Thread: Christ's Resurrected Body

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The Watch Tower Society says that Christ's crucified body is still dead and its remains are squirreled away somewhere on earth in a condition, and a location, known only to God.

Opinion among traditional Christians vary. Some say Christ's crucified body was restored to life normally; viz: in a manner consistent with the other resurrections described in the Bible; while others say Christ's crucified body came back to life as a so-called glorified body.

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Originally Posted by WebersHome

The Watch Tower Society says that Christ's crucified body is still dead and its remains are squirreled away somewhere on earth in a condition, and a location, known only to God.

Were you to ask door-to-door Watchtower Society missionaries if they believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, I can assure you they would answer in the affirmative. However, what you may not know is that you and they would not be on the same page as the conversation would be talking about two very different processes that go by the same name. In other words: you would find yourself thrown off by semantic double speak.

The traditional Christian understanding of Christ's resurrection is common throughout the gospels; viz: Jesus Christ died as a physical human being and he came back as a physical human being.

However; according to the Watch Tower Society; Christ didn't physically rise from the dead at all; and here's why.

In Watch Tower Society theology, an angel named Michael volunteered to come to the earth to die for humanity's sins. But in order to do so; he had to relinquish his angel existence to become a human being seeing as how in Society theology it is impossible for someone to exist as a spirit being and a human being simultaneously. Thus when Michael's so-called "life force" was transferred to flesh and given the name Jesus; he became not only a different species of life, but a whole other person too.

Did the human Jesus really show himself alive by many positive proofs after he had suffered? Not according to the Watch Tower Society. In their theology, Michael the angel showed himself alive by means of a materialized body that resembled the human Jesus in every way-- nail prints and spear wound to boot. It was necessary to utilize an avatar because the human Jesus had to stay dead in order for the angel Michael to regain his angel existence.

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†. John 20:24-28 . . Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: We have seen the Lord! But he said to them: Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.

. . . A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said: Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas: Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.

. . .Thomas said to him: My Lord and my God.

Thomas' response is a pretty interesting look behind the scenes. It reveals that at some time during Christ's association with his apostles, he claimed to be not just a god, rather, the god as per Gen 1:1.

Well; I don't think Thomas accepted Jesus' claim to be the god whom Moses' people know as Yhvh; and in point of fact, I am confident that Thomas never would have accepted his claim to be Yhvh had not Jesus proven it by restoring his crucified body to life as per the prediction recorded at John 2:19-22.

"Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews therefore said: It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? But He was speaking of the temple of his body.

. . .When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken."

FYI: It was extremely important that Christ return to life with his crucified body rather than with a fresh, new body, or a spirit body, because in John 2:19-22 Jesus predicted that he would raise "this" temple in three days; viz: the body he had while speaking to the Jews at the time of that incident.

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†. John 20:11-16 . . Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. Why are you crying? the angels asked her. Because they have taken away my Lord; she replied, and I don't know where they have put him.

. . . She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. Why are you crying? Jesus asked her. Who are you looking for?

. . . She thought he was the gardener. Sir; she said; if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.

. . . Mary; Jesus said.

. . . She turned toward him and exclaimed: Teacher!

When Jesus revived, he had no clothes to speak of, having lost them to the Romans (Matt 27:35). The shroud is missing from the inventory listed at John 20:23-7 and I think that's because Christ kept it as a temporary garment till he rounded up something suitable.

Anyway; the last time Mary Magdalena saw Jesus, he was practically naked;

†. Ps 22:17-18 . . I can count every bone in my body. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments.

and in terrible shape.

†. Isa 52:13-15 . . Many were amazed when they saw him-- beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person.

So even if Mary had been expecting to encounter her friend out at the cemetery, which of course she wasn't, she wouldn't have been looking for an able-bodied man clothed with a shroud. She would have been looking for a nearly-naked man, beaten to a pulp, covered with blood, and wearing a crown of thorns. It's no wonder to me that she didn't recognize Jesus right away. Nobody would have, not even his own mother.

Not too long ago I ran into a long-time family friend in a place where I wasn't expecting him and walked right past practically shoulder to shoulder before he caught my attention by calling out my name; so Mary's experience wasn't all that unusual; it happens all the time.

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Q: If Jesus Christ's crucified corpse really did return to life; then how did he get it into a room without opening the door? (John 20:19)

A: Too many people expect Christianity to be a reasonable, scientific religion. It's not. Christianity is a supernatural religion; for example:

Christ walked on water, restored withered limbs, cured people born blind, healed serious diseases like leprosy, revived dead bodies, controlled the weather, multiplied fish and bread, turned water into wine, and levitated.

What's one more miracle, more or less? Walking through walls? Disappearing and reappearing? How hard could any of that really be for a man with the powers of God at his disposal?

It's curious how people can say they believe in miracles but yet cannot believe that God has sufficient control over the laws of nature to make a physical human body pass through solid objects.

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