4th November 2025
We look for the resurrection of the dead
Part of a series on the Nicene Creed
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8:11 (NIVUK)
The resurrection of the dead is central to Christian belief. Paul goes as far as telling us that ‘…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith’ (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection is God’s declaration that death does not have the final word. Through Christ’s own resurrection, God assures us that all who trust in him will be raised in glory.
In the Old Testament, Job points to the belief that even after the body decays, there will be a resurrection where the person will see God (Job 19:25-27). In the New Testament, we see that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection (Acts 23:8); it was a common belief among Jesus’s contemporaries (John 11:24); Jesus taught it (Mark 12:25-27), and links the resurrection to his own person (John 11:25). The Word of God really did become flesh and really did die and then bodily rise from the dead, remaining forever fully God and fully human. For us human beings, ‘To be united to the crucified and risen Christ through the baptism of his Spirit, necessarily carries with it sharing with him in the resurrection of the dead…’ 1
How should the hope of the resurrection shape our lives? First, it comforts us in grief. When we mourn loved ones who have died, we do not grieve as those without hope. We entrust them to God, believing in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:13; 1 Peter 1:3-4). Secondly, the resurrection inspires us to live with courage and purpose: knowing that death does not have the final say frees us from fear (Hebrews 2:15). The promise of resurrection enables us to confront suffering, injustice, and loss, knowing that God will renew all things. Thirdly, to look to the resurrection of the dead is also to look forward, to anticipate a future where God will wipe away every tear, heal every wound, and restore creation (Revelation 21:1-5). The resurrection opens up a vision of life transformed, bodies made whole, and relationships restored.
With this understanding, let us encourage one another in faith, especially in times of doubt and despair, let us care for those who are grieving, reminding them of God’s promises, and let us live with hope and courage, knowing that we have a wonderful future in the presence of God forever (Revelation 21:3).
Prayer
Loving Father, as we look to the resurrection of the dead, let us do so with conviction and joy. Let this hope shape our days, comfort our sorrows, and inspire our actions, and may we encourage one another with these words, until that day when faith is made sight and we are raised to new life in God’s eternal kingdom. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
1 Torrance, T.F. The Trinitarian Faith, p 299.
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Study by: Barry Robinson About the author: |
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Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA
Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm
Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church