What Does The Resurrection Mean?

In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here's what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And script of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believed, Appear once more In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended by the Author.

Ah, the Resurrection.  What does it really mean?  Oh, we know that it means that Jesus rose from the grave having conquered death.  That He is greater and stronger than death itself and that He has power over death.  We have been taught the ramifications of that being that we who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior are going to have a resurrected body one day.  That we will be caught up together to meet Him at His return or if we go by the way of the grave ourselves we will return with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

So tell me dear Preacher, what does it mean for me today?  Why does it give me hope?  Well, let me list some things that it does mean to us:

1.   We will one day have a New Body.  An immortal, glorified body.  One that doesn’t age, isn’t susceptible to sickness, knows no pain, one that death can’t touch, one that will be like our Lord’s body.

2.  We will one day have a New Home.  Because Jesus is alive He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3).  Think of it, a home in Heaven!  We see so many beautiful homes today, but the one Jesus is building is beyond compare.  Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.”

3.  We have a Better Inheritance.  Sometimes those who have gone on before leave us something of value to remind us of their love.  1 Peter 1:3-4 states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you,”.  When my Mother died she left each of her children a small amount of money.  It was all she had left, but our Lord has an inheritance set aside for each of His Children, and He rose from the grave to guarantee we would not be left out of His Will.

It reminds me of that old hymn we used to sing:

It will be worth it all

When we see Jesus

Life’s trials seem so small

When we see Christ

One glimse at His dear face

All sorrow will erase

So bravely run the race

Till we see Christ

Think about that this Easter as we worship the one who rose from the grave!