The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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There lacks a universal consensus regarding the nature of Jesus Christ's resurrection.

Some believe that his crucified body was restored to its former life.

Others believe that his crucified body was exchanged for a glorified body.

Still others believe that Christ's crucified body is still dead, and its remains squirreled away somewhere on earth in a condition and a location known only to God.

It's also believed by some that Christ didn't come back as a human being; rather, as a spirit being disguised in a fully functioning human avatar; scars and all.

This is an issue well worth taking the time and effort to resolve on a world-wide forum because according to Rom 4:25, it's by means of Christ's resurrection that God is at liberty to grant guilty people a full and complete acquittal; i.e. exoneration; which is far and away superior to a pardon. For example:

Former US President Gerald Ford pardoned former US President Richard Nixon back in 1974 relative to the Watergate scandal. Ford's pardon in no way exonerated Nixon, it only let him off the hook. Though the pardon protected Nixon from prosecution; his crimes didn't go away. In other words: Mr. Nixon will always and forever be on the books of world history as a crook.

Exoneration-- defined as an adjudication of innocence, which is normally granted when there is insufficient evidence to convict --is much to be preferred over a pardon because exoneration leaves nothing on the books; it wipes people's records so clean and efficiently that there is nothing left that can in any way be used to prove they've ever been anything less than 100% innocent. As a result, there will be nothing on the books down at the end with which to justify condemning them to the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:10-15.

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[Jacob]

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There lacks a universal consensus regarding the nature of Jesus Christ's resurrection.

Some believe that his crucified body was restored to its former life.

Others believe that his crucified body was exchanged for a glorified body.

Still others believe that Christ's crucified body is still dead, and its remains squirreled away somewhere on earth in a condition and a location known only to God.

It's also believed by some that Christ didn't come back as a human being; rather, as a spirit being disguised in a fully functioning human avatar; scars and all.

This is an issue well worth taking the time and effort to resolve on a world-wide forum because according to Rom 4:25, it's by means of Christ's resurrection that God is at liberty to grant guilty people a full and complete acquittal; i.e. exoneration; which is far and away superior to a pardon. For example:

Former US President Gerald Ford pardoned former US President Richard Nixon back in 1974 relative to the Watergate scandal. Ford's pardon in no way exonerated Nixon, it only let him off the hook. Though the pardon protected Nixon from prosecution; his crimes didn't go away. In other words: Mr. Nixon will always and forever be on the books of world history as a crook.

Exoneration-- defined as an adjudication of innocence, which is normally granted when there is insufficient evidence to convict --is much to be preferred over a pardon because exoneration leaves nothing on the books; it wipes people's records so clean and efficiently that there is nothing left that can in any way be used to prove they've ever been anything less than 100% innocent. As a result, there will be nothing on the books down at the end with which to justify condemning them to the lake of brimstone depicted at Rev 20:10-15.

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To exonerate is to clear an innocent person of all guilt; it is to prove that they are not guilty of committing a crime or transgression.

 

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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Were you to ask John Q and/or Jane Doe Watchtower Society missionary if they believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, I can assure you they would answer in the affirmative. However, what you may not know is that you and they would not be speaking the same language as the conversation would be talking about two very different processes that go by the same name. In other words: you would find yourself thrown off by semantic double speak.

In Watchtower Society theology, an angel named Michael volunteered to come to the earth to die for humanity's sins. But in order to do so; he had to relinquish his angel existence to become a human existence seeing as how in Society theology it is impossible for someone to exist as a spirit being and a human being simultaneously. However, when Michael expired, he didn't go completely out of existence. Instead, his "life force" remained intact and was transferred to a human form.

"the transferal of the life of his firstborn Son from the spirit realm to earth. Only in this way could the child eventually born have retained identity as the same person who had resided in heaven as the Word." (Aid to Bible Understanding, 1971, p.920)

"He had to become a perfect man and yet not lose his continuity of life. His life-force was not to be extinguished but would be transferred to the ovum of the virgin girl, Mary." (Watchtower magazine, 2-15-82, p.7)

But Michael's existence as a human being was only temporary. When his human form passed away on the cross, the Society claims that God transferred Michael's life force back into his angel form thus restoring him to his former spirit existence; leaving the corpse of his human existence in a permanent state of decease.

In other words: in Watchtower thinking; Christianity should be celebrating the resurrection of an angel at Easter instead of the resurrection of a human.

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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● John 20:19 . . On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them

● Luke 24:30-31 . . When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

Those passages are popular proof texts for supporting two beliefs:

1• Jesus's post resurrection appearances were done in a so-called materialized body; viz; a supernatural avatar. The reason given is that his crucified body did not return to life, rather he "rose" from the dead in the form of an invisible spirit rather than in the form of a visible material.

2• Jesus' crucified body returned to life transformed; viz: it was upgraded to a glorified body not subject to the limitations of his normal body.

Item #2 is interesting because Christ's believing followers are on track to be outfitted with a body just like his (Phil 3:20-31) which implies that they too will one day be able to vanish into thin air and walk through walls.

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[Bradley D]

"Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe" (John 20:27).

 

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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● John 2:19-21 . . Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews therefore said: It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? But He was speaking of the temple of his body.

Watch as I revise a portion of that passage.

"Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise up another one to replace it."

The language of John 2:19-21 indicates (to me at least) that when Jesus exited the tomb, he did so with the self-same body in which he was laid to rest.

Q: Well if that's the case, then why didn't a number of his closest friends recognize him?

A: The last time they saw Jesus he was beaten and bloodied beyond recognition, plus; to their recollection, he was supposed to be dead and buried.

● Isa 52:14 . .There were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--

Most everybody has, at one time or another, failed to recognize a familiar face when it turns up somewhere unexpected. Jesus was certainly no exception to that bit of human foible. The last person on earth anybody expected to see alive, in good health, and all cleaned up was him.

NOTE: The Romans abused Jesus quite a bit before he was executed, but the results were nothing like what's described in Isa 52:14. He got in that condition not at the hands of the Romans; but by God's own hand during those three hours of darkness on the cross (Isa 53:5-6, Isa 53:10). Well; if God would do that to His own son; what do you suppose He has in store for skeptics and mockers who mean little more to Him than wild pigs and feral dogs.

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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● Luke 23:50-54 . . And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counselor; and he was a good man, and a just (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

. . .This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

For the benefit of those looking in who may not be familiar with the ancient Jews' religion: the day of preparation is set aside for the Jews to rid their homes of leaven; plus slaughter and roast lambs with fire ready to eat for that night's Passover dinner. (Exodus chapter 12)

Passover for 2018 is Saturday, March 31; making preparation day Friday, March 30. So; if Jesus were to be crucified this year, his first night in the tomb would be Friday night, his second night would be Saturday night, and his third night-- as per Matt 12:40 --would be Sunday night.

His first day in the tomb would be Saturday, his second day would be Sunday, and his third day-- as per Matt 12:40 --would be Monday.

Monday would also be Christ's resurrection day seeing as how the preponderance of evidence attests that he rose from the dead on the third day rather than after the third day was over and done with.

Matt 17:22-23
Mark 9:31
Luke 9:22
Luke 24:21-23
Luke 24:46
Acts 10:40
1Cor 15:4

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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The chronology of Post #7 isn't based upon the year Jesus actually went to the cross; it's based upon 2018. Had Jesus been crucified this year, the first day of the week would be positioned in the chronology quite different than his year.

For example: Passover for 2017 was Tuesday, April 11. So preparation day would've been Monday, April 10.

Had Jesus been crucified in 2017; his first night in the tomb would've been Monday night, his second would've been Tuesday night, and his third would've been Wednesday night.

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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● Luke 24:36-43 . . And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

. . . And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

. . . And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any food? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.

The Watchtower Society (a.k.a. Jehovah's Witnesses) claim that the body Jesus invited his friends to examine was not an actual human body. They allege that it was a materialized body, i.e. an avatar. In other words: the human body of the Society's Jesus never recovered; it's still dead.

"If Jesus were to take his body of flesh, blood, and bones to heaven and enjoy them there, what would this mean? It would mean that there would be no resurrection of the dead for anybody. Why not? Because Jesus would be taking his sacrifice off God's altar." (page 237 of the April 15, 1963 issue of the Watchtower magazine)

In the Society's thinking, there no longer exists a human Jesus; he's undergone a species change: now he's an angel.

Angels are spirit beings; their bodies are invisible to the human eye. A fully functioning human avatar was allegedly Jesus' way of showing his friends that their beloved master, although dead, was still in existence.

Well; if Jesus really and truly had undergone a species change, then why didn't he tell anybody about it? But not once did he ever let on that the body his friends were invited to examine wasn't really him.

Well that, in my estimation, would be the grandest fraud ever perpretrated; even exceeding Bernie Madoff's colossal Ponzi scheme, and that's saying something!!

Jesus Christ is revered by Christians the world over for his honesty and integrity. It is just absolutely unthinkable that God's son would ever mislead people like that, any people, let alone his friends. Bernie Madoff misled his friends; but Bernie is a degenerate sociopath.

Jesus proclaimed "it is I myself". Well; I for one am satisfied that the body his friends were invited to examine really was himself rather than a very clever disguise.

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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Jesus Christ is currently equipped with a supernatural body, a.k.a. a glorified body.

● Phil 3:20-21 . . For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body

There's some things said about his glorious body.

1• It's human. (1Tim 2:5, Heb 2:5-9)

2• It's immortal. (Rom 6:9)

3• It's impervious to disease and the aging process. (1Cor 15:53)

4• It's capable of dining upon ordinary foods and imbibing ordinary beverages. (Luke 22:15-16, Matt 26:29)

5• It's visible to the naked eye. (Acts 1:11, Acts 7:56, Rev 1:7)

6• Its composition is different than that of a normal human body. (1Cor 15:50)

Now; the million dollar question is: When did Christ obtain his glorified body: at the moment of his resurrection, or a later date?

Well; I'm of the opinion that he obtained it a later date. Watch as I deliberately misquote John 2:19-21.

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will replace it. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body."

No, he didn't say he'd replace this temple; he said he'd raise it up. Here's that passage misquoted again.

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will improve it. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body."

No, he didn't say he'd improve this temple; he said he'd raise it up.

In context, "raise it up" refers to reconstruction. I know that's what it refers to because that's how the Jews understood Jesus' statement. In other words; the Jews understood Jesus to mean he'd rebuild the temple piece by piece, stone by stone, right back to its original condition from it's own rubble, sort of like putting Humpty Dumpty back together again so's the finished result wouldn't be another temple nor an improved temple; it would be the very same temple: the same architecture and the same materials-- absolutely no changes: nothing added, nothing altered, and nothing substituted.

So then; if Jesus' crucified dead body didn't undergo any modifications at the time of its return to life, nor for the next forty days; then when? Well; that's easy peasy lemon squeezy.

The dead bodies of all Christ's believing followers are on track to be returned to life and then taken up to meet The Lord in the air (1Thes 4:14-17). On the way up, their resurrected bodies will undergo a sudden, miraculous transformation (1Cor 15:51-53). I think it's pretty safe to believe that Christ's body underwent the very same process while on the way up to heaven as per Acts 1:9 so that today his body is no longer the normal human body it once was; but instead a supernatural human body to which all his believing followers' bodies will one day conform.

Q: What about his resurrected body's ability to walk through locked doors and to appear and disappear? Doesn't that prove he came back from death with a glorified body?

A: Christ walked on water, restored withered limbs, cured people born blind, healed serious diseases like leprosy, restored dead bodies to life, controlled the weather, multiplied fish and bread, dried up a fig tree, and turned water into wine. In point of fact, he did other things too. (John 20:30)

Well; what's one more miracle, more or less? Walking through walls? Disappearing and reappearing? How hard could any of that really be for a man with the powers of God at his disposal?

It's curious how people can say they believe in miracles but yet cannot believe that God has sufficient control over the laws of nature to make an ordinary human body pass through solid objects and/or transport it from one place to another in the blink of an eye.

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Re: The Nature of Christ's Resurrection

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John 20:11-16 reports that Mary Magdalene didn't recognize Jesus when he spoke with her in the cemetery on the day his crucified dead body came back to life. Why not?

Well; the last time Mary saw Jesus in person, he was beaten and bloodied beyond recognition (Isa 52:14) and quite dead and laid to rest too. The last person on earth that Mary expected to encounter was Jesus alive, in good health, and all cleaned up.

I had a good friend some years ago who died of a heart attack in his forties. Every now and then I'll see a guy here and there who resembles my friend; but I know better than to think it's really him because he's dead. Well; I'm pretty sure that even had Mary seen a strong resemblance to Jesus in the man speaking to her, she would have instantly dismissed out of mind the likelihood that it was her deceased Jesus just the same as I quite naturally dismiss out of mind the likelihood that these other men I see every so often are my deceased friend.

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