Resurrection, part 2: What happens when we die?
by Pastor Stephen Abraham
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But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’ (1 Corinthians 15:35).
I’ve had the absolute honour of sitting with a number of precious people in their last days. I count it a treasured gift to minister to them in this sacred time. Often as we talk, pretence melts away, and the person bares their soul. As we share in deep and meaningful conversation, questions arise about their life, loves and regrets, past sins that need confession/absolution, and hurts that need forgiving and letting go of. Naturally, the questions regarding mortality come: What will I experience when I die? Where will I go? What will I see? There are a lot of responses to this depending on the person’s upbringing and faith tradition, and these need unpacking and guidance from Scripture and sometimes even some gentle teaching.
‘Christ has been raised from the dead … so all will be made alive in Christ’ (verses 20–23) when he comes again. So what kind of body will we have when we are resurrected? Paul uses analogies from the natural world:
- A dead-looking seed must be planted to have new life.
- A buried seed changes state into a plant.
- There are different kinds of bodies: flesh (verse 39) and heavenly (verses 40–41)
And so it follows: ‘This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried, it is mortal; when raised, it will be immortal’ (1 Corinthians 15:42, Good News Translation).
What happens when we die as perceived by others? Our life ceases. Like a dead-looking seed, we are planted in the ground. We become a cherished memory to them. The next time they see us, we are alive again, immortal!
What happens when we die – how do we perceive it? I liken it to when we fall asleep or go unconscious. Your awareness stops. The next thing you know, you have skipped eight hours, it’s morning, time has passed that you weren’t aware of at all, and as you open your eyes, a new day begins. Except this new day is eternity!
Almighty God, Heavenly Father, we thank you for this life you have given us. Help us use our earthly days wisely and support those in their final days or who have lost loved ones. We thank you for the life to come – the place you have prepared for us, Lord Jesus. In your name, we pray, Amen.
Stephen Abraham is a retired Lutheran pastor and musician who served as a school pastor and church planter in Mawson Lakes, South Australia. Stephen retired early due to a spinal injury, leaving him largely housebound with chronic pain (documented by Lutheran Media on its Messages of Hope YouTube channel and radio program). As his condition allows, Stephen still preaches, takes chapel and serves his local church and school. He also writes and records personal songs, worship songs and Christian meditations, which he shares on his YouTube channel (youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic).
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