Seeds of Life

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. (vs. 42)

When I was a kid I loved playing with helicopters. Not plastic ones and not the kind you climb into and fly around in. I loved playing with the helicopters that maple trees made for us. Those cool little seed pods that cluttered the ground. I picked them up off the ground, threw them into the air, and watched them spin like helicopter propellers, as they fell to the ground. I was fascinated by these cool little toys that nature made.

I don't know that I ever really thought much about the fact that those cool little toys were the means for growing the trees I used to climb in. But now that I think about it, it blows my mind. Just one of those little seeds is enough to grow the tree that gives us shade, that made those pretty leaves I loved to collect in fall, that formed branches that could house families of squirrels and birds, and that even gave me a place to play and climb.

The life that grew out of just one of those little helicopter pods far exceeded any obvious potential we'd expect from that seed, based on its beauty, shape, and size.

The Apostle Paul reminds us this morning in 1 Corinthians 15 that, as cool and exciting and enjoyable as this life can be, the life that awaits us through faith in Christ is even more incredible! This life is good and hard and a gift from God. But the resurrection life that's coming for those who trust in Jesus will be as different for us as a maple tree is different from a maple seed. The possibilities are that much more grand in scale, the beauty exponentially greater, the picture and the experience impossible to anticipate, and an immeasurable longevity – all to be experienced in the very presence of the God who made us, loves us, and saved us. We look forward to an incredible future!