A new body!
“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” (2 Cor. 5:1 NLT)
“Remember the Alamo!”
While visiting San Antonio for a conference I was speaking at, Susan and went to see the Alamo. It was a stark reminder of what had happened there during the Texas Revolution, February 23 to March 6, 1836, where so many had died. According to eye witness accounts it was a slaughter with perhaps as many as ten-to-one against those who were garrisoned within the walls of the Alamo. They didn’t have a chance and were brutally and mercilessly destroyed. Santa Anna’s cruelty during the battle outraged and emblazoned great numbers of Texans to rise up with the now famous battle cry, “Remember the Alamo!” and they defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto ending the revolution, on April 21, 1836. The Alamo is now called the “Alamo Shrine” and as you walk through it, you see many displays depicting what had happened during that battle, including lists of names of those who had died there, including Davie Crocket.
All are only temporary here
In the Bible passage at top, we are reminded of several important things.
“When we die and leave this earthly body” – All will die someday, some even tragically. As terrible as the Alamo battle was, it is now history! It is an undeniable fact that every single person involved in every aspect of the Texas Revolution is now dead! And it is a stark reminder to us that all people will die. Some tragically, as in the Alamo, some by natural causes, and some for many other reasons. There are no exceptions. The Bible says that everybody will eventually die. (Heb. 9:27)
Our new body will be “an eternal body”– When we die we will get a new body to live in. There will come a day at the appearing of Jesus that our bodies, too, will be transformed and we will then have brand new transformed ones. (2 Cor. 5:3) Everything God creates is perfect and made with absolute excellence! (Psalm 86:8-10)
Our new body will be “made for us by God himself and not by human hands” – The body we have now is only temporary, but our resurrected body will be made perfect and will last indefinitely. (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)
Our new body will be “in heaven” – And, Jesus has prepared a wonderful place in Heaven for you to live. (John 14:2-4)
To recap:
Someday, we too will be a part of history, because all die and we will too. But, no matter how we die, if we have received Christ (John 1:12), we will receive a brand-new body made by God that will last forever in Heaven! It’s a promise!
Therefore…
“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.” (Rom. 14:8 ESV)