We Shall All Be Changed: Living in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection

Date: 23 Nov 2025, 9.30 am

Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58  

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TRANSCRIPT

Introduction

Blessed Sunday to everyone. For all of us who are here in person, know that you are ministering to the people around you. We call it the ministry of presence.

You are saying to the family members around you, that they are important enough for you to make the effort to show up.

As we all know, Sunday Service is not just about the vertical relationship between God and us. It is also about the horizontal relationship between God’s people.

May I submit for our consideration that our Sunday Service is a foretaste of what we will be doing for eternity.

As we have been learning through 1 Cor 15, there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead. That means, all of us who are in Christ, will be physically present in the new creation.

And in the new creation, I’m sure we will continue to be worshipping God together.

I pray that all of us would not dread this idea but instead say ‘Amen’ to this wonderful future.  

In our Singapore context, we often view the body pragmatically. We value productivity, longevity, medical advancement, anti-ageing technology.

But Paul reminds us that Christian hope does not rest in prolonging the present body, but in receiving the resurrection body Christ has secured for us.

From Seed to Glorious Body (vv. 35–41) 

Last week the focus of the issue that Paul was addressing was summed up in v12 – Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Cor 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

Now, in this section, I supposed it is a follow up questions that Paul is anticipating. Now that the resurrection of the dead is true, how might that look like? How does a resurrected body look like?

Greek philosophy had this dualistic understanding. That the material and the spiritual are separate. So, since Paul was speaking about a bodily resurrection, his listeners could not understand how in the spiritual reality, a real physical bodies could exist.

So Paul uses the example of creation to explain it (v36-37)

Paul uses a simple agricultural image. What is sown is not what springs up.

The farmer sows his seed, he buries it, and when the crop finally sprouts up and grows, the seed is nowhere to be found. It is completely gone, it has perished.

So Paul says, look around you as you plant, there is already a visible experience of a kind of death and resurrection.

So based on something that you see in every field and garden, creation has given us the picture of the resurrection of believers.

This analogy has already been used by Jesus Himself:

Jn 12:23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus says He is the seed that dies to rise and bear much fruit.

Using this same language, Paul is instructing that Jesus is our template. If we believe in Jesus, we will be like Him. We shall die and like Jesus, will be resurrected when Jesus comes again.

This is comforting is it not? In the midst of our physical decay, as we view the gloom and sadness that death brings, there is still hope. Because of the empty tomb, Christ is risen.

Because Christ is risen, He is the seed that has risen and so he is the foretaste of what we will experience.

So, what kind of body will we be resurrected into? If I had my wish, it would not be as I am. If I had a choice, I’ll add at least 10 cm to my height, better hearing, and maybe even a tanner complexion.

V38, tells me, I’ve got no choice. God is the one who gives the body as He determines.

The resurrection body is God’s sovereign gift to each of us. So, in a sense, there is no need to speculate. God is the one who will determine our resurrected body.

It will be a body that is best suitable for me and for you. It will be the most appropriate body that is necessary for you and me to be able to fulfil, God’s purposes for all of eternity.

But since we will be living in the new creation, v39-40, gives an ideal of the diversity of God’s created bodies. Not all flesh is the same.

There are different kinds of flesh, different kinds of bodies. Humans will have one kind, animals another, birds and fish, they will all be different.

As God has created our current creation so diverse and purposeful. The new creation will be just as diverse and purposeful.

Notice with me that in v39 to 41, Paul lists the order of creation but in the opposite sequence. First humans, then animals, then birds, fish, sun, moon, then the stars.

I submit, Paul is emphasizing and reminding that humans are the apex of God’s creation. And in a sense, the way God has intended creation to exist in harmony with one another will continue into the new creation.

The analogy from a seed to a plant and also different flesh for different creatures, gives us a sense that there will be discontinuity as well as continuity.

To further his point about the difference between our current bodies and the resurrected bodies, Paul also contrasts between the heavenly bodies (the sun, moon and stars) and the earthly bodies.

Each has its own glory. Meaning each has its own purpose that God has intended for it.

As it functions as God has intended, it shines forth for God, in the way He has purposed for it.

In summary, the resurrected body is sovereignty decided by God.

It will fit according to His perfect plans, it will be different for all of God’s creatures and yet, it will be in continuity with what God has already created.

If God said before the fall that everything He created was good. Then definitely, in the new creation, whatever God will give, will be good and perfect as well.

Singapore is a city in a garden. Paul’s analogy of a seed transforming to a plant is thus something that should be natural for us to understand.

So, for those of us whose physical bodies are failing due to age, sickness, pain, or disability, remember that what you experience now is only the seed.

God promises a glorious body that will never perish. Let this hope stabilise you in your trials. Grant you patience in this life and enable you to look forward with joy to the resurrected bodies God will give us.

If today, you are young, healthy and full of vigour, don’t idolise it. Use it instead for the Lord. Be good stewards of it.

Know that when Christ comes again, you are going to have a body better than you ever can imagine. A body that will be fitted for you to serve God’s purposes fully.

From Weakness to Power (vv. 42–49)

I’ve entitled today’s sermon, We Shall All Be Changed: Living in the Power of Christ’s Resurrection. The first change we have seen is from the seed to a glorious body. The second is a great transformation, in which we will move from weakness to power.

1 Cor 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Paul now contrasts the characteristics of the present body with the resurrection body. Just as each creature has a glory that fits its environment, we also will be made suitable for the new creation that is to come.

I’m sure we can all identify with the feebleness of the earthly bodies that Paul is referring to – perishable, dishonour, weakness and natural.

This is an experience all of us are going through now. Some more than others.

To what is perishable today, Paul says our resurrected bodies will become imperishable. Paul continues the analogy of the seed planted. When we die, we are sown perishable.

But we are to live for eternity. Our bodies must thus be fitting for that environment. So at the resurrection, God will give us imperishable bodies. Bodies that will not break down, age nor die.

In the garden after they sin, we see that Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were afraid. Shame and dishonour were felt by them.

Because of sin, we are limited with how we can live for God, there is constant corruption to our holiness.

The resurrection body will be so, so much different. It will be marked by glory. The glory will be how we can shine as purposed by God without blemish.

We will be truly all that God has purposed for us. We will be a spotless mirror, that will reflect perfectly the splendour of our King.

Not only are we weak and frail physically, 1 Cor 1:27 reminds us that God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

For all of us who feel we are the least in the society, those who have no voice, no influence, no status. God knows that we are weak.  

But in the resurrection, we will experience the power of God in our lives. The power over sin and death will be evident in our lives. The vitality of the risen Christ will flow through every part of our body. We will be empowered to live fully and wholly for Jesus.

And so, we will shed our natural man when we die and we will become the spiritual man and women when we are resurrected. We will have a body that is perfectly governed by the Holy Spirit.

Our bodies will 100% Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered.

Our resurrected bodies will be totally and fully transformed. It would become a body that is fit for eternity in God’s new creation.

All the above I submit, cumulates in the contrast between the first and the last Adam and we see that in v45-49.

Where is this huge and significant transformation of our bodies to come from? It is none other than Christ.

And so, Paul tells us that both our first parent and Christ are our representatives. As they are, so will we be.

Quoting from Gen 2:7, Paul says, the first man Adam became a living being. Adam was given life.

In contrast, Christ, who is the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. Jesus is the living water, He is the bread of life, He is the True Vine.

The first Adam is made from the dust of the earth and to the dust all humans will return when they die. The first Adam sin, he disobeyed God.

The last Adam, Christ, however perfectly obeyed God and so became the Saviour of humanity and that of the new creation.

Thus, the contrast, the first Adam is from the earth, the last Adam is from heaven.

Now, how can we be identified with the last Adam?

A bible commentator has put it this way, there are two births and two deaths.

Two births, there is a natural birth. And in John 3, we understand the second birth in Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus – you must be born from above. That means you must be born again, you must accept the grace of Jesus offered at Calvary.

There are also two deaths. One that we all know which will happen one day to all of us. The second death is what is found in Revelations 21.

Rev 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

So the mathematical formula is as follows:

1. If you have only been born once, you will die twice.

2. If you have been born twice, you will only die once.

   
   

If humans do not accept Jesus as their Saviour and be born again, they will face the second death, which is eternal death. That means eternally being under the wrath of God and thus away from His presence.

If today, you have been born twice, then you are in the Last Adam. He is your representative. His life will be yours as well. Christ has resurrected and so will you.

Christ has a body that is imperishable, glorious, in power. We too will have that.

For all of us who have put our trust in Jesus, we will bear the image of the man of heaven not the man of dust.  

How many of us have experienced the high-speed trains in China?

If you have, I’m sure you would agree that they are modern, comfortable and a great asset to their society.

It’s a transformation that China has gone through and the picture captures the great transformation.

In this photo, it’s supposedly the same train driver who poses in front of the old train in 1996 and again in 2022.

In just over 25 years, the rail system in China has been totally transformed.

Scripture says, the transformation of our bodies will be much more than this transformation of the Chinese rail network. This is what humans can do, imagine what God who is the sovereign creator can do. 

Today for those of us who are grappling with significant weakness. Have faith to accept that our weaknesses are temporary. Do not lose heart. Continue to live for Jesus and serve Him as you are able.

Look forward to your glorified resurrected body that you will have for all eternity.

If you are healthy today, check that you have been born twice. You cannot be healthy forever. Our mortal bodies will all decay. But if you want to stay healthy for all eternity, you need to come to Jesus.

Only when you do put your faith in Jesus, can you be assured of a healthy God-filled body that will last for all eternity.

From Despair to Faithful Living (v50-58)

Remember, last week we learnt that Paul rejected the attitude – eat and drink for tomorrow we die (15:32). This happen because the Israelites did not include God into their thinking and felt that their situation was hopeless.

They exhibited despair. And thus, felt it was best to indulge for they had no future hope.   

But as Paul has corrected, the picture of the future is so, so much different if we are in Christ. Because of the resurrection of the dead, there will be many tomorrows. And the tomorrows will be very different.  

1 Cor 15: 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I’m sure we all can acknowledge that our flesh and blood bodies are perishable.

But since God’s kingdom in the new creation is imperishable. God’s kingdom cannot have creatures that perish.

Thus, the resurrected body, the one that God will sovereignty give, will be fitting for the environment that is part of God’s Kingdom.

The wonderful thing is that we believers, will inherit the right body for God’s Kingdom.

To inherit means it is something only God has the power to give, and since He is the everlasting one, it is a guarantee that we can look forward to receiving.

Paul then says, he is revealing a mystery. Something that was hidden in the past but now revealed. Paul has left out the guesswork for us, he tells us what is necessary to know.

A few things Paul reveals to us:

1. Sudden appearance - When Jesus comes, it will be sudden in the sense that the world will be going on as it has. At that point, many believers would have already died but other believers will still be alive.

2. Universal change – Believers, whether dead or alive, will be changed. The change is universal. We will all be marvellously transformed. We will all be given the new resurrected bodies.

3. Immediate transformation – the transformation will not be gradual, it will be instantaneous. It will be as fast as the blinking of an eye.  

4. Final change – there is no more changing after this. This change is after the last trumpet. This trumpet will sound when Jesus comes back. This is the trumpet sound that announces the end of human history. This is the trumpet sound which says, there will be no more opportunity to repent.

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For all of us who are believers, this last trumpet sound is the sound of relief, of joy, of the wonderful fulfilment of our anticipation to see Jesus face to face.

This last trumpet sound will however be the sound of the last nail into the coffin of those who are unbelievers. It will be the final and devasting realization that they have been scammed big time by Satan.

The Australian box jellyfish is considered the most venomous marine animal. The sting introduces poison that may result in paralysis, cardiac arrest, and even death, all within a few minutes of being stung. 

The author of this article was writing about her experience of being lightly stung by this jellyfish in Gold Coast Australia. The article appeared in 2020, when this box jellyfish was sighted in Singapore waters.

Most of us will not die by being stung by the box jellyfish, but we will still die and v56 tells us the sting that causes natural death in all of us is sin.

Adam sin by disobeying God and Adam’s nature is in all of us.

We may avoid the sting of the box jellyfish, but the sting of sin has already stung us.

Thus, the resurrection is the good news. Christ has risen, death the last enemy has been destroyed.

At the first Easter, when Jesus resurrected, that is when death is swallowed up in victory. The victory was won at the cross.

Thus, now for us, we can then look death in the eye and ask – where is your victory, where is your sting?

Therefore, Paul ends with two things for our consideration. Because of the resurrection and everything that has been said about it in 1 Cor 15:

Firstly in v57, we are to be thankful and grateful to God because of the victory Jesus has won for us at Calvary.

I submit we need to remember where we were before Christ and what would have been our final destination. Only then can we be grateful and thankful.

Remember if we are born once, we will die twice and the second death is into the lake of fire. A place outside the presence of our loving Heavenly Father for all eternity.

Believers, we have been saved from that, not because of anything we have done, but only by the grace of God. Let us remind each other often to be thankful and grateful.

Secondly in v58, Paul says, because of the resurrection, that is our motivation to action and be about the Lord’s work.

Because of the resurrection, be steadfast and immovable, that means we dig our heels in and we ensure we are firmly in the Gospel direction. We see it as our life’s priority.

Because of the resurrection, abound in the work, be diligent, and do more than is necessary, for the Lord.  

As Hermonites, what is the Lord’s work – it is our mission statement – because of the resurrection - glorify God by being and making disciples of Christ Jesus.

As Horebians, what is the Lord’s work – it is the Horeb Covenant – because of the resurrection - Honour God, Obey God’s Word, Reach God’s lost people, Equip God’s church and Build God’s love and unity.

And our encouragement to persevere is this affirmation from the Lord. You labour will not be in vain. It might be unseen and unrecognized by man, but God sees and God remembers.

A story is told of a teacher who spotted a young man who was a raw talent. This teacher saw in this young man, a gift for conducting an orchestra that the young man did not yet see in himself.

Through the efforts of this teacher, the young man blossomed into a renown conductor, receiving applause and accolades around the country.

But after each concert, this young man would search the audience for that 1 person to gauge if he did well that night.

Only when his teacher started to applause would the young man then smile and bow to the audience. The commendation of his teacher was so much more important than the rest of the audience combined.

As a church, we too serve the audience of One, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are His body and He is our head.

Society might scoff at what we do, friends might belittle, family might say there is nothing to show for all your effort, but we can persevere because the Lord sees, and what is done in His name is not in vain.

Conclusion

Church, Paul’s teaching on the resurrection in 1 Cor 15 is not an abstract doctrine. It is the heart of the gospel. The resurrection is God’s final answer to sin, suffering and death.

The Gospel proclaims that Jesus Christ – the last Adam- entered our world, took on our perishable flesh and was sown in dishonour upon the cross.

But on the third day, He was raised in glory and power. Through His death, the sting of sin was removed, through His resurrection, the grave was conquered forever.

For the believer, death no longer has the last word. Christ’s resurrection guarantees our resurrection.

The perishable will be clothed with the imperishable, the mortal with immortality.

This hope is not meant to make us passive. Instead, Paul has ended with this exhortation – therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

Because Christ has risen, everything we do for Him now – every act of love, every prayer, every word of witness – has eternal significance.

Our labour is not wasted, even when unrecognized or unseen, because it is anchored in the victory of our risen Lord.

As we await the glorious day when the last trumpet will sound, let us respond in worship and praise by singing the triumphant words of our closing hymn later.

Words that echo the victory Paul describes in 1 Cor 15:

Up from the grave He arose,With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;He arose a victor from the dark domain,And He lives forever with His saints to reign.He arose! He arose!Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Reflection Questions

1. Does the hope of the resurrection motivate you to abound in the work of God today? If not, why? If so, what are some practical ways you can do so?
   

2. Describe how the Resurrection of Christ shapes the way you think of life, death and your service of the Gospel?