Will We Know?

1 Corinthians 15:17-28  "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. [18]  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. [19]  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. [20] But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. [21]  For 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. [23]  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. [24]  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. [25]  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. [26]  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. [27]  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. [28]  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. "

One of the greatest areas of curiosity among mankind is the answer to the question: "What happens to us after death?". How will we be changed? Do we just cease to exist, or can we know, for a certainty, that death is only a doorway into another world? Science tell us that death is no more than the cessation of life. That, once we die, we are dead. Yet we who believe in Jesus Christ know that this is not true, that death is more than just an end, but a beginning to a whole new life. We know this because Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Firstfruits is a word in the original tongue that means "The first harvest, that which is taken out of the field first". The word "firstfruits" is used 30 times in the Bible, and was God's requirement of sacrifice in the Old Testament. If you were to bring a grain offering to God, you always brought the "firstfruits" or first part of that harvest to Him for a blessing. Jesus is the "first one harvested" from out of death, the first one to be given a glorified body by the Father.

Prior to Christ's resurrection there were two schools of theology in Israel. The Pharisees believed that there would be a literal bodily resurrection of the righteous dead in the end times. The Saducees, on the other hand, believed that there was no such thing. They believed that once you died, you were dead, and there would be no separate resurrection, or rejoining of the human spirit to the body.

Jesus blew this doctrine out of the water. First, He resurrected and remained on the earth teaching before large crowds for a long period of time:

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 "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. "

Acts 1:2-3 "Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: "

Jesus spent forty days on the earth teaching and preaching in His glorified body. He was seen of over five hundred believers in that period of time, all who had ample opportunity to touch Him, see that He was really in solid form. It is possible to delude a few people, to hypnotize several into believing a lie. But it is impossible to delude five hundred at once, and, after deluding them, make them willing to give their lives for what they saw.

We usually read the words of Romans 6.3-5 during Water Baptism of the new believer, but often fail to pay attention to all of it's words:

Romans 6:3-5 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4]  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5]  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

When we accepted Jesus Christ as Savior God the Father associated us with His death. That is, because Jesus bore the penalty of sin, and because we accepted that bearing, we are now fit for the Kingdom of Heaven by association. The Bible also makes it clear that we who have been associated with the Atonement shall also be  in the likeness of his resurrection. Jesus stayed on the earth 40 days to make sure we saw His resurrected body; Paul says that we will share in the likeness of his resurrection. As Jesus was, in resurrected body, we shall be like, one day, in glory.

The Apostle John also believed that Jesus was a pattern for our resurrected state:

1 John 3:1-2  "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. [2]  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. "

When Jesus walked the earth as the firstfruits of resurrection there are several texts that show how His body was different, and yet the same. Jesus appeared inside of locked rooms:

John 20:24-27 " But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. [25]  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. [26] And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. [27]  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 when He appeared, He appeared in such a form that the disciples knew who He was. He still wore the badges of honor He earned on the Cross, and it was these identifying marks that He showed to doubting Thomas. I believe that we, in our glorified bodies, will be unbound by the restrictions of earth. I also believe we will know one another in Heaven, just as we will know Jesus.

We will be capable of eating, but not need to do so in order to sustain life. Luke tells us:

Luke 24:36-43 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. [37]  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. [38]  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? [39]  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. [40]  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. [41]  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? [42]  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. [43]  And he took it, and did eat before them. "

I imagine seeing Jesus for the first time in a glorified state was a lot like the people in Noah's day seeing rain. Up until the flood no one had ever seen rain, as the water came up from the earth in, I assume, springs. The disciples were all in a closed room, huddled together in fear that the authorities would find and kill them. Suddenly, here in the midst of them is Jesus. Having never seen anyone in a glorified state they were frightened until Jesus took some food and ate it. The glorified body can be handled, the sense of touch, taste, all five senses, are still very real.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57  "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. [54]  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. [55]  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? [56]  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. [57]  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. "

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul introduces this section by explaining that there are many different types of bodies: physical bodies, spiritual bodies, earthly bodies, celestial bodies. Death is only a doorway that takes us from one state to another. We have a deep fear of death, a wonder of it, because for each one of us it is something we have never really experienced. But Paul let's us know that just as the seed of corn, sprouted, turns from one body into another, we, when dead, will one day sprout into a glorified state like Jesus.

Jesus took the sting from death. A young Nigerian, Ode Sunday, came to accept Jesus Christ as His Savior in his village. Shortly after he met the Lord he began coughing, and three days later he died. Prior to his death he wrote on the doorway of his house in chalk, "Accept Jesus". Ode understood that death was only a doorway, that he was not ending his life but just beginning it. Though he walked only a few steps on his Christian journey, he changed lives even after his death. Those who came to his house saw the chalked message on the door and accepted Christ as Savior. The Chief authorized that a Church be built, and souls are coming to Jesus even now. Two other villages, hearing about the event that happened in Ode's village, now want Churches built. Life is not an end, but a glorious new beginning for the Christian.

Are you in Christ? The promises of eternal life and a glorified body are given to the Children of Light, to those who have accepted Christ as Savior. If you do not know Jesus, please, today is the day of salvation.