The Sure Hope in the Resurrection

January 26, 2026

Death looms as humanity’s greatest fear, yet Scripture transforms it into a gateway of hope Because of God’s promise of the resurrection. The Apostle Paul addresses skeptics in 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.” This seed analogy reveals profound truths. A seed must die to sprout new life. The buried kernel looks nothing like the mature plant. God designs each transformation uniquely, wheat from wheat seed, corn from corn seed. Our earthly bodies, sown perishable, rise imperishable through the divine power of the Holy Spirit. Death is not the end of life, but a metamorphosis, orchestrated by the Creator who assigns each its form for eternity.

God promises that as He gave Jesus a new resurrection body, so He will do the same for you and me. Let that sink in. He is going to give us the same kind of eternal life He does for His son.

When we look at Jesus’ resurrection appearances we can get a picture of what our resurrection bodies will be like. Post-Easter appearances show continuity with this life, yet glorification of what is to come in the next life. Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus at the tomb. His face and voice were recognizable (John 20:11-18). When we get to heaven we will know loved ones. Our relationships endure in perfected forms in the life to come. On the Emmaus road, Jesus appeared suddenly, unbound by distance and then appeared in the Upper Room with the disciples even unhindered by the locked door (Luke 24:13-49). Our resurrection bodies will not be limited by time and space, moving freely in God’s kingdom. His disciples could see and touch his scars, revealing that life’s experiences follow us into eternity (John 20:19-25). He ate fish on the beach with the disciples, showing optional physicality (Luke 24:41-43). Our bodies will be real, capable of interaction, but free from earthly needs like hunger or decay. He cooked breakfast, blending the ordinary with the divine (John 21:1-25). We can enjoy fellowship eternally, unhindered by frailty.

This hope can reshape our view of death. Christians see it, not as annihilation, but transition. Earthly bodies, sown weak and dishonored by sin, rise powerful and glorious. As seeds vary yet fulfill God’s design, our resurrected selves will be uniquely suited for heaven. They will be imperishable, reflecting Christ’s image.

Paul contrasts Adam’s dust-born natural body with Christ’s heaven-sent spiritual one (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). We bear earthly frailty now, but will bear heavenly perfection when our time on earth is complete. Flesh cannot inherit the kingdom. Resurrection transformation clothes mortality with immortality (I Corinthians 15:50-53). Death’s sting, which is sin, loses power through Christ’s victory (15:54-57). No wonder believers need not fear death. The sure hope of the resurrection assures triumph over sin, death, evil, and the grave.

A close friend lost his dad. His father had an amazing life, long and full of faith, but his son was struggling with how final it seemed. I encouraged him to hang on to the promises. He gave me a kind, “Yes.” I asked him if he knew what the promises were. He asked me to remind him.

When I “reminded” him of all the things I have written in this article it lifted his spirits, and his whole countenance changed. He would later tell me that he shared the same conversation with his mother one hard night while she was grieving her husband’s death. He was so excited to report that reminding her that, at death, we have more than just memories of loved ones, we have the sure hope of the resurrection, changed her whole outlook on grieving.

The sure hope of the resurrection isn’t abstract doctrine but living assurance. Paul’s seed teaches us that death is necessary for new life. Jesus’ resurrection body is a preview of ours, recognizable, limitless, real. Does Paul’s seed analogy change your perspective on death? Which aspect of Jesus’ resurrection body most comforts you about your own? Recall a time death frightened you. How does resurrection hope address your fears? This week, how will you live boldly, knowing death holds no ultimate power? Do you fear death? God’s Word promises victory. Embrace this hope, and let God’s promises fuel fearless faith. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).