It
is disturbing that a segment of Christians no longer believe in the
"resurrection of the body" – either Jesus’ or their own on the Last
Day.
For the
Christians who may have forgotten the teaching of the scriptures and the
Apostles' Creed, the "resurrection of the body (flesh)" means not
only that the immortal soul will live on after death, but that even our mortal
body will come to life again.
St.
Augustine said in the fourth century, "On no point does the Christian
faith encounter more opposition than on the resurrection of the body."
However, many people today focus only on the spiritual life of the human person
after death. But the Christian faith believes that the mortal body will rise to
everlasting life on the Last Day.
In John
5:28-29, Jesus says, "Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming
in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those
who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done
wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation."
In John
11:25, Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live." Then Jesus restored Lazarus to a physical
life.
After
the Resurrection, Jesus physically appeared to his disciples in this manner (as
recorded in Luke 24:24-43): "(The disciples) were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, 'Why are you
troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my
feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have
flesh and bones as you can see I have.'" And as he said this, he showed
them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were
amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him
a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. "Look at my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does
not have flesh and bones as you can see I have."
Then St.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:13-17, wrote: "If there is no resurrection of
the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. ... And if Christ has not been
raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are
also blasphemers, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom
he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not
raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your
faith is vain; you are still in your sins."
Finally,
as if there is still any doubt, Paul, in Romans 8:11, reiterated, "The one
who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies."
So,
contrary to popular opinion, Christ has been raised, and we, too, await that
day with certain hope that, together with all who have died in Christ; we, too,
will rise with him on the Last Day. Christians believe n or used to believe n
that what happened to Jesus in his Resurrection from the dead will also happen
to them in the resurrection on the Last Day.
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