E-Life, Death, Life Hereafter-5

E – LIFE, DEATH AND LIFE HEREAFTER – 5

Taken from Sword and Staff by

James Gibbons

The temporal and the Eternal

Aspects of the Resurrection of Christ

The resurrection of Jesus was indeed a flesh and blood resurrection (with the eternal aspect coming about in His ascension back to heaven after 40 days).  In Him initially being raised from the dead in this manner proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that He had been resurrected.  What the disciples were seeing was not a disembodied spirit, an apparition or an illusion.  He had indeed come back from the dead in His human body.  He said to His wary disciples, “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 showed them His hands and His feet.  And while they yet believed not for joy; and wondered, He said unto them, “Have ye here any meat (food)?”  And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb.  And He took it, and did eat before them.  Lk.24:39-43   Likewise read Jhn.20:24-29 and 1 Jhn.1:1.

Although it is very plain that Christ resurrected in a physical body, there remains unanswered questions and an element of mystery in His appearances during the 40 days before He went back to heaven.  This stands out in what He said to Mary Magdalene (Jhn.20:17) and in the two disciples not readily recognizing Him on the road to Emmaus and when finally they are there, Lk.24:13-35; Mk.16:12   We see it when Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst out of nowhere when they had hurried back to Jerusalem.  Lk.24:36-39   He even appeared in their midst when the doors were shut and locked.  Jhn.20:19,26   Some have explained this, saying that Christ was in sort of a transient “fluid” state, moving back and forth from the temporal to the eternal during this span of time.  Others have said He was simply exerting His supernatural power as God in the flesh as these things miraculously took place, and even as He had performed unexplainable miracles during His ministry.  But mystery remains (and so must it ever be when dealing with that which is beyond our immediate human experience.)

An Eternal Spiritual Body

Like unto That of Christ

We are not to confuse the eternally glorified body of Christ as seen in heaven and consequently that of a Christian, with the earthly aspect of His physical resurrection.  Christ was raised from the dead in a flesh and blood body, but it is plain that His body in eternity is a glorified spiritual body (not an earthly physical one).  The apostle Paul makes this clear in 1 Cor.15, that great chapter on the resurrection.  Here he says that in death the body is sown a natural body, (but in the resurrection) it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  1 Cor.15:44   He goes on to say The first man (Adam) was made a living soul; the last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit…The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven…And as we have borne the image of the earth (our present bodies being like unto Adam’s), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (receiving a glorified body like unto Christ’s).  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  1 Cor.15:45-50   And in the same vein he wrote to the Philippians, For our conversation (citizenship) 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; according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.  Phil.3:20,21   Meshing this truth in with 1 Cor.15, as we return there, we find Paul saying that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  1 Cor.15:52,53   Likewise consider 2 Cor.5:1-4 and 1 Thess.4:13-18 along with these other wonderful Scriptures:  Col.1:5,27; Col.3:1-4; 1 Pet.1:3-9.

We know that Christ now has a glorious, eternal and spiritual body, not a flesh and blood body.  Perhaps this took place as He ascended to heaven, like we will be changed as we arise to meet Him in the air.  But there is so much that we do not know.  Even the Spirit-inspired apostle John wrote, Beloved, now are we the sons (children) of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He dis.  1 Jhn.3:2   There is life after death.  Eternal life!