30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 23 44-49 THE DEATH OF JESUS 16 30Jan2022 Luke 23 46 Longing to be clothed with our heavenly habitation
📖 Luke 23:44-49
16 – 30 Jan 2022 – Longing to be clothed with our heavenly habitation - Luke 23:44-49 - THE DEATH OF JESUS - Bible reading: I Corinthians 15:50-54
“Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are revealing to us that we have an eternal habitation. This is the habitation with which we will spend eternity with you. We give You all the glory and praise. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.”
We have considered the triumphant final word that Jesus spoke from the cross.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.
Though this was the physical death of Jesus, we have understood that the death of Jesus took place earlier, and on the cross, Jesus was brought to life since He was restored to the Father. The physical death of Jesus was a victory.
We are looking at a few other incidents that took place at the same time when the Spirit of Jesus left His body.
Matthew 27:52-53 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; (53) and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
The issue of death is a heavy burden, for death is not only man’s separation from God but death has the second part, which is the lake of fire. Those who have not come to faith in Jesus will be cast into the lake of fire.
The entire matter of death was set aside because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, which we appropriate by faith. Jesus gives us resurrection.
I Corinthians 15:35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" (36) Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
It is necessary for this physical body to be put away so that we can be clothed with our spiritual body.
There will be some of us, who will be still in this physical body at the return of the Lord. We will be changed in a moment, and we will be clothed with our spiritual body.
For the majority, our physical body will go back to dust, and we will be clothed with our heavenly body.
I Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. (43) It is sown in dishonour, 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Our natural body has limitations. We fall sick and we experience other challenges. Praise the Lord, this natural body will one day come to an end, and we will enter the presence of the Lord in our eternal and spiritual house. This spiritual body is being prepared for us and is awaiting us. We look forward with great anticipation to be clothed with our heavenly tent.
I Corinthians 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
God in His wisdom has made it so that the natural or physical body comes first and then the spiritual.
What we do, during our time in the physical body, will determine how we are being moulded into the image of Jesus, since the spiritual body will have the resemblance of Jesus.
This time here on earth is very precious. We are building into our spiritual habitation. We must exercise this natural body in such a way that we are always keeping in mind our eternal and spiritual habitation.
We, therefore, take responsibility, here on earth, to work on our spiritual habitation in which we will be clothed one day.
I Corinthians 15:48-49 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
It is necessary for us to continuously grow more and more into the character and nature of Christ, while we are here on earth.
I Corinthians 15:50-54 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. (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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."
Those who have placed their faith in Jesus and physically die, do not die but they go to sleep in Jesus.
Those who have gone to sleep in Jesus will rise with a glorious, new, spiritual body and those who will remain, physically alive, at the time of the return of the Lord, will be caught up with Jesus in the air and in a moment be changed into their heavenly habitation.
I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will look at how we need to exercise ourselves now, to be ready for our heavenly habitation. We long to be clothed with our heavenly habitation, which is in the image of Jesus.
Thought to ponder
What is your anticipation in life? Is it to come out on the other side of the pandemic or is it to work on your spiritual body to be conformed to the image of Jesus?