"In Your Bodily Weakness, Hope In Jesus" (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

Our text reads, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:42-44). In the context of our passage, Paul is teaching the Christ follower that Jesus' bodily resurrection from among the dead is the guarantee of our future bodily resurrection! Praise God forevermore! Let me say that it's no secret, especially to us who are getting up in years, that our bodies don't function the way they used to! Our bodies are subject to aging, weakness, sickness, and death! But the wonderful promise of the Bible is that since Christ is risen, all who place their faith in Him will be raised and given glorified resurrection bodies that will NEVER be subject to weakness, sickness, and death! I don't know about you, but those are words worth shouting about! Paul tells us that our natural bodies are "sown a perishable body" but they are "raised an imperishable body!" This means "no more sickness and death!" That is the hope of the Christ follower! Dwight Lyman Moody shared the story about a 15-year-old girl who was hit with an illness that left her paralyzed on one side of her body and almost blind. As this young girl lay on her bed one day, she heard the family doctor say to her parents, "She has seen her best days, poor child." But she was a Christ follower and she quickly responded, "No doctor, my best days are yet to come, when I shall see the King in His beauty." (In James Boice, The Gospel of John [Zondervan], p. 1,400.) Brothers and sisters, her hope is your hope! If you are not a Christ follower, her hope is your hope if you believe that what Jesus did on the cross was for you! Your move. Be encouraged!