Seek TRUTH - Choose LIFE
THE GOSPEL
The Resurrection of Christ
Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24)
The guards have been set at the tomb from Sabbath by Pontius Pilate and has set a Roman seal on the stone that was rolled over the entrance. As the first day of the week was approaching and it was still dark there was a great earthquake (Matthew 28:2) when an angel came down from heaven to roll away the stone and sat on it. The guards seeing the angel: "His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men." (Matthew 28:3-4)
The angel did not roll away the stone so that Jesus could come out of the tomb but so that the witnesses could go in and see that He is not there. This was another prophetic fulfillment of Jesus' resurrection so that His body would not see corruption (Psalm 15:10). As Jesus Himself told the disciples: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19), (Mark8:31, 10:34), (Luke 9:22, 18:33, 24:7). "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee." (Matthew 26:32, Mark 14:28)
After the soldiers got up they went from the sepulchure intot he city to tell the chief priests what happened. The jewish elderes then asempled together and bribed the soldiers to lie that the disciples stole the body of Jesus while they slept (Matthew 28:11-15). If Jesus did not rise from the dead then no one would have surrendered their lives for a faith that had no foundation. One of the major faundations of the chrisian faith is that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead - for if He did NOT then our faith is in vain (1-Corinthians 15:14-17).
The Resurrection of Christ
Early in the morning while it was still dark Marry Magdalene, Marry of Salome and Marry mother of James (mother of Jesus) went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus' body (Mark 16:1). While discussing how they would ever open the tombstone (Mark 16:3-5) they arrive to find the stone rolled away and the guards gone. (Matthew 28:5, Luke 24:2, John 20:1) The women entered in and were afraid when they saw an angel. The angel said: "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." (Matthew 28:5-7, Mark 16:6-7, Luke 24: 6-7) the women run and tel the disciples who don't believe them. Peter and John ran to the sepulchre and found it empty as the women had told them and left home to tell the other disciples (John 20:3-10).
Mary Magdalene stayed at the sepulchre weeping. She loooked into the tomb once more and saw two angels sating: "Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." (John 20:11-15). She turned herself back to see Jesus but did not recognize Him thinking He was a gardener. Jesus greeted her by name and she realized He was Jesus by calling Him "master". (John 20:16). She then ran to tell theother disciples and they did not believe her (Mark 16:11).
Other witnesses
That same day the women were returning to the city from the sepulcher and Jesus appeared to them on the road and greeted them (Matthew 28:9-10). He told them to tell the other disciples to meet Him in Galilee but the disciples did not believe them (Luke 24:11). So Peter and John ran to the tomb only to find it empty (John 20:3-8) and they believed.
After this Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road who did not recognize Him but only recognized Him in His words and in the breaking of the bread (Luke 20:13-32). Just as they have recognized Jesus in His words and deeds He became invisible for them and they returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples (Luke 20:33-35).
In the evening, the two disciples came back to tell the others and just as they are teling them He manifested Himself in their midst. The disciples did not reognize Him and thought they were seeing a ghost but Jesus greeted them and they were amazed (Luke 20:36). Jesus showed them His hands and feet to convince them, then He took some of their food and ate it before them (Luke 20:38-43).
Eight days later Jesus appeared to the 11 discpiles and Thomas - a disciple who was not with the others the first time saw resurected Jesus for the first time and was able to touch his scars on the hands,feet and His side where Jusus was pierced (John 20:27).
Jesus later appeared to the disciples on the mountain in Galilee where He gave the great commission to spread the gospel to all the world in His testimony (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-16) and yet some still did not believe Him because they did not recognize Him (Matthew 28:17).
Jesus later appeared to the disciples on the mountain in Galilee where He gave the great commission to spread the gospel to all the world in His testimony (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-16) and yet some still did not believe Him because they did not recognize Him (Matthew 28:17). Jesus later appeared to them one more time before His ascension into heaven when the disciples went fishing and caught nothing (John 21:3-5). Jesus greeted them from the beach 200 cubits (92 meters or 300 feet) away but they did not recognize Him or His voice (John 21:4). He told them to cast the net again to the right side and it was filled with many fishes and by this the disciples recognized that He was Jesus (John 21:7). All of the disciples have now seen the risen Jesus previously yet still hesitated to believe it was really Jesus (John 21:12). At some point Jesus was also able to show Himself to more than 500 people at the same time (1-Corinthians 15:6).
Jesus NOT recognized?
It is very interesting to point out that whoever has seen Jesus before and after did NOT recognize Him right away. Marry thought He was a Gardener (John 20:15), the traveling disciples thought He was a stranger, some discipes though they were seeing a ghost and others did not dare to ask Him (John 20:21). Some may claim that they were too traumatized by His crucifixion or in tears that they could not do so. Note that only Marry His mother and Marry magdaline and John were at the cross, everyone else fled in fear of being executed. It would be reasonable to conclude that they fled to protect their families from the same fate of execution. It would make sense to destroy a possible uprising with the termination of leaders' followers.
So why did they not recognize Him? The only explanation is that Jesus looked different in His ressurrected body than previously seen before His execution. Jesus was betrayed out of jealocy of the pharises under the condemnation from blasphemy - Jesus announcing to be God (Mathew 26:65, Mark 14:64, Luke 22:70, John 19:7). How did Jesus look? Isaiah revelaed to by the Spirit of God wrote of Jesus in the past tense saying: "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:2-3). To put it plainly: Jesus was not a good looking, handsome or attractive man and perhaps that added to the hatred of the pharises to put Him to death. Not only did they dispise Him for His appearance, atttire or hygene but they burned with anger and jealoucy that He - not having been formally educated in the scriptures (John 7:15) spoke with more authority then all of them (Mathew 7:29, Mark 1:22). He walked in simple garments with all the: sick, poor, helpless and hopeless people (Matthew 9:11). He was born in a manger so everyone could have access to Him.
Jesus' transfiguration
In one instance Jesus' three disciples may have seen Jesus in different appearance. Jesus took Peter, John and James to a mountain to pray as He often did. "As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" (Luke 9:29) It is very unlikely that Jesus owned a white robe and especially glistening white. For a moment - the three disciples saw Jesus in a very different appearance then they usually have. Perhaps Jesus had revealed them this moment so that when He rose from the dead these three disciples would not doubt Him. Jesus warned Peter James and John not to talk about what they have seen until after His resurrection (Matthew 17: 9, John 9:36) and they may have talked about it once He appeared to them. John writes later: "...and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14). It seems clear that Jesus actually looked different in His glorified body than prior to His betrayal because He rebuked the disciples for NOT believing in Him (Matthew 28:17) even after they had seen Him resurrected (Mark 16:14). Jesus said to them "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29).
Our spiritual resurrection
When Jesus began Him ministry he was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. Baptism means immersion. John was baptizing people so they would repent (Matthew 3:11); cleanse their heart of sin and commit their life to God (Matthew 3:3). Later we read that Jesus came to John to be baptized but not for repenace becasue Jesus did not have sin to repent from. Jesus was baptised to be annouced as the Messiah (Isaiah 61:1-2) who would take the sin of the world (John 1:29-31). Jesus was baptized to be announced as the Son of God (John 1:32-34). And He was baptized as an example for us to follow in Him obedience to His Father (Matthew 3:15). John was baptizing the people to prepare a path for Jesus and to prepare their hearts to accept Jesus as their redeemer (John 1:36).
In a way, John was as a gardener who was preparing the soil. The seed would be planted in it so that it could have the right conditions to allow the seed to sprout and have good roots so that the seed has the strength to bear fruit. Jesus presented the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-8) who's seed fell of difrent soil types with only one producing good fruit (Matthew 13:18-23). In the similar way, our repentance from our sins would prepare the soil - our heart for God's word - the seed to grow within us so we could bear fruit (Mark 4:14). One of the first steps to repentance is humility becuase pride is the root of all sin.
God's Word is Spirit and Life
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). As the word of God falls upon the soil or our mind and heart it may take time to see signs of life within that seed. Our humility can soften the heart to receive the seed of God's word and our pride can likewise push it away.
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12). This humility is demonstrated in obedience to God's word - the seed. Even when we have not committed to God - His word can still move us with His spirit to confess our sins. Our surrender and submission To God is the first and most important step in becoming His own. His Holy Spirit indwels us and guides us in the light of His word (John 17:14). So when His words abide in us His Holy spirit will guide us as well and remind us the truth when we face difficult decisions and circumsstances (John 14:26). "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)
When we demonstrate our obedience to God by being baptized in the water like Jesus was - it is a public statement. Jesus was called the Christ - meaning the messiah - meaning - anointed by God. When we publicly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God we are also announced as Christians - anointed by God. We receive this anointing - sealing (Ephesians 1:13) through the Holy Spirit when we are born again. When we are immersed into the water it is also an announcement of the death of our ego and flesh. When we are raised out of the water we are also announcing that we are born again. We also proclaim our faith: that Jesus will raise us up if we live for Him and die with Him. Having demonstrated our obedience to God's word and being anointed by God by His Holy Spirit are now announced to the children of God.
Our transfiguration
As we are raised to a new life in Jesus, He takes our heart of stone and gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 19:11). As God's Word grows in our heart it will produce fruit accordingly. A new born child needs continual nourishment to grow into a mature adult. The word of God is that spiritual food we need to mature as christians. Our sinful nature of the flesh will continue to battle against the spirit and the new life within (Galatians 5:17). "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21).
Being reconciled with God we are now free from the: guilt, fear, shame and ultimately death that sin brings (Romans 8:1). God's redemption offers us the fruits of the spirit which are: "... love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23). The freedom we receive is NOT the ability to do what we want but what we out to do. God gives us strength and courage to do His will in our daily life so that many more may be saved through our testimony.
Our resurrection
God gives us a promise of a new life in the spirit and a new life in a resurected body when He returns. His word is a light of truth to guide us into all rightesuness. We are filled with grace to do His will. And even as we stuble in our path His grace is sufficient to forgive us. The Holy Spirit will lead us in all undestanding of His word.
Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). As God had raised Jesus from death we also are brought to life from our current spiritual death and will one day be raised physically to eternal life. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11) So as we are raised out of the water we also proclaim that one day Jesus will raise our dead mortal bodies into incorruptible new bodies. As Jesus having fulfilled God's will was raised from the dead so will we be likewise raised incorruptible when we do God's will and place our faith only in Jesus who will raise us. Our transfiguration through faith in Jesus Christ raises us not only to a new eternal life but also a fulfilling life while we are still in our mortal bodies.