ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 PULELULU SEPITEMA 10, 2025

THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION LIFE

KO E ‘AMANAKI KI HE MO’UI TOETU’U

1 CORINTHIANS 15:48-49

"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven."

1 KOLINITO 15:48-49

48 ‘Ilonga pe e anga ‘o e Me‘a-efu na, pea ma‘u ia ‘e he fa‘ahinga Me‘a-efu: pea ‘ilonga pē e anga ‘o e Tupu fakalangi na, pea ma‘u ia ‘e he fa‘ahinga Tupufakalangi. 49 Pea hangē kuo tau ma‘u ‘a e ‘īmisi ‘o e Me‘a-efu, pehē foki te tau ma‘u ‘a e ‘īmisi ‘o e Tupufakalangi.

Tatau ai pe, pe ko e ha e lahi taha hotau mafai ke vavanga’i ha me’aa, ‘e ‘ikai pe te tau lava ke mahino’i kakato ‘a e mamani ‘oku teuteu mai ‘i he kaha’uu - pea ‘oku mo’oni pe ia. Te ke lava ke faka’uta ange ki ha mamani ‘oku ‘ikai malava  ‘e he mofuike, afaa, mo e ‘ahiohio ke fai ha maumau? Ha mamani ‘oku ‘ikai hoko ‘a e fo’i lea kanisaa ko ha me’a fakalele loto? Ha sino ‘oku ‘ikai vaivai, pe mahaki’ia, pe ongo’i loto mamahi mo mate? 

Ko hono mo’oni, ‘oku ‘ikai lava ‘e hotau ‘atamai ‘o vavalo’i ha mamani pehee. Ka, ‘oku tau ma’u ha ‘ata ‘o e mo’ui toetu’u ‘i hotau ‘Eiki ko Sisu Kalaisi. ‘I he’Ene toetu’u mei he pekia, kuo Ne hoko ai ko e polopolo ‘o kinautolu kotoa kuo tui falala kiate Ia. Ko e me’a ‘oku tau mamata ‘iate Iaa, ko e me’a pe ia te tau a’usia ‘i he ‘aho ko ee.

‘I hotau natula tangataa, ‘oku tau “‘ia ‘Atama” pea tu’unuku ki he mate; ka ko kinautolu ‘oku nau ‘ia Kalaisi, ‘Oku palomesi ‘e he ‘Otua ha ‘amanaki fo’ou (1 Kolinito 15:22). ‘I he’ene ikuna’i ‘a mate, na’e hanga ai ‘e Kalaisi, “‘Atama kimui” (v 45), ‘o fokotu’u kitautolu ki he hala ‘o e mo’ui ‘ikai toe ngata ‘i hevani. ‘I ono’aho na’a tau lalaka ‘i he hala ‘o e “tangata ‘o e efu,” ka ‘i he tu’u ko eni, ko kinautolu ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi, ‘oku taa’i ‘iate kinautolu ‘a e ‘imisi ‘o e “tangata ‘o hevani.” 

‘E anga fe fe ‘a mamani ‘o ka foki mai ‘a e tangata ‘o hevani pea ne ‘omi ‘a hevani mo Ia? ‘Oku ‘ikai tala fakapatonu mai ‘e he Folofola ‘a e fakaikiikii. Ka ‘oku tau ‘ilo, ko e sino fa’a ‘auha, ‘e ta’e fa’a ‘auha. ‘Oku fakangatangata pe hotau ngaahi ‘ahoo, ka ‘oku tau ma’u ‘a e palomesi mo e ‘amanaki ‘o e mo’ui ta’engata ‘oku ‘ikai toe ‘osi. Te tau mo’ui tuputupu’a (1 Kolinito 15:42), pea ko e ‘aho kotoa pe ‘o e mo’ui ta’engata ko iaa ‘e fonu langilangi’ia, he ‘e ‘ikai ke toe ‘osi, pe mele pe mae (1 Pita 1:4). ‘Oku tau ‘ilo ‘e liliu ‘e he ‘Otrua kitautolu mei he koto palakū ki he koto teunga‘ia, mei he vaivai ki he tu’unga fo’ou mo naunau’ia (1 Kolinito 15:43).

‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u ‘i hotau mamani ha fakataataa totonu ‘o e me’a ‘e hoko ‘i he mo’ui toetu’u. Tatau ai pe, pe ko e ha e me’a te ke fakakaukau’i, ‘e kei hulu atu pe ia. Ka ko e me’a ko eni, ‘oku pau: ko e mo’ui ko iaa, ‘oku tatali mai ma’au, he kuo moloki ta tu’o taha ‘e he ‘Eiki ko Sisu Kalaisi ‘a mate ‘i hono lalo va’ee. Kuo fongia ‘a mate ‘i he ikuna kafakafa ‘a e ‘Alo (1 Kolinito 15:54).

‘I he ‘aho ni, te ke kei fakatokanga’i pe ‘a e ngaue ‘a e fa’ahi ‘a e matee ‘i ho ‘atakaii - ‘io, na’a mo koe, ‘oku kei ‘asi pe ai. Mahalo pe na’a ‘oku toe ongo makehe ange ia ‘i ho’o mo’ui ‘i ho’o lau ‘a e tohi ni. Ka ke manatu’i, ko e pule’anga ‘o e maama kuo ne ‘osi kapa ‘a e pule’anga ‘o e fakapo’uli. ‘Io, kuo ‘osi tohi kakai koe ‘i he pule’anga ‘o e mo’ui toetu’u. Neongo te ke kei ongo’i pe ‘a e ‘auha mo e popo ‘a e sino, ka ‘oku ‘i ai ‘etau ‘amanaki ‘i he’etau ‘ilopau ‘e ‘i ai ‘a e ‘aho ‘e taha, ‘e liliu ai ‘e he tangata ‘o hevani ‘a e “sino ‘o ‘etau mo‘ulaloa ni ke alāanga mo e sino ‘o ‘ene lāngilangi‘ia” (Filipai 3:21) - ‘o ta’engata!

Lau ‘a e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e taha: Fakamaau 9-10; Sione 4:1-30

Even if we muster all our imaginative powers, it's impossible for us fully to conceive of the world as it ought to be - and, indeed, as it will be. Can you imagine a world where earthquakes, storms, and tornadoes no longer wreak havoc and destruction? A world in which the word cancer strikes fear into nobody's heart? A body without weakness, without infection, without sickness, without sadness, without death?

The fact is, none of us can imagine that. But we do have an image of our hope for resurrection life in our Lord Jesus Christ. In being raised from the dead, He has become the firstfruits of all who trust in Him. What we see in Him is what we are someday to become.

By nature, we are all "in Adam" and destined for death; but to any who are in Christ, God promises renewed hope (1 Corinthians 15:22). By triumphing over death, Christ, "the last Adam" (v 45), has set us on the path to indestructible life in heaven. Once we walked the path of "the man of dust," but now all who are in Christ "bear the image of the man of heaven."

What will life be like when that man of heaven returns to earth and brings heaven with Him? Scripture doesn't lay out all the details. But we do know that instead of being perishable, our bodies will be imperishable. We currently have a limited shelf life, but we have the promise and hope of an eternal life with no expiration date. We will live forever (1 Corinthians 15:42), and every day in that forever will be glorious, for nothing will ever perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4, NIV). We also know that God will transform us from a condition of dishonor and weakness to a renewed state of power and glory (1 Corinthians 15:43).

Neither you nor I have the categories to fathom such a resurrection life. Whatever you imagine, the reality will be better! But of this you can be sure: that life does await you, for your risen Lord Jesus Christ has trampled death underfoot once and for all. Death has been swallowed up in His irreversible victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Today, you will still see the forces of death at work around you - even in you. Perhaps you are very aware of that in one way or another as you read these words. But be assured that the kingdom of light has already prevailed over the domain of darkness. In fact, your citizenship already belongs to the kingdom of resurrection life. At times you may still feel the decay and the dust, but you can yet find hope, knowing that the man of heaven will one day transform your "lowly body to be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21) - forever!