1 Corinthians 15:52–57 (NIV84)
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We love stories about transformation. Flip on the TV and someone is taking an old, out-of-date home and turning it into a person’s dream home. Wallpaper is replaced by shiplap, new flooring is installed, and new lighting and fixtures brighten up the space. Suddenly what was old is new again. In just half an hour we saw something ugly transformed into something beautiful.
Easter promises a transformation that is instant. TV shows can take a complicated project that might take weeks or months and edit it down to just half an hour. However, even that is too slow as compared to the instantaneous transformation that God promises. No commercial breaks and no filler shots. Instead, it will happen in the blink of an eye and you and I will be new again.
Easter promises a transformation that is complete. This transformation is more than just shiplap, flooring, and fixtures. This transformation means that our bodies, however imperfect they may be now, will be perfect like they were meant to be. There won’t be any more sickness, disability, or death. The aches and pains, the stress and heartache, the death and sadness will all be gone. Instead, you and I will enjoy living as we were meant to live in a perfect eternity.
Easter promises a spiritual transformation. Our entire being and souls will be made perfect. We will live and serve without sin. No longer will jealousy, selfishness or anger harm even the best of our intentions but we will know love and obedience like God knows love and obedience. Sin with its temptation and guilt will not afflict us any longer. We will be holy and perfect and truly at one with God.
When you watch some of those remodeling shows you sometimes wonder why the previous owner did what they did. What were they thinking with that shag carpeting and all that paneling on the walls? When the remodelers get done it seems like the home is finally the way it was meant to be. The transformation that you and I will experience will be the same. More than any questionable design decisions from the seventies, you and I were never meant to experience things like death, heartbreak or disobedience. We brought these terrible things onto ourselves but we were never meant to experience them. And so in the ultimate transformation, you and I will experience life as it was meant to be. With the power of sin, death, and the law broken, we will be transformed and will be as we were always meant to be.
PRAYER: Father, you will transform our lowly bodies to be like your heavenly body. Keep our hearts and minds set on that day that we may look forward with perfect confidence and eager expectation. Amen.