CONCLUSION TO THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

CONCLUSION TO THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

 

 The Nature of the Resurrection Body

 He Ate Food with His Disciples:

• Luke 24:42 "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb."
• Acts 1:4 (ASV margin) "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."
• Acts 10:41 "Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead."

And yet he passed through material substances: John 20:6-8 (through linen cloths)  "Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed."

Matt. 28:2 (through the great stone) "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it."

John 20:19 (through the walls of the upper room) "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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

False Theories of the Resurrection

The Swoon Theory: Did not really die. The effect of crucifixion was so devastating that he fainted. But later he revived within the cool atmosphere of the tomb and the aromatic spices with which He was embalmed.

The Deception Theory: The disciples practiced a deliberate lie and imposed this untruth upon the world. They stole the body and concealed it, but said that He arose. The authorities had already anticipated such a move and had provided against it. They sealed the tomb and paid money to men to lie about the dis­appearance of the body (Matt. 28:13).

The Vision Theory: The disciples were so much in love with this man and wished that He could remain among them that they actually developed visions of having seen Him. Thomas was against any such thing, and Paul declared that he was not mad when He said he had seen Him (John 20:24-29; Acts 26:24-25). This would require more miracles than the resurrection to convince 500 Jews that Christ was risen (1 Cor. 15:6).

The Spirit Theory: that His Spirit rose and ministered to the disciples, but it was their psychological frame of mind that led them to reconstruct a body clothed in features such as they had once witnessed.