RSV Bible
In June while on holiday I came into conversation with the retired Bishop of Oxford John Pritchard he said something that caught my attention, “Did Jesus know that he was going to be resurrected bodily?
Afterwards while thinking about it, the scripture came to mind.
“For as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12: 40, 41. 27 64. Job 19: 25, 26.
Jesus related his resurrection to that of Jonah who was raised bodily.
The prophet Jonah lived around 800 BC, during the reign of Jeroboam II. He lived in a town just north of Nazareth in Gath-hepher. Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness that was before God. We read that he did not want to go to Nineveh, so instead he went and boarded a ship heading for Tarshish. Soon after setting sail a storm blew up, as a result the sailors believed that someone on board had brought this situation upon them, so they cast lots, the lot fell on Jonah.
He told them that he was running away from God’s commission. He offered them a solution to throw him overboard, but the sailors were reluctant to offend Jonah’s God, so they tried to row the boat to the shore, but it was to no avail, the storm grew worse. In desperation they threw Jonah overboard, as he fell into the sea a whale swallowed him whole, as a result the storm abated. He spent three days and nights inside the fish where he died, the fish vomited him out onto dry land where he came to life. Jonah 1. Jonah was resurrected from the dead to continue his life until the day came where he died and his body became dust.
After Jesus died, he was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb.
Peter wrote that during those three days in the tomb Jesus in the spirit, went to those in prison in the heart of the earth and preached the good news to them,
“For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the righteous and the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly didn’t obey, when God’s presence waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark”. 1 Peter 3: 18-21.
God’s justice
During those 3 days God gave the people who had lived before and at the time when Noah was building the ark, who had never heard of Jesus, the opportunity to receive as their Lord and Saviour: the forgiveness of sins and being raised through faith in him,
“But they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why, the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.” 1 Peter 4: 5,6
Jesus was ready to return.
At the time when Peter wrote this letter they were expecting Jesus to return and bring in God’s kingdom. He addressed the Gentile Christians saying the Gentiles outside of the faith in Christ would be judged as unbelievers and the Gentile converts walking in the Spirit of God would be in God’s kingdom. The people who Jesus witnessed to during the 3 days in the heart of the earth will be brought to account those who didn’t believe in him will be judged as unbelievers and those who accepted him who live in the Spirit knowing God will be in God’s kingdom.
Peter confirmed Jesus preaching the gospel to the people who had died and were waiting for the judgement was a one off.
Universalists believe that after death God still gives people a second opportunity to receive Jesus as their Saviour. But as I understand what Jesus taught about the resurrection through his parable ‘The rich man and the poor man Lazarus’ the rich man died and went to Hades where he experienced suffering. Whereas, Lazarus was at peace in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man was eager to warn his brothers that they should know the consequences of disregarding the needs of the poor before they died. But he couldn’t let them know as there was a gulf between the living and the dead.
This parable shows that it’s in this life that we prepare for the next. It’s in this lifetime that we make our decision to believe and follow Jesus.
It also reveals that there is a continuous life after death, either to a place of light or a place of darkness. Luke 16: 20.
Spiritualists don’t believe that there is a separation between the living and the dead. They practice praying to their dead relatives through a medium: for help and guidance. The Israelites were told by God that these practices: child sacrifice, divination, a soothsayer, an augur, a sorcerer, a charmer, a medium, a wizard, or a necromancer where to be driven out of the Promised Land, as their practices were unacceptable to God. Deuteronomy 18: 9-14
Prayer
Lord you understand when we follow beliefs that we’ve been taught or inherited from our family, until we are challenged with what the Bible says about what we have believed. I pray Lord, that you will breathe the freshness of faith, that the love for Jesus brings in seeking the truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen
On the third day Jesus in his resurrected body appeared to Mary Magdalene. Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not ascended to my Father.” John 20: 17
In the evening of the same day he appeared before his disciples who were gathered in the house at Jerusalem. The two disciples on their way to Emmaus in their conversation with a stranger confirmed, that Jesus was resurrected on the third day. John 19: 40-42. Mark 16: 14. Luke 24: 21.
Jesus knew that he would be bodily resurrected not just through Jonah’s testimony, but also through the fulfilment of King David’s prophecy.
Peter at Pentecost quoted King David’s words, that Jesus was not abandoned in Hades (Sheol)
“He foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” Psalm 16: 8-11. Acts 2: 27, 31.
Jesus’ body uncorrupted by sin, as he did not inherit the sin of Adam or hold on to sin from the actions of others against his flesh. Luke 24: 21. Mark 15: 34.
“The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12: 41
The king of Nineveh and his subjects repented on hearing God’s message from Jonah.
At and after Pentecost the leaders of the Jewish nation had the complete account of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension and if their leaders had brought the people to repentance by accepting Jesus as their Messiah, Jesus would have returned with angels in the power of the kingdom of God. Acts 3: 17-21. Mark 8: 38, 9:1. ‘The Messiah’s Secret Revealed’ by Dorothy Newton online www.messiahs-secret-revealed.co.uk
The leaders were sceptical of what the disciples were saying; they had witnessed first hand when Jesus broke the Sabbath day laws and they didn’t expect the Christ to come and die. “Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross and that we may see and believe.” They expected the resurrection would take place on the last day. John 12: 34 Mark 15: 30-32. John 6: 40.
‘Someone greater than Jonah was here.’
After Pentecost Peter and John were arrested and brought before the council. The nation’s leaders: rulers, elders and scribes heard from Peter and John directly that the lame man had been healed in the name of Jesus Christ, (Christ meaning Messiah) they proclaimed Jesus as their Messiah saying also that Jesus had been raised from the dead. The leaders: Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas and John Alexander and all who were of the high priests family had nothing to say in opposition, because they couldn’t dispute the healing of the man at Gate Beautiful. The disciples were cautioned and told not to speak or teach in Jesus’ name. Acts 4: 1-22
God’s seed
For Jesus to redeem us, in order for us to become the bride of Christ, he was born of a woman.
Jesus, the Son of man, his flesh and blood came into being as a result of the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary. God implanting his seed into Mary’s womb. Jesus was made man from God’s seed which was complete in its-self, containing all the components including the egg to produce baby Jesus. From Mary Jesus received the food that gave his body nourishment to grow and develop inside her womb. He had the potential to live for ever on the earth. Genesis 3: 15. Luke 1: 31, 35.
Medical science has discovered a way to conceive out of the body. 1978 Louise Joy Brown was born, she was the first test tube baby. Drs Steptoe and Edwards made medical history when they developed the means were, they were able to plant Leslie Brown’s fertilised egg into her womb. Afterwards the womb reacts in the normal way of producing a baby
God’s seed complete with egg and sperm to give Jesus the perfect body, the second Adam.
Every seed contains the complete makeup of the plant or tree etc.
The seed of faith sown in the heart is complete in Jesus and has the potential to develop and grow to be like him in his nature, characteristics and gifts and contains the completed work of Christ: his death, resurrection and ascension and the inheritance of God’s kingdom, including the new heaven and the new earth..
Bob Gordon in his book “The Cross” writes, “When God created man, did he create mankind to be mortal-that is, subject to death? The answer is clearly, no
Jesus himself was not subject to man’s death until he took mankind’s sin into himself, because death is the outcome of sin. Jesus himself was not sinful, therefore, he did not live his life under the threat of death.
Bob continues, “Charles Wesley writes with tremendous spiritual insight when he proclaims the depth of this: ‘Tis mystery all! The immortal dies: who can explore his strange design? In vain the first-born seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine.’”
Clearly Bob has resonated with Charles Wesley the fact that Jesus was immortal in all purity and holiness blameless and without sin, he willingly took our sin in himself and became sin and he paid the penalty of his life laid down, to redeem humanity from sin.”
“No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine.
“And can it be” By Charles Wesley.
Romans 8: 11 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give you life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”
Do you want to know Jesus in a real living way and be assured of a place in God’s kingdom? Then turn to Christ and say sorry to God and invite Jesus into your heart.
Prayer
Jesus, I’m sorry for the things I’ve done in my life that have separated me from knowing God, I acknowledge that Jesus took my sin on the cross where in his love for me died in my place. I invite the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead to come into my heart and accept me into his eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Acting on our faith the Holy Spirit quickens our spirit with God’s Holy Spirit and empowers us with his gifts.
In the Spirit we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places and while still on the earth
The body of our flesh will be raised and united with our Spirit when Jesus calls out his church from the earth.
“We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed . . . the mortal puts on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54.
The living and the dead will meet Christ in the air and our bodies will become a resurrected body. Where bodies of people have been cremated, God will bring together the ashes and we shall be restored to have our own resurrected body.
Prayer
Father God, as the time draws nearer to Jesus’ calling out his church, may we seek to make Jesus known at every opportunity, and to give direction to those Christians who have lost their way on this journey of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen