I am gathering seeds from the garden for next year, and so it seems a good time to consider the CreationSpeech of seeds. We will see that God made seeds in such a way that they illustrate truths about our resurrection. First let us remember that because of Adam’s sin, we will all die. But though we die, in Christ Jesus we shall be made alive.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” John 11:25-26
Illustrations from seeds
1. We must bury seeds (representing death) before they can become a new body (plant, produce). So also our bodies must die before the Holy Spirit (who raised Jesus from the dead, Romans 8:11) raises us from the dead.
“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” 1 Corinthians 15:36b
2. A seeds appearance does not adequately tell us what the plant will be. Our present human bodies also do not fully reveal the likeness of our resurrected bodies.
“And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.” 1 Corinthians 15:37
The following is a close-up view of a Hollyhock seed pod.
3. Seeds and plants are connected. Parsley seeds (pictured at top of post) yield one type of plant and onion seeds yield another. There will also be a connection between our present human bodies and our resurrected bodies.
“But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.” 1 Corinthians 15:38
Here is a photo of my harvest of onion seed heads. Each of the small green pods dries out, opens up, and spills out three black seeds. I have plenty of seeds for the next year!
Our new bodies will not just be different, they are imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual.
“There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.” 1 Corinthians 15:40
“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
Praise God for hope through Jesus Christ who redeems us from the curse of the law, this reaching completion after His return when the Holy Spirit conforms us to His image and we no longer suffer from disease and death. Be steadfast in Jesus!
“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:49
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-58
Well written and a great analogy. Just this weekend I had a conversation with someone referencing this chapter of the Bible.