Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:21

MESSAGE:
How did it take me this long to make an allusion to The Lord of the Rings? It is low-hanging fruit. There is no better illustration of triumphant returns than Gandalf the White. The meek and humble wizard was formerly the Grey Wizard, but after the fight with the Balrog, he was transformed into a magical powerhouse. When King Theoden was hypnotized by Sauron’s evil henchman, Worm Tongue, Gandalf the White had to shock him back to reality with a mere demonstration of his true power. Truly, Gandalf the White is OP.

The season of Easter is all about transformation, but it can be easy to forget that. Christians spend 40 days reflecting on Jesus’ death on a cross to save humanity from their sin, but sometimes we neglect the happy ending.

Jesus was transformed in the grave. He went from dead to a healthy and restored being. And even though he kept the nail marks and the stab wound, he was in a state of perfection. Paul spends a good chunk of his letters explaining Jesus’ extraordinary resurrection. Jesus’ rise from death was not just a cool fact so that the Easter story can be wrapped up in a neat little bow; it was Jesus’ transition from mortal servant-leader to Immortal Mega Manager over All Living Creatures.

The first order of business as Mega Manager is to make our bodies just like his: perfect and restored. We are living out Jesus’ mortal journey, experiencing the harshness of the cross, to receive the transformation.   
Research: Philippians 3:21

What roles does Jesus have in this passage? (Protip: Jesus is the he in this verse)

Why is a transformed body that is like Jesus’s great news? How do you get others excited about this news?