Resurrection of the Body

"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." - Jesus after his resurrection (Luke 24:39)

Jesus' resurrection was not "spiritual" as we, today, define the term. He didn't become a ghost and he doesn't live in our hearts and minds like our departed loved ones; he was bodily raised from the dead.

That has always been a part of the faith. When the Bible says in Psalms 16:10, "neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption", it's declaring Christ's body would not decay like the rest of humanity; impostors can't make it past the grave¹.

Certainly the resurrected body is different from the body that died; it could materialize anywhere², was not always recognized³, is no longer subject to illness or death⁴, and is "spiritual" in the sense that it is not limited to this earth's physics⁵. But it is a new dimension of physical that can still eat⁶, be touched⁷, and interacted with like any other physical object⁸.

The resurrection of Christ defeated our last enemy, Death⁹, and when Jesus returns our mortal bodies shall change to be like his.¹⁰

That is the classic "hope" of the resurrection, not to be some disembodied ghost somewhere but to be wholy redeemed individuals in the place Jesus went to prepare for us.

- fritz

^{1 - Romans 1:3-4
2 - John 20:19
3 - John 21:4
4 - Romans 6:9
5 - 1 Corin. 15:44 Not "a spirit" but "spiritual body"
6 - Luke 24:41-42
7 - Luke 24:39
8 - Acts 1:3
9 - 1st Corinthians 15:26
10 - Philippians 3:21}

Recognizing Christ

[Mary] "turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus ... Thinking he was the gardener ..." - John 20:14, 15b

Jesus is not always recognizable¹; we see gardeners, plumbers, doctors, our parents, our children but not Jesus.

C.S.Lewis put is this way:

You may say `I've never had the sense of being helped by an invisible Christ, but I often have been helped by other human beings.' That is rather like the woman in the first war who said that if there were a bread shortage it would not bother her house because they always ate toast. If there is no bread there will be no toast. If there were no help from Christ, there would be no help from other human beings... At first it is natural for a baby to take its mother's milk without knowing its mother. It is equally natural for us to see the man who helps us without seeing Christ behind him. But we must not remain babies. We must go on to recognise the real Giver. It is madness not to.
- C.S. Lewis²

Today, with God's help I shall recognize Christ through the gracious deeds of others.

-fritz


^{1 - Related Post: God Opens Eyes
2 - C.S.Lewis Mere Christianity Chapter 29}

Recognizing Jesus

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus." - John 21:3,4 (KJV)

Sometimes Jesus isn't recognized by even his closest friends. We see this several times in the bible. It happened to the disciples, to Mary, to Hikers on the road to Emmaus, and even Sampson's parents.

I think it continues to happen, today. We encounter Him and don't even realize it is him until after.

God sometimes brings a complete stranger to give us advice and, if we are open and willing to try, it was just the word we needed.

As with Mary in the garden tomb (John 20:15), filled with grief, thinking someone has taken away our faith, if we ask, God speaks our name and we realize He has been with us all along.

Like the Hikers on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24), we hear the Word of God preached and the bread broken (communion) and our hearts burn within us and we know we heard from God.

Sometimes our children make wrong choices in spite of our efforts and prayers and we are distressed like Sampson's parents (Judges 14:4), but discover later that God had a greater plan.

Jesus, help me to recognize you in the events of my life, trust you completely, and love you fully.

Amen.