READ: ISAIAH 26:19; EZEKIEL 37:1-14; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-20, 51-52

Earth will give birth to you.

Your body, as it decomposes, will scatter particles back into the biosphere of our planet. This has happened to all members of the human race, the highborn and the lowly. But this isn’t permanent. A day is coming when Jesus will raise the bodies of the dead, putting all the little pieces back together. Earth will give birth to our bodies again, after absorbing them, like it first gave birth to humanity at the Creator’s touch (Genesis 2:7; 3:19).

Our planet is a giant recycling system. Things that die go back into the mix, and more life is created. It seems impossible that, once we die, we could be taken back out of the earth and reassembled. That is, however, the sure hope that God promised through His prophets and will accomplish in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself was dead, and for three days in the tomb, His broken body began to return to the biosphere. But He could not be held by death and decay. God the Father raised God the Son from the dead, putting His body back together and reversing the natural process.

When Jesus returns, we will also be raised from the dead, and all who have put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever in restored creation. Then, our bodies will be in better shape than they ever were before, but make no mistake, the bodies we have now are the same bodies we will have after the resurrection. Humans were never meant to be recycled. God made us to live on the earth with Him, glorifying Him always. We fell into sin and death, but He will retrieve us. That is our sure hope. • Kevin Zeller

• Our bodies matter to God. How might the resurrection affect the way we view our bodies now?

• When Jesus returns, He will make everything new. Then “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). What pains and sorrows have you experienced in your body lately? Jesus cares about all these things; He empathizes with us, and He grieves with us. But there will come a day when our bodies will no longer get hurt or sick or sore. Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about the hurts you, or people you know, are experiencing, and ask for His healing. Even if we don’t experience healing today, as Christians we have the sure hope of complete healing when Jesus returns.

But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy…the earth will give birth to her dead. Isaiah 26:19 (NIV)