buty,
There was also another reason that the resurrection had to be a bodily resurrection, aside from the fact that it was the necessary atonement for sin (by the way, atonement means turning away the wrath of God by the acceptance of a sacrifice, it has the added meaning of substitution.. that God substituted his Son for me.. His Son took my punishment for sin and took away the wrath of God for my sin, by becoming the acceptable sacrifice required.)
When man sinned and disobeyed God in the Garden, it wasn't just spiritual death that entered the world, it was physical death. Man would now die physically, yet he was created to live eternally and to enjoy God forever. For resurrection to be just spiritual, it would mean that the problem of physical death brought about by man's sin, would never have been dealt with. The sting and fear of death is no longer a problem of believers, for they know they will go to be with the Lord. As Paul said in 1 Thessolonians 4:13-18 (who by the way were suffering intense persecution at the time this was written.. they were dying for their faith)
Brothers, we do not want you ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus, those who have fallen asleep in Him.
1Corinthians 15 talks of the Resurrection of Jesus being bodily and His bodily resurrection is described in verse 3-4 as being of the most utmost importance.. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures... He was buried and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures." See how this says the same as the words our Lord used in Luke 24:45 and then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. He told them, this is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem."
Paul then states later in the chapter.. as a result of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, the hope of all believers...
1 Corinthians 15:12
But if Christ is raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection from the dead? If there is no resurrection from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ is not raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God, that He raised Christ from the dead. But iHe did not raise Him, if infact the dead are not raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost, If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of all those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam, all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. "
vs 25
For He has put everything under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death"
Vs35
But now some may ask, how are the dead raised. With what kind of body will they come. How foolish. What you sow does not come to life unless it dies....
Vs 42
So it is with the resurrection of the dead.. the body that is sown is perishable, but the body that is raised in imperishable....
Vs 49
Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the likeness of the man from heaven.
Vs 54
Death has been swallowed up in victory, "where oh death is your victory, where oh where is your sting."
Vs 56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I have missed some verses out to keep this short.. the physical resurrection of the body is the result of the resurrection of the Lord.. I know I have missed out the spiritual application of these verses, and I've done that knowingly and intentionally, but will explain them later if you want? The purpose of this post is to show that Jesus HAD to die and then raise physically for the purposes of God to be realised. This was no spiritual resurrection.