Imagine walking through ancient Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion. The earth has just stopped shaking, and suddenly, you witness something extraordinary – people who had been dead are walking the streets, appearing to many throughout the city. This isn’t a scene from a movie; it’s a real historical event recorded in Matthew 27:50-53.

This remarkable resurrection of saints immediately following Jesus’ death was just the beginning. God’s divine plan includes three distinct types of resurrection: a past physical resurrection, a present spiritual resurrection experienced by every believer, and two future physical resurrections that will affect all humanity.

Biblical Insight

The Bible presents resurrection as a central theme, with Jesus’ resurrection serving as the firstfruits of what is to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Paul explains that “The Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” This establishes a divine order of resurrection events.

The present spiritual resurrection occurs the moment someone puts their faith in Jesus. As Paul declares in Ephesians 2:4-6, “God… made us alive with the Messiah even when we were dead in transgressions… and raised us up with the Messiah.” This spiritual resurrection is immediate and transformative, making us “new creations” in Jesus the Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Looking forward, Scripture reveals two major future physical resurrections. The first is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where believers will be raised at the Messiah’s return. The second is mentioned in Revelation 20:5-6, occurring after the millennial reign of the Messiah, when all remaining dead (the wicked dead) will be raised for judgment.

Practical Wisdom

Understanding these resurrection events should profoundly impact our daily walk with the Lord. The reality that we are already spiritually raised with the Messiah means we have access to His resurrection power right now. As Paul writes in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

This present spiritual resurrection should transform how we view ourselves and our struggles with sin. We’re no longer bound by our old nature but are alive to God in Messiah Jesus. As Colossians 3:1-2 instructs, because we’ve been raised with the Messiah, we should set our hearts and minds on things above.

Moreover, the reality of our spiritual resurrection now and the promise of physical resurrection to come should motivate us to share this hope with others. We’ve experienced the first resurrection spiritually; we await the second resurrection physically, and we long for others to share in this glorious future.

Clearing up misunderstandings

Many believers focus solely on the future physical resurrection while overlooking the present reality of spiritual resurrection. However, Scripture teaches that we are already raised with Jesus spiritually, giving us new life and power over sin and its consequences right now.

Another common misconception is thinking that all resurrections are the same. The Bible clearly distinguishes between spiritual resurrection (occurring at salvation), the first physical resurrection (for believers), and the final resurrection (for judgment). Each serves a unique purpose in God’s plan.

Conclusion

God’s resurrection plan spans all of history – from the saints raised at Jesus’ death, to our present spiritual resurrection in Christ, to the future physical resurrections. As believers, we can rejoice that we’ve already experienced the transformative power of spiritual resurrection while looking forward with confidence to our physical resurrection in glory.

Did you know?

The Greek word “συζωοποιέω” (suzōopoieō) used in Ephesians 2:5 for “made alive together with” the Messiah combines three words: “sun” (together with), “zoe” (life), and “poieo” (to make). This powerful compound word emphasizes the complete union believers have with Christ in their spiritual resurrection.