It is very interesting to know what happened to Jesus after he was raised from the dead! What could have happened to his physical body? Has his status among angels and humans changed? What happened to the throne he inherited from David?
The Gospel says that Jesus accepted death for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected in front of many on the third day. There is a version that the body of Christ after the resurrection did not consist of flesh. These people rely on the fact that the risen Christ entered through locked doors.
But this is contradicted by the fact that Thomas clearly saw the bleeding wounds on the body of Jesus. At Christ's request, Thomas extended his hands and placed them on the wounds. If the resurrected body did not consist of flesh, then Thomas would not be able to feel the real bloody wounds on it.
It dealt with real flesh, not a spiritual image. Foma was absolutely sure that he was touching a real body. Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus, like Jesus, was resurrected in his fleshly body and in the clothes in which he was buried, and was not a ghost. After the resurrection, Christ asked all his disciples to touch him to make sure that he was made of flesh and not a spiritual cloud.
This suggests that in order to go to heaven, the body must be incorruptible. The Apostle Paul says that flesh and blood cannot reach or inherit the Kingdom of God. He believed that fleshly bodies would instantly change at the last stage and become immortal. Paul believed that Christ would transform their bodies by his divine power.
Body of Christ after death
So what happened to the body of Christ? His human body did not remain on earth. It was buried, but did not decay. Also, his flesh did not remain in outer space. She was transformed into an eternal body, which no longer consists of flesh, but of spirit. It was accepted by heaven. His soul was reunited with his glorified body. None of his students saw this transformation; they saw only a light cloud that rose to the heavens and then disappeared from sight. No one yet knows what we will become after death. This remains a Divine secret.
Three main proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ a hoax? Is belief in a physical resurrection intellectual suicide? Or maybe it just “doesn’t matter” whether Jesus was resurrected or not? If Jesus really rose again, what does that tell us?
The resurrection matters because life matters. If Jesus rose from the dead, then we have the assurance that after this short, troubled earthly existence we can have eternal life in heaven. The Apostle Paul - once the main persecutor of the church, who then became a great preacher of Christ - testifies to the resurrection in this way: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, and... appeared again rather than to five hundred brethren at one time... also to all the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). The very truth of Scripture rests on the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection is also the basis of our salvation - “and if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is vain: you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17).
Please consider the three most important evidence for the physical resurrection of Jesus:
The tomb was empty - Jesus' body had disappeared
After Jesus died, His faithful disciples wrapped His body in burial cloths and placed Him in a rock-cut tomb. To prevent anyone from entering the tomb, the authorities blocked the entrance with a huge round stone weighing two tons, which rested on a shallow groove. The Roman ruler Pilate placed his seal on this stone, which was the “political” protection of the body of Christ. If anyone dared to break this seal, inevitable death awaited him. Finally, there was “military” protection of the body - the tomb was guarded by a group of well-trained warriors.
What then happened to the body of Jesus? Did his enemies steal it? Of course, if the Roman or Jewish authorities had stolen Jesus' body, they could have easily produced it to suppress resurrection rumors. And Christianity would very soon disappear. However, the authorities, on the contrary, resorted to “silence tactics” regarding the body of Christ and threatened the apostles with violence if they continued to spread the news of the resurrection of Jesus.
But maybe Jesus just fainted? Some argue that Jesus did not actually die, and that the experienced Roman executioners were simply mistaken in believing that death had taken place. But can anyone really believe that extremely weakened due to a terrible execution and a three-day famine, deprived of any medical care, Jesus could tear shrouds soaked in incense weighing over thirty kilograms, move a huge stone from its place with hands with wounds from nails, scare a whole troop of soldiers (so that they fell as if dead), walk whole miles with wounded feet and convince His disciples that He had risen from the dead? This is harder to believe than the resurrection itself.
Even more incredible is the idea that the body was stolen by students. Neither Peter nor Thomas (who, by the way, doubted and did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus) were prepared to attack the Roman guard, free the body from the shrouds, deliberately preach the lie that Jesus was alive, and then die for this lie.
All of these theories are extremely implausible. The security was too strong, the stone was too heavy, and the students were too depressed to dare to attack. Jesus is truly risen!
Multiple Appearances of Jesus Christ
For forty days after His death, Jesus appeared alive “with many sure proofs” (Acts 1:3). Scripture contains at least ten references to the risen Lord appearing to individuals or groups of people. Who would dare write all this in the Bible if Jesus remained in the tomb?
This fact debunks the theory that Jesus' appearances were simply hallucinations. Among the witnesses to the resurrection of Christ were both men and women - and many of them were skeptical about the idea of \u200b\u200bthe resurrection until Jesus appeared to them in the resurrected body. Thomas, for example, said, “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). When Jesus, in response to Thomas’s skepticism, appeared to him personally and showed His pierced hands and side, Thomas believed and worshiped the risen Lord with the words “My Lord and my God!”
Yes, Jesus is truly risen!
Radical changes in the lives of students
After Jesus was arrested, most of His disciples fled in fear. Peter denied Jesus three times - he swore that he had never been His disciple. After the death of Jesus, His followers were even more depressed. They were disappointed and lost faith. However, certain events occurred that convinced them that Jesus was alive. When they believed that Jesus had physically risen from the dead, they all risked their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
After the resurrection of Jesus, a metamorphosis occurred - fear was replaced by firm faith; doubts gave way to deep commitment. All the disciples (except Judas) remained faithful to Christ until their death. Ten of the apostles (that is, not counting John) ultimately died as martyrs….
I once openly considered myself an atheist. But one day I came to the conclusion that all attempts to refute the authority of Scripture and the evidence of the resurrection of Christ were useless. Christ is truly risen. He changed my life and gave me the joy of knowing the truth that one day I will be in heaven - and gave me hope in this life that I can overcome any trials.
Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life; He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:15-26). Believe in the risen Christ - and you will also gain confidence in eternal life with Him!
Status of Christ
So what happened to Christ's human status? Some of us think that Jesus ceased to be a man as soon as he received recognition and exaltation. But this is not supported in the scriptures. Even though he has reached the greatest heights, he is still considered human. He is the only mediator between God and humanity. At first he was a man of flesh and dust. And then he became Lord from heaven. Jesus is also the life-giving spirit. But this does not mean that he is not a person and does not have a fleshly body. Christ was among the angels, and at the same time he was mortal; "the spirit that saves life."
He was merciful to his brothers and a devoted High Priest. He occupies a status no lower than that of the angels and even higher than theirs. But at the same time, Christ remains human. In a human body, he resignedly accepted martyrdom on the cross. For this he was exalted by God above every name. That is why he ranks higher than the angels. This gives him the authority of God. Even having risen above everyone, he does not cease to bear his human name “Jesus” and to be a man. Another name given to him is Jehovah.
In what body will the dead be raised?
When the church from Corinth was exposed to certain heresies that questioned the resurrection of the dead, the Apostle Paul wrote:
But someone will say: how will the dead be raised? and in what body will they come? Reckless! what you sow will not come to life unless it dies. And when you sow, you do not sow the future body, but the naked grain that happens, wheat or something else; but God gives him a body as he wishes, and to each seed his own body. Not all flesh is the same flesh; but there is another flesh among men, another among beasts, another among fishes, and another among birds. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of those in heaven is one, and that of the earth is another. There is another glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another of the stars; and star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; sown in humiliation, raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; the spiritual body is sown, the spiritual body is raised. There is a spiritual body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-44)
From this passage we clearly see several other important truths about the resurrection of the dead:
- The body in which Jesus was resurrected was incorruptible, and our bodies will also be incorruptible in the resurrection.
- Unlike our bodies today, in the resurrection we will have bodies that are glorified and powerful.
- This body is earthly, and the body in which we will be resurrected, and in which the Lord Jesus was resurrected, is a spiritual body.
So, the spiritual body is completely different from the physical body, because it is glorified, strong and incorruptible. But, at the same time, the spiritual body is also material, because it is visible to other people with the help of such senses as hearing, sight and touch.
This is why the Apostle Paul told those gathered in the Areopagus from Athens a truth about repentance that applies to all people of all times:
So, leaving the times of ignorance, God now commands people everywhere to repent, for He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, through the Man He has appointed, having given evidence to all by raising Him from the dead. (Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31)
Do you believe in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you repented? Do you know what repentance is?
Translation: Moses Natalya
The throne and power of Christ
It is also very interesting what happened to his throne, who inherited it? David was a Prophet, and he knew for sure that God would raise Christ to sit on his throne. Peter spoke about this at Pentecost. This means that the throne and kingdom of David, which Christ inherited, will be restored in heaven, not on earth. They are eternal. The throne of Christ is the throne of God, for he was exalted to be greater than any man on earth. His throne stood above every throne. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of believers.
He is alone in immortality and dwells in an inaccessible light. No one sees it, but it contains eternal power. But he is not the conqueror or usurper of his Father. He shares with him the throne and glory. Christ submits to His Father and will do so forever. The fleshly body of Christ became immortal, and his status rose above the angels. And at the same time, he did not cease to be human. As God and man, Christ reigns forever. Having ascended to heaven, He brought with Him the souls of the redeemed dead. After this, the souls of the righteous after death are transferred directly to heaven. There is nothing eternal on earth.
The actions of Jesus and his authority make his teaching true. Christ passed all earthly tests and ascended above everyone. Its reality is the truth. His love is too deep. Being God, he lived in human form, resigned to it. He taught his students and was an authority among them. Jesus Christ was the only son of God.
In our time, scientists have been able to determine the exact date of the crucifixion of Christ. After conducting a lot of research, they came to the conclusion that it took place on April 3, 33 AD. These were German and Romanian scientists.
Chapter VI. Gospel Events after the Resurrection
Although the disciples of Christ were excited by the stories of the myrrh-bearers about the appearance of the risen Lord to them, they still did not believe their testimony. Sorrow and doubt gripped their sad souls.
The first Sunday was ending. Evening was coming. At this time, two disciples of Christ, Cleopas and (probably) Luke, hurried from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. On the way, they remembered with sadness their beloved Teacher and the sorrowful events that took place in Jerusalem in recent days. It was all over, their faith in Jesus as the Messiah was crumbling, hope was gone. At that moment, a traveler approached them and began to walk with them. It was Christ, but the disciples did not recognize Him. The stranger asked them: “What are you talking about as you walk, and why are you sad?” The students were surprised by this question. All of Jerusalem is now talking about the execution of the Prophet of Galilee on the cross, and this Stranger has probably never even heard of it. Then they began to tell their Companion about what happened in these last days in Jerusalem with Jesus of Nazareth, Whom all the people recognized as the Great Prophet. Three days ago, the chief priests and elders condemned Him to death and executed Him. “And we (His disciples) hoped,” they added sadly and hopelessly, “that He was the One who should deliver Israel; but with all that, today is already the third day since He died. True, some women confused us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find the Body of the Teacher; They also saw Angels who told them that Christ was alive. Some of our people were also today in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea and did not find the Body in the tomb, but they did not see Christ Himself alive” [ ].
Then the mysterious Traveler said to them: “O foolish and slow-hearted ones, why don’t you believe everything that the prophets have predicted? Wasn’t this how Christ had to suffer and enter into His glory?”
Then the risen Lord began to interpret to the disciples the prophecies about the Messiah. While talking, they approached Emmaus. The mysterious Traveler pretended that he wanted to go further, but Cleopas and Luke begged Him to spend the night in their house: “Stay with us, because the day has already turned to evening.”
Christ agreed. When they reclined at the table to refresh themselves with food, Christ took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, as He always did before meals. At that moment, the spiritual eyes of the apostles were opened, and they understood and learned that their mysterious Companion was the risen Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
But the Lord became invisible to them. Amazed by the phenomenon, the apostles joyfully said to each other: “Didn’t our heart burn within us when He spoke to us on the road and when He explained the Scripture to us?”
. After this, they could not stay in Emmaus and sleep peacefully.
We must return to Jerusalem now to tell our fellow apostles the great joy that their Teacher has risen.
Jubilant, they hurried back to Jerusalem. Cleopas and Luke found the ten apostles gathered together in the Upper Room of Zion. They joyfully told the disciples about the incident on the road and how they recognized the risen Lord in the breaking of bread. In turn, the apostles told the Emmaus travelers no less joyful news that the risen Christ had appeared to Peter.
