Hope in Resurrection: Renewal of Body and Creation

Today’s focus is on the profound hope found in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, as confessed in the Apostles’ Creed. While many are familiar with the idea of “life everlasting,” the resurrection of the body is often overlooked or misunderstood. The Christian hope is not merely about escaping this world for a spiritual afterlife, but about God’s intention to restore and renew all of creation—including our physical bodies. This stands in stark contrast to ancient Gnostic beliefs, which saw the material world as inherently bad and the spiritual as good. Instead, Scripture reveals that God created the world and humanity as “very good,” and His desire has always been to dwell with His people, not to abandon creation.

From the beginning, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, desiring close fellowship. Sin brought separation and death, but God’s plan was always to restore what was lost. Through covenants with Abraham and Israel, God promised to dwell among His people. This promise was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who became flesh and lived among us, taking on our sin and conquering death through His bodily resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is not just a unique event, but the “firstfruits” of what is to come for all who belong to Him. Our hope is not in a disembodied existence, but in the renewal of our bodies and the restoration of all things.

Revelation paints a picture of a new heaven and new earth, where God’s dwelling is with humanity, every tear is wiped away, and death is no more. This hope is deeply personal—God sees every sorrow, every loss, and promises to make all things new. The resurrection of the body affirms that what happens in this life matters to God. Our pain, our longing, and our acts of love are not forgotten. Even now, God gives us His Spirit as a foretaste of the world to come, empowering us to live as signs of His coming kingdom—practicing justice, mercy, and compassion. The resurrection is not just a future event, but a present reality that shapes how we live, grieve, and hope.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The resurrection of the body is central to Christian hope, affirming that God values and will redeem the physical world He created. Unlike Gnostic thought, which devalues the material, the biblical story begins and ends with God dwelling with His people in a renewed creation. Our bodies and this world matter to God, and He is not content to leave them in decay or death. [38:06]
• 2. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is both the guarantee and the pattern for our own resurrection. Paul insists that if Christ is not raised, our faith is futile, but because He is risen, we too will be raised. This means that death is not the end, nor is it a gateway to escape creation, but rather the last enemy to be defeated as God brings about new life. [47:51]
• 3. God’s plan has always been to be present with His people—in the garden, in the tabernacle, in the person of Jesus, and ultimately in the new creation. The story of Scripture is not about us going up to God, but about God coming down to dwell with us, restoring what was lost and making all things new. [49:02]
• 4. The promise of resurrection gives deep comfort in the face of grief, loss, and suffering. God counts every tear, sees every pain, and will personally wipe away every sorrow. The hope of bodily resurrection means that our losses are not final, and that God will bring justice, healing, and restoration to every broken part of our lives. [59:16]
• 5. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of the resurrection life to come, empowering us to live as agents of God’s renewal now. Our acts of love, justice, and compassion are not just temporary gestures, but signs of the world God is bringing. We are called to embody the hope of resurrection in our communities, showing what it looks like when God is truly in charge. [60:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:45] - Opening Prayer and Community Intercession
• [04:10] - Introduction to the Apostles’ Creed Series
• [06:30] - Life Everlasting vs. Resurrection of the Body
• [08:45] - Paul in Athens: The Resurrection Question
• [11:00] - Death Separates, Resurrection Reunites
• [12:30] - Gnosticism and Early Church Heresies
• [15:00] - The Goodness of Creation in Genesis
• [18:20] - Humanity’s Rebellion and Separation from God
• [20:40] - God’s Covenant Presence: Tabernacle and Temple
• [23:00] - Jesus: God Dwelling Among Us
• [25:00] - Jesus’ Bodily Resurrection and Its Significance
• [28:00] - Our Resurrection: Paul’s Teaching in 1 Corinthians 15
• [31:00] - Revelation’s Vision: New Heaven and New Earth
• [35:00] - God’s Compassion: Wiping Every Tear
• [38:00] - Living the Resurrection Now: The Spirit’s Empowerment
• [41:00] - Closing Prayer, Creed, and Benediction

Bible Reading

Genesis 1:26-31 (ESV) — > Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

1 Corinthians 15:12-23 (ESV) — > Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Revelation 21:1-5 (ESV) — > Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Observation Questions

1. In Genesis 1, what does God declare about his creation, especially humanity? What job does he give to people?
2. According to 1 Corinthians 15, what does Paul say is at stake if Christ has not been raised from the dead?
3. In Revelation 21, what is the picture of the future that John describes? What does God promise to do for his people?
4. The sermon mentioned that the resurrection of the body is often overlooked compared to “life everlasting.” Why do you think that is? ([32:06])

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon contrasts the biblical view of creation with Gnostic beliefs that see the physical world as bad. Why is it important for Christians to affirm the goodness of creation and the body? ([38:06])
2. Paul calls Jesus’ resurrection the “firstfruits” of those who have died. What does this mean for how we view our own future and the future of those we have lost? ([47:51])
3. Revelation 21 describes God wiping away every tear and making all things new. How does this vision shape the way Christians should think about suffering, loss, and death? ([49:02])
4. The sermon says that God’s plan is not for us to escape creation, but for God to come and dwell with us. How does this change the way we think about heaven and the afterlife? ([49:02])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says that God cares about our bodies and the physical world, not just our souls. How does this affect the way you view your own body, health, and daily life? Are there ways you have unintentionally “devalued” the physical? ([38:06])
2. When you think about death—either your own or the loss of someone you love—does the hope of bodily resurrection bring comfort? Why or why not? How might this hope change the way you grieve? ([49:02])
3. The sermon describes God as counting every tear and promising to wipe them away. Is there a specific pain or loss in your life where you need to trust God’s promise to make all things new? ([49:02])
4. The Holy Spirit is described as a “foretaste” of resurrection life, empowering us to live as signs of God’s coming kingdom. What is one way you can practice justice, mercy, or compassion this week as a sign of that hope? ([01:00:24])
5. The sermon says that our acts of love, justice, and compassion are not just temporary gestures, but signs of the world God is bringing. Can you think of a recent situation where you saw or participated in this kind of “resurrection living”? What did it look like? ([01:00:24])
6. The biblical story is about God coming down to dwell with us, not us escaping to be with God. How does this change the way you think about your purpose and mission in your neighborhood, workplace, or family? ([49:02])
7. Is there a practical step you can take this week to embody the hope of resurrection in your community—maybe by comforting someone who is grieving, caring for creation, or serving someone in need? ([01:00:24])