ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Pulelulu Sune 13, 2018

Nofo‘aki tali ki hotau sino toetu‘u fo‘ou

(Living in hope for our new resurrected bodies)

Fehu‘i #50

Ko e hā ‘a e ngaue ‘a e toetu‘u ‘a Kalaisí  ma‘a kitautolú ?

Na‘e ikuna‘i ‘e Kalaisi ‘a e angahalá  mo mate ‘i he‘ene toetu‘u ‘i he sinó  mei he pekiá  kae lava ai ki he fa‘ahinga ‘oku nau tui falala kiate Iá  ke nau toetu‘u ki ha mo‘ui fo‘ou ‘i he maama ko ení mo e mo‘ui ta‘engata ‘i he maama kaha‘ú. Hangē pe ko e ‘amanaki ki he‘etau toetu‘ú, ‘e toe fakafo‘ou ‘a e mamani ko ení. Ka ko kinautolu ‘oku ‘ikai ke tu‘u ‘enau falalá  ‘ia Kalaisí, ‘e fokotu‘u kinautolu ki he mate ta‘engata.

What does Christ's resurrection mean for us?

Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death. 

1 TESALONAIKA 4:13-14

‘Oku ‘ikai te mau loto foki ke mou mūnoa, kāinga, ‘i he me‘a ki he kakai kuo mohe; ke ‘oua te mou mamahi ‘o hangē ko e kakai kehe, ‘a ia ‘oku ‘ikai ha‘anau ‘amanaki. He kapau leva ‘oku tau tui ne pekia ‘a Sīsū, pea toetu‘u, pehē foki ko e kakai na‘e fakamohe ko e me‘a ‘ia Sīsū, ‘e ‘omi kinautolu ‘e he ‘Otua fakataha mo ia.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-14

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

D. A. CARSON

That is our destination. So his resurrection is the firstfruit of what is often called a general resurrection at the end of the age. All human beings will be resurrected, whether to life or to condemnation, because we are essentially embodied people.

And with this comes also a vision of life and existence beyond this life. We should not think that Christianity merely sorts out some problems in our lives here. Rather, the ultimate goal is beyond this life. When we get older and more hairs fall out and arthritis kicks in, or we slink away into dementia, suddenly resurrection existence begins to look very good indeed because our hope is not to survive to seventy or eighty or even ninety. Our hope finally is a body like Christ's resurrection body. And his is the firstfruit; ours has been secured by him, and we are coming along behind him to join him in resurrection existence: full-bodied resurrection existence in the new heaven and the new earth, the home of righteousness. That's why 1 Thessalonians 4, the great resurrection chapter, ends with the words “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Prayer

Resurrecting God, make us mindful that death is not the end for us. save us from the judgment we deserve, and make us faithful to implore others to flee from the wrath to come. We look in hope to the joy that will be ours when, saved from that wrath through the merits of Christ, we will be clothed with resurrected bodies to reign on a renewed earth. Amen.