Friday, March 23, 2007
The Substitute
The other blog, God Still Speaks, is discussing this month, the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus, Messiah, Lord of Life, spurred on by “the bones”, this year's controversy and ensuing questions posed to this writer. Is the Resurrection literal? How important is it that Jesus rose from death in every way, not only in ghostly fashion?
Mrs. Schaeffer, Christianity Is Jewish, writers, “We can be shaken by the enormity of [Jesus’] drawing the [line] between those who receive Him and those who do not, and by the clarity with which He points to bodily resurrection.” (p 143)
“But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” ~Jesus (Matt. 26:32 and Mark 14:28)
Does this sound like a spiritual event or more likely a space/time announcement? Seems so concrete, like, “I’ll meet you by the water fountain at 3”!
“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated and spitted on;
“And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death, and the third day, He shall rise again.” ~Jesus (Luke 18:31-33)
“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.”
THEN “He said unto them, ‘Have ye any meat?’ And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb
And He took it, and did eat before them.” ~Luke 24:39, 42-43
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ~Jesus (John 2:19)
“…He spake of the temple of His body. When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” ~John 2:21-22
Just as there would be complete restoration of the Temple--the same Temple--in Jesus’ illustration (“I will raise IT up”, not another one), there were no remains of Jesus’ body because one and the same body of Christ was wholly restored. Hallelujah!
“I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes IN ME will live, even tough He dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will NEVER die. Do you believe this?” ~Jesus (John 11:25-26)
Jesus illustrated and narrated the resurrection power of which He spoke as they rolled the stone away from the tomb of Lazarus:
“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You ALWAYS hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here; that they may believe that You sent Me.” ~Jesus, praying (John 11:41-42)
God has used beautiful word pictures to demonstrate things of the spiritual realm throughout history. Here is a picture of a picture—Jesus says, “I’m saying this to reveal You. It is John, the document’s author as God’s instrument, revealing Jesus…Who is in turn revealing the Father! Why did Jesus do this? I see it as a picture of how God has operated in establishing relationship with His dearest creation: Mankind. The Father reveals Himself to us in recorded historic episodes of life.
Of course, Jesus is REALLY speaking with the Father in time and space and yet, the purpose goes SO MUCH further! He wants it to be clear to the observing crowd, this is a forecast type of His bodily return to life. Listen, “You see, My friend Lazarus? That is not a ghost. He is physically alive. Coming soon: THE MESSIAH RESURRECTED—THE NEXT EPISODE." (Wait for THE FINAL EPISODE: SECOND COMING! An In-the-Body Experience!)
Mrs. Schaeffer, Christianity Is Jewish, writers, “We can be shaken by the enormity of [Jesus’] drawing the [line] between those who receive Him and those who do not, and by the clarity with which He points to bodily resurrection.” (p 143)
“But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” ~Jesus (Matt. 26:32 and Mark 14:28)
Does this sound like a spiritual event or more likely a space/time announcement? Seems so concrete, like, “I’ll meet you by the water fountain at 3”!
“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated and spitted on;
“And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death, and the third day, He shall rise again.” ~Jesus (Luke 18:31-33)
“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.”
THEN “He said unto them, ‘Have ye any meat?’ And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb
And He took it, and did eat before them.” ~Luke 24:39, 42-43
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ~Jesus (John 2:19)
“…He spake of the temple of His body. When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” ~John 2:21-22
Just as there would be complete restoration of the Temple--the same Temple--in Jesus’ illustration (“I will raise IT up”, not another one), there were no remains of Jesus’ body because one and the same body of Christ was wholly restored. Hallelujah!
“I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes IN ME will live, even tough He dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will NEVER die. Do you believe this?” ~Jesus (John 11:25-26)
Jesus illustrated and narrated the resurrection power of which He spoke as they rolled the stone away from the tomb of Lazarus:
“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You ALWAYS hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here; that they may believe that You sent Me.” ~Jesus, praying (John 11:41-42)
God has used beautiful word pictures to demonstrate things of the spiritual realm throughout history. Here is a picture of a picture—Jesus says, “I’m saying this to reveal You. It is John, the document’s author as God’s instrument, revealing Jesus…Who is in turn revealing the Father! Why did Jesus do this? I see it as a picture of how God has operated in establishing relationship with His dearest creation: Mankind. The Father reveals Himself to us in recorded historic episodes of life.
Of course, Jesus is REALLY speaking with the Father in time and space and yet, the purpose goes SO MUCH further! He wants it to be clear to the observing crowd, this is a forecast type of His bodily return to life. Listen, “You see, My friend Lazarus? That is not a ghost. He is physically alive. Coming soon: THE MESSIAH RESURRECTED—THE NEXT EPISODE." (Wait for THE FINAL EPISODE: SECOND COMING! An In-the-Body Experience!)
Jesus pointed toward a physical afterlife, to be sure. He turned heads. His message loud and clear, “To anyone with ears, let him hear.” I AM THAT I AM sent Me “that ye might have eternal life.”
Labels: body, life, resurrection
