 |
| Illustration of Empty Tomb (double-click to enlarge) |
Did you know that right now, as we speak, that the body of Jesus ruling from the throne of heaven is the same body that was nailed to the cross? Obviously that body has undergone some changes, but it is essentially the same body that resurrected from the grave and ascended into heaven and will return to earth (Acts 1:11). The scars of crucifixion argue for a same body (Lk 24:39-40). Someone observed that the marks on Jesus’ body are the only man-made thing in heaven….
Can we prove that the resurrected Jesus had/has a physical body from Scripture? Yep! Before engaging in this discussion we will talk first about the theological implications of no resurrection taking place. Second, we will share some “body” language from Scripture that Jesus had a physical body after the resurrection, and finally we will talk about walking in newness of life in light of an empty tomb (ET). The ET is simply a billboard for the Empty Tomb and nothing to do with extra-terrestrial. Hmm, maybe Christ-like is extra-terrestrial….
How do we know there is life after death? How do we know we have been justified -- judicially declared righteous by the God Most High? How do we know that a thrice holy Almighty God accepted Christ's sacrifice for the penalty for our sin to keep us from an eternal punishment in the lake of fire? Is there absolute, heartwarming, nerve-calming, worry-free, ironclad, and eternally fireproof evidence that Jesus' death satisfied the penalty of sin once and for all? Yep!
This is good to know, for after all, we are putting all our eggs in the basket on the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins! And that "yep" fills my heart with anticipation and comfort (Jn 20:31), and I hope it will do the same for you!
The doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is not one of those subjects we can agree to disagree on and still be considered a Christian; neither is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. We may disagree on end time events, for instance, and nobody questions a person's salvation or breaks fellowship over eschatological differences. But to deny the bodily resurrection of Christ is tantamount to rejecting the very heart of Christianity.
The primary reason Jesus performed miracles was not to relieve the suffering of others, though He certainly did that to show His compassion, but to authenticate that He is truly the Christ, truly God. The greatest authentication of His Messiah-ship and Deity was His bodily resurrection (Acts 2:36; Rom 1:4). If Jesus was still tethered to the tomb He couldn't save anybody, much less Himself, and He certainly couldn't be God.
Jesus' bodily resurrection was unquestionable proof that His death for man's sin propitiated the just demands of a holy and righteous God! To say that there is no resurrection is to challenge the very core of salvation. The very reason I believe that if one who claims to be a believer in Christ and rejects the teaching of the bodily resurrection in the New Testament cannot be a genuine believer. Failure to believe the biblical record of a bodily resurrection is a rejection of the truth paramount to salvation.
The NT teaches that the same body that died on the cross and placed in the tomb was the same body resurrected from the grave and ascended into heaven, and currently occupying the throne of heaven and not a tomb somewhere on planet earth. Obviously, with the resurrection Jesus had a glorified, spiritual (not immaterial) body, a physical body outfitted for celestial living, not terrestrial like the one on earth. Nonetheless, technically, He had the same body that hung on the cross for He still retained the scars of His crucifixion at least in the hands, feet, and side areas of His resurrected body.
There is a school of thought that advocates that the resurrection of Jesus was spiritual in nature and not physical. The critical difference between a spiritual resurrection and a physical resurrection is that a spiritual resurrection leaves the body of Jesus in the grave. Not only does the New Testament teach a physical resurrection, but Jesus had to possess a physical body in order to be seen and touched by believers to demonstrate unequivocally that He was indeed the Messiah.
Getting a look and touch experience with the resurrected body of Jesus was vital to carrying out the mission to be witnesses (Lk 24:48; 1 Jn 1:1). For a take up your cross and follow Me life is only going to happen over a theological reality and not a mere metaphysical theory. In my opinion a spiritual resurrection just doesn't satisfy this necessity. The eyewitnesses of these things are what give meaning behind the symbol of the ET. He is risen as He said (Mt 28:6a)!
With the time remaining we will look at the theological consequences if the resurrection went flat in 1 Cor 15, proof of a physical body in the Gospels, and the practical implications of the resurrection. Let me mention one more thing before jumping into this headlong. The older I get the more I am reminded of the reality that regardless of the clarity and cogency of the evidence presented concerning the claims of Christ, it is not an inability to believe but a refusal to believe (2 Cor 4:4).
Sadly, the preaching of the cross is nonsense or absurdity to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). Ridiculous would be another word in the vocabulary of the perishing to describe Christ's efforts to redeem us from a terrible death awaiting every non-believer. Satan didn't usurp authority and decided to blind the hearts of the unbelieving. The sovereign God gave Satan permission to blind mankind because they willingly chose not to believe (2 Cor 4:4). It's a choice thing, not a victim thing. Personally, I once was blind but now I see!
The theological ramifications of
a resurrection gone flat (1 Cor 15)
False teaching slithered into the church at Corinth like a serpent, disputing the concept of a resurrection of the dead. Such teaching challenged the pro-resurrection message of the Gospel. This was a direct attack by the enemy on the heart of Christianity. Paul questioned this and proceeded to enlighten the gullible Corinthian believers of the consequences if there is no resurrection of the dead.
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:12)?
Belief that the dead do not rise demands that Jesus is still grave-fast, and there is no forgiveness of sin; no one is saved. Jesus was a man like the rest of us, not God, but a false Messiah. Christianity turns out to be a hoax, and all of us are duped! For people to throw their lives away for a false cause is delusional. This is what it means if there is no resurrection of the dead:
- No resurrection means the Gospel (the Good News, 1 Cor 15:1) is not newsworthy.
- No resurrection means that the prophets were wrong about the death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4).
- Death prophesied, Isa 53:5-6
- Burial prophesied, Isa 53:9
- Resurrection prophesied, Psa 16:9-10
- No resurrection means all eyewitnesses are false witnesses and have perjured themselves in the court of human opinion (1 Cor 15:5-8, 15).
- No resurrection means that Christ is not risen (1 Cor15:13, 16).
- No resurrection means nothing to preach, nothing to believe, (1 Cor 15:14).
- No resurrection means faith in Jesus Christ is useless, worthless (1 Cor 15:17).
- No resurrection means no forgiveness of sin; we are doomed (1 Cor 15:17).
- No resurrection means all those who have died in Christ perished (1 Cor 15:18).
- No resurrection means suffering affliction for a false cause is most pitiful (1 Cor 15:19, 30). It is arguable that if Jesus’ bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven were not established facts based on eyewitness accounts, many believers of the first century would not have suffered difficulty, deprivation, and death during the great Jewish and Roman persecutions. No resurrection means Christianity collapses under the weight of an elaborate fabrication. Without an ET, Christianity is dead as a doornail. The Jews were acutely aware of this but were unable to produce a body to refute the claim Jesus arose. The only other countermeasure available was to threaten or persecute the eyewitnesses and all those who claimed the name of Jesus. It comes as no surprise that all the apostles died of martyrdom except for John who was exiled on the isle of Patmos. Who would die for a lie? To claim that the apostles died for a lie is poppycock. They died for the Truth! God is on the throne; those who suffered and died for Him were not victims but volunteers to the will of God.
- No resurrection means forget denying the appetites of the flesh (1 Jn 2:16); indulge, live it up; for tomorrow we die (1 Cor 15:52).
The body language of the Gospels:
the resurrection was physical in nature.
John 2:19-21
(19) Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple [the temple of His body, v21], and in three days I will raise it [His body] up." (20) Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Unbelievers see 46, believers see 3, and I am not referring to NASCAR great, Dale Earnhardt either!
Note: the body that went to the cross (destroy this temple) was the same body resurrected from the dead (I will raise it [His body] up).
Matthew 28:8-9
( (8) So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great
joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
( (9) And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them,
saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and
worshiped Him.
saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and
worshiped Him.
Luke 24:38-39
(38) And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? (39) Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." Jesus claimed to have a physical body after the resurrection.
Luke 24:40-43
(40) When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (41) But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" (42) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. (43) And He took it and ate in their presence. Ghosts don’t eat!
John 20:27-28
(27) Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." (28) And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Thomas touched a physical body.
These passages prove that after the resurrection that Jesus had a physical body. It was spirit body in the sense that it was not immaterial, ghost-like, but a physical body designed for living in heaven. This same body that bore the marks of the cross in the hands, feet, and side was able to pass through solid objects, be physically touched, and consumed food! Most importantly, these verses prove that an ET was no fluke. The eyewitness accounts substantiated the resurrection of Jesus and made the ET a symbol of the greatest miracle known to man.
The walk of a resurrected life:
tomb living versus throne living
Tomb living – walking in oldness of life (the flesh, the old man, the old nature, unregenerate), horizontal living, walking to the course of this world. Thinking and acting as if Christ is not on the throne. When we live life as if Christ is not on the throne we have Him in the tomb. There is no other option no matter how we rationalize it. He is either on the throne or in the tomb. Walking in the flesh is tomb living characterized by fleshly behavior, conformity to the world, feeding the flesh, being carnally minded.
Eph 2:1-2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.
Throne living – walking in newness of life (in the Spirit, the new man, the new nature, regenerate), vertical living, walking in the Spirit. Throne living has a vertical orientation of seeing Christ on the throne and not acting as if Christ is still in the tomb. Throne living is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, transforming into Christ-likeness by the renewing of the mind, flushing the flesh, being spiritually minded.
Col 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
The witness of a resurrected life:
sharing versus silence
Sharing: (vertical orientation, throne in view) simply doing what she was told – “... go to My brethren and say to them … Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord” (Jn 20:17-18).
Jn 20:18-20 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (19) Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." (20) When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Silence: (horizontal orientation, tomb view) shell-shocked, stunned, scared, mourning, worrying, weeping, and behind closed doors. Faith was replaced by unbelief and hardness of heart.
Mk 16:9-14
(9) Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. (10) She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. (11) And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. (12) After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. (13) And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. (14) Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Notice that those who had been with Him (Jesus) did not believe the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus! When Jesus appeared to the eleven He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe the eyewitness accounts of His resurrection. The word rebuked is a strong verb. The Christian faith cannot be based on a spiritual resurrection, a missing corpse, or an empty tomb. Only a physical appearance to men after the resurrection could prove that there was life after death and hope in the hereafter. He revealed at least two things about Himself to man with His resurrection.
1. He is God.
2. He is the Messiah.
These eyewitness accounts (which you can read in the Appendix) give validity to the ET. Only an eyewitness account to Jesus’ resurrection could draw men to a saving faith in Christ. If the disciples could not believe the eyewitness accounts of others of the same faith, how could they expect others to believe their eyewitness report that are not of the faith!
Luke 24:44-48
(44) Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (45) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (46) Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
(47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things.
Read some of these verses pertaining to the resurrection: Rom 4:25; 8:33-34; 1 Cor 15:17; Heb 4:14-16; 10:12-14; 1 Pet 1:21.
The disciples received a future imperative in Acts 1:8,
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
The problem was that many Christians never got beyond Jerusalem after Pentecost. The Lord used the insurrection of Jewish zealots in their bid for independence of Roman rule to assist believers in being a witness for Christ beyond Jerusalem. Titus, the future emperor of Rome, besieged and conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The city and the second Temple were destroyed. Josephus (37 to c.100 A.D.) was a first century Jewish historian who claimed that over one million people died during the siege, the majority being Jewish. But this great tragedy caused the Jewish Christians to spread throughout the world rather than congregating around Jerusalem.
The Arch of Titus, near the Roman Coliseum, was built c. 82 A.D. to commemorate the military victories of Titus, including the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 A. D.
 |
Arch of Titus
(double-click to enlarge) |
Below, inside the Arch is a depiction of the Jerusalem campaign to crush the Jewish revolt in 70 A.D. Note the ceremonial Jewish Menorah, a candelabrum with seven branches, representing the seven days of Creation week.
 |
| (double-click to enlarge) |
We are to be witness to the resurrected life of Christ, not witnesses to the world as if Jesus remained in the tomb, defeated by death. As Dr. Lockerman declares, a witness for Christ is one who “tells their Christ story.” Does our testimony (walk) convince others that Christ is on the throne in our lives or in the tomb? Are we walking in newness of life or oldness of life? Does our walk testify to the reality of the ET? Are our mouths sealed like a tomb? Are we too localized in our thinking and congregating and praising Jesus and not spreading the Word to the world? Let’s take a quick look at two more passages that conveys throne living.
Joh 20:11-18, But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. (12) And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13) Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." (14) Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. (15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." (16) Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). (17) Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" (18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Jesus until He called out her name! She recognized His voice and immediately knew that it was Jesus! Now read the following in John 10:2-4, 14,
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (4) And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (14) I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
How do we know we are sheep? We recognize His voice and follow Him. We are obedient to the command to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Mt 16:24). This is throne living. Tomb living doesn’t adorn Christ as Shepherd (cf. Psa 23:1).
1Jn 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Our resurrected bodies will be like Christ meaning our entire being (body, soul, and spirit) will be equipped for celestial living: pure (1 Jn 3:2), sinless (1 Jn 3:5), and righteous (1 Jn 3:7). This doesn’t suggest that physically we will all look like Jesus in heaven. Morally, this will be true, but our glorified bodies will more than likely have distinctiveness about it. It is a curious thing on what we will physically look like.
We all have things about us we wish we could change. I cannot envision myself in heaven with a blemished body; God forbid. Sin will have no more influence on our appearance. Make me “pretty,” Lord, for ugliness has got a hold on me! I am ready for my extreme makeover inside and out, how about you?
The resurrection body has identity of kind and continuity of substance with that which is sown, but it is purified from corruption, dishonor, and weakness, and made incorrupt, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. It is the same body, but it is sown in one form and raised in another. (Selected, Bible Believers Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15).
Heb 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Acts 1:11 "...This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven?"
Acts 1:11 "...This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven?"
<><
Father, Your grace is so astonishing that the length cannot be measured, the depth fathomed, or the height peaked. You are dimensionless, infinite in scope in all that You are and do, and oddly, I feel at times the arms of my soul reaching round and embracing You close to my heart. In all of my efforts I remain shackled by my finiteness and lack of faith. Knowing quite well I will never attain an understanding of just how precious You really are or fully appreciate what You have done for me this side of eternity.
It is that very lack of appreciation I fear my behavior leans; Christ-likeness is so contrary to my human nature. And this thing with Your Son on the cross, being propitiated by His death for my sin and now ever lives to make intercession for me, I feel so undeserving of such grace to the point of embarrassment and ashamed when I fail.
Even after a brutal death, Grace returned from the grave three days later and spent forty days on earth to give hope and meaning to life before returning home. Thank You that Your Son stayed the course until all was fulfilled according to the Scriptures. Grace and love are a powerful combination in the redemption of man. Your mercy endures forever.
Thank You, Father, that Your Son is risen! Because He lives, we, too, shall live! There is hope; there is life after death; there is meaning to life! There is forgiveness! Praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is and who was and who is to come. Holy, holy, holy is the refrain of those who love You. We thank you, Lord Jesus, for being the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5).
1. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin; How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit free, For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Chorus: Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea; Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me; Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame; O magnify the precious Name of Jesus, Praise His Name!
2. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching to all the lost, By it I have been pardoned, Saved to the uttermost; Chains have been torn asunder, Giving me liberty; For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Chorus: Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea; Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me; Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame; O magnify the precious Name of Jesus, Praise His Name!
3. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching the most defiled, By its transforming power, Making him God's dear child, Purchasing peace and heaven, For all eternity; For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Chorus: Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea; Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, All sufficient grace for even me; Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame; O magnify the precious Name of Jesus, Praise His Name!
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Written and composed by Haldor Lillenas in 1918.
*Appendix
FORTY DAYS — From Resurrection to Ascension
|
SUNDAY MORNING
1. An angel rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb before sunrise (Mt 28:2-4).
2. Women who followed Jesus visited Jesus’ tomb and discovered Him missing (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1-4; Lk 24:1-3; Jn 20:1).
3. Mary Magdalene left to tell Peter and John (Jn 20:1-2).
4. The other women, remaining at the tomb, saw two angels who told them about the Resurrection (Mt 28:5-7; Mk 16:5-7; Lk 24:4-8).
5. Peter and John visited Jesus’ tomb (Lk 24:12; Jn 20:3-10).
6. Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and Jesus appeared to her alone in the garden (Mk 16:9-11; Jn 20:11-18): His first appearance.
7. Jesus appeared to the other women (Mary, mother of James, Salome, and Joanna) (Mt 28:8-10): His second appearance.
8. Those who guarded Jesus’ tomb reported to the religious rulers how the angel rolled away the stone. They were then bribed (Mt 28:11-15).
9. Jesus appeared to Peter (1Cor 15:5): His third appearance.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
10. Jesus appeared to two men on the road to Emmaus (Mk 16:12-13; Lk 24:13-32): His fourth appearance.
SUNDAY EVENING
11. The two disciples from Emmaus told others they saw Jesus (Lk 24:33-35).
12. Jesus appeared to 10 apostles, with Thomas absent, in the Upper Room (Lk 24:36-43; Jn 20:19-25): His fifth appearance.
THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY
13. Jesus appeared to the 11 Apostles, including Thomas, and Thomas believed (Jn 20:26-28): His sixth appearance.
THE FOLLOWING 32 DAYS
14. Jesus appeared to seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee and performed a miracle of fish (Jn 21:1-14): His seventh appearance.
15. Jesus appeared to 500 (including the Eleven) at a mountain in Galilee (Mt 28:16-20; Mk 16:15-18; 1Cor 15:6): His eighth appearance.
16. Jesus appeared to His half-brother James (1Cor 15:7): His ninth appearance.
17. At Jerusalem Jesus appeared again to His disciples (Lk 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-8): His 10th appearance.
18. On the Mount of Olives Jesus ascended into heaven while the disciples watched (Mk 16:19-20; Lk 24:50-53; Acts1:9-12).
|
*Source: Bible Knowledge Commentary
