusted Him as their Savior. They plead the Blood of Jesus as their only Hope.

When Will We Be Raised?

The resurrection of these bodies (in which we now live) will be completed at what we call the Rapture. 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us in detail how that will happen, in what order, and (in connection with the next chapter) we can see it will happen just before the Tribulation begins.

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But there is an obvious question that arises when we affirm these things: “In the meantime, between now and the Rapture, Where are our loved ones?”  Where are all of our believing friends and family? (Where is our precious sister, Jan??)

2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10 is our answer:

¹ For we know that if our earthly house (Our physical body in which we live) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: ³ If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. ⁴ For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

⁵ Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) ⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

⁹ Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Resurrected or Replaced?

The passage in 1^st Thessalonians 4 teaches us about when our physical bodies will be resurrected. The one here, in 2^nd Corinthians 5, tells us how it will be temporarily replaced with an immortal body until our old bodies are raised immortal. Then he says, we will be like Him and see Him as He truly is! If we die before His return, then we will see Him that way from the moment we leave our old body behind, But after the Rapture, every believer will see Him as He is, and we will all have our old bodies raised immortal.

How Will We Be Raised?

1^st Corinthians 15:50-53 tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. then He tells us that the day will come, when the last trumpet will sound and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible. He specifically says that “this mortal shall put on immortality.” He says “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Collectively, the scriptures clearly teach that Jan is with the Lord today, even though her worn-out, little, old body is in a morgue, somewhere: She is with Him, face-to-face, and completely wrapped in His Joy and His Peace.

At the Rapture, when that trumpet blows, she will have her body back, perfect and immortal, and we will all recognize one another, just as James, Peter, and John recognized Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.

After that we will all face the Bema seat: the Awards ceremony: the Judgment Seat of Christ. God says so. But right this moment, Jan is completely focused on the reality of the Risen Christ, and she worshipping Him in person.

What Will Our New Bodies Look Like?

The short answer is: “I don’t know!” When we all get our new bodies, will Jan still be the shortest person in the room? I seriously doubt it. She may be nine feet tall, with fire in her eyes! Or, maybe we will all be the same height. We simply are not told.

However, God does address the broader question, in 1^st Corinthians 15:35-38

³⁵ But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

³⁶ Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

³⁷ And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

³⁸ But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Paul’s Reply

He points out that when we plant wheat, we do not expect wheat seeds to come springing up out of the ground: We expect something that first resembles grass, but which eventually bears a seed head with many wheat seeds.

Then He answers the question in verses 42-49:

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

⁴³ It is sown in dishonour; 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.

Fulfilling the Pattern

⁴⁵ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶ Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Does that really “satisfy us?” Maybe not, but we choose to rest in that promise. None of us have seen the immortal, so we cannot accurately imagine it, and it is fruitless to try. We know that we will be like Him. That is the best we can say. And until then, all we can say for sure is that all our believing loved ones, those whom we have lost, are with Him now, and are safe in Him.

Lord Jesus, give us the faith to simply trust You and to believe Your Voice above all others: Help us to cling to Your Voice and Your Promise alone. As sheep follow their Shepherd, let us follow You and be safe in Your care.