Excerpt from The Sure Mercies of David
‘How shall the dead be raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ 1 Cor 15:35. These questions have been the subject of theological debate for centuries, although in many ways, few substantial conclusions have been made. Yes, the resurrection of Jesus is preached with great fervour and triumph. But do we understand what this means for all believers who die in faith? How does His resurrection guarantee our resurrection at the last day? We need to return to the simplicity of the words of Jesus and the testimony of the apostles on this all-importantsubject.
The physical body of Jesus is the substance of every believer’s resurrection body! This is our most vital consideration. Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’. John 11:25. As the disciples beheld and touched His physical body, they were handling the very substance or, we could say ‘the DNA’ of their own resurrection bodies. This is a most glorious truth, but how is it possible? How does His life become our life, and how does His flesh become our flesh? The apostle Paul called this process ‘the adoption’, which is fulfilled in the resurrection at the last day.
The resurrection at the last day is called ‘the adoption’ because it gives us the redemption of our physical bodies. Rom 8:23. Christ transfers His life to us through the adoption. He transfers the zoe life He has received from the Father, to us. He gives His life to us and makes it ours. Jesus said, ‘He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day’. John 6:54. As we ‘eat and drink’ we have eternal life, here and now. The inner man is being renewed day by day. At the same time, we groan inwardly waiting for the redemption of our physical bodies. In the resurrection, our lowly bodies will be transformed to the likeness of His glorious body. Phil 3:21.
The adoption is only realised within the ‘many-membered’ body of Christ – the church. When Jesus gives us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink, He offers us participation ‘in Himself’. He grants us real and tangible participation and fellowship in His corporate body. Jesus said, ‘He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me’. John 6:56. Accordingly, we need to tarry for one another at communion to trulyparticipate in the fellowship of Christ. This ‘fellowship of giving and receiving’ is our participation in Him.
The adoption is only realised as we ‘eat and drink’ and commune with Christ in fellowship with His people. Some people attend churches simply because they have friends and family there. Many have their own religious ideals and believethat others should accept, support or tolerate their viewpoint. They believe that this kind of fraternity is the fellowship of the body. However, this is most certainly not the fellowship of Christ. We must abide in the body and not be separated from its substance and fellowship. If we abide in Him, we will realise the substance and glory of the resurrection life that He has named for us.
Eating and drinking is our participation in the offering of Christ by which we receive His zoe life. We recall the words of Paul, ‘Is it not the communion [lit. participation]?’. 1 Cor 10:16. By this means, we keep Christ’s feast – the Feast ofPassover – which is His offering for us on the cross. Nevertheless, our participation in His offering cannot be with the ‘old leaven’ of our familiar ways or religious traditions. We must keep the feast with the ‘unleavened bread of sincerity and truth’. 1 Cor 5:8. If we do not participate in this manner, we will never find life. We are cut off from resurrection life as surely as the Israelite who refused to purge leaven from his house during the Feast of Passover, was cut off from the nation of Israel.