One may ask: why the resurrection of the dead? Isn’t it a little embarrassing? There are more mainstream conceptions of life after death that are easier to swallow. It is easy to believe that life ends at death full stop because that is what we observe. It is easy to believe that our immaterial selves (i.e., spirits) reincarnate, continue as ghosts or go to Heaven because you cannot prove otherwise. These can be comforting thoughts in their own way, but they do not take much boldness to confess.
The resurrection of the dead, in contrast, is a daring claim! It demands the belief that history is moving toward an event where every cemetery will give up its residents. The bodily resurrection of believers becomes comprehensible when we understand salvation in the context of the biblical story.
It all begins with creation and the first man and woman.
The Bible begins with God creating the universe for no good reason. We do not know why. We may suppose it is simply because he was delighted to do so. What we do know is the conclusion of God’s creative work, he looks upon it and declares that “It is very good.” In other words, it is exactly as he purposed it to be. The biblical worldview, in contrast to others, views the material world as good. Humanity, who God made from the stuff of the earth to bear his image, is good!
The biblical story continues with the fall of humankind. First man and woman disobey God’s command concerning the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. The curse of this sin is death and alienation. Man and woman are cut off from the tree of life and sent eastward from the garden. Death enters and God’s good creation experiences its first “not good.”
The resurrection of the believers is God’s affirmation of the goodness of creation, the overturning of the curse of death and the reconciliation of God and man. Where Adam’s fruit resulted in the dominion of sin and death in God’s good creation, Christ’s resurrection is the first fruit of our salvation.
Revelation 21 provides some powerful images when considered in the context of this story. It begins with a vision of a new, renewed “heavens and earth” echoing but transcending the original creation (Revelation 21:1). A voice declares, “God’s dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). Sin results in death and alienation. God’s salvation ends in the resurrection of the believers and God dwelling once again in unbroken communion with his people.