Greetings from Faith Lutheran Church of Eldorado.
For those who use Lent to follow Christ to the cross and the celebration of Easter, the scripture reading of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and declaring himself to be the "resurrection and the life" was read this past Sunday. This section from John 11:17-27 is a popular text to be preached for funerals as it gives assurance that Christ will resurrect our body in glory. Yet, over the years, the belief that we will raise from the dead when Jesus returns has been dismissed by some or demoted in importance.
Influence from Eastern religions, the emphases on merely going to heaven, and a negative view of our own body, has led to both Christians and non-Christians to focus only on a spiritual existence. Eastern religions view the body as evil and the spirit as good. Most Buddhists and Hindus look for escape from the body and the world; to be reincarnated back into this world is viewed as bad.
We hear the term "spiritual, but not religious," which many Christians have begun to adopt. They shun organized worship and churches. It is just them and their god. They may be picking from a smorgasbord of beliefs or left with vague memories of things taught in Sunday school or vacation Bible school to formulate their belief. Modern entertainment (i.e. songs and movies) that talks about going to heaven or some spiritual existence following death, but not the resurrection, has become their guide on the afterlife. As these forms of entertainment replace church, the Bible and their pastor, then Morgan Freeman, "Star Wars," or some Discovery shows will have more influence than solid Biblical teaching.
If one denies the resurrection, it normally becomes a denial that God the Father created and declared His creation to be good. Creation for such a person may become inherently evil, so the body becomes secondary or evil as well. One may also deny that Jesus, God the Son, really didn't need to rise from the dead. His spirit could just remain in heaven after his death. There is also the misconception that Christ did not ascend bodily, but only spiritually. (The Jehovah's Witnesses have historically denied the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ. They believe that God has hidden Christ's body and that he appeared only as a spirit creature. Jehovah's Witnesses do not expect their body will ever be resurrected.) Finally, one may deny that our bodies are the temples of the holy spirit. Yet, scripture teaches us that the spirit sanctifies our entire person, body and spirit.
Death is the curse of sin. Yet, as Christ, "the resurrection and the life," died and rose from the dead, he defeated Satan, death and the grave. We may have joy and confidence that death has lost its sting, the grave is defeated and, yes, we will go to heaven, but our body will also be raised up as a glorified body when Christ returns.
Lenten Blessings, Pastor Otten.
