Post by ResLight on Sept 7, 2023 8:18:01 GMT -5
On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. -- John 2:18-23, Berean Standard.
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. -- John 2:18-23, Berean Standard.
Contrary to what many read into Jesus' words above, Jesus said nothing about raising himself from the dead. He did speak of raising up his body. In John 2:23, John did not record that after Jesus had raised himself from the dead, but rather simply that after he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus raised up his body after his God raised Jesus from the oblivious condition of sheol/hades.
Jesus could not raise up his former body while he was the oblivious death condition in sheol/hades. (Psalm 16:9,10; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Acts 2:27-32) His God had to first save Jesus from death by raising Jesus up out of the death condition before Jesus could raise up his former body for various appearances.
If God had raised Jesus back into his body of flesh and he still is in that body of flesh to this day as many claim, then there has been no offering to God for sin. God sent his Son into this world to save sinners. Jesus did this by sacrificing his sinless body of flesh with its blood to pay the price of the condemnation that is in Adam. What was needed in such a savior sent by God was that he be human, without sin, and that he, in effect, takes Adam's place. Thus, he could take upon himself the condemnation that is upon Adam and all of Adam's descendants. As a result, the condemnation would be lifted upon Adam and all of Adam's descendants. To do this, God prepared a body of flesh and blood for His Son and made His Son a little lower than the angels so that His Son could offer that body of flesh with its blood to Jehovah for the sin of the world, thus becoming the savior of the world whom Jehovah sent. -- Luke 22:19; John 1:29; 6:51; 14:19; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9;10:5,10; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 4:9-14.
Thus, God did not raise Jesus in the flesh, but in the spirit. (2 Peter 3:13) Nevertheless, Jesus, before his ascension, did indeed raise up his former body for various appearances. After Jesus' God (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3) raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24,32,26; 3:15; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30,33,37; 17:31; Romans 4:24; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:15; Galatians 1:1; Colossians 2:11,12; 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 1 Peter 1:21; 3:18), Jesus did not immediately ascend to heaven, but he stayed on the earth for 40 days, during which time, as he had foretold (John 2:19-21), he raised up his former body for various appearances to his disciples. (Luke 24:39; John 20:20,25,27; Acts 1:3) It was not until after he ascended into heaven that Jesus became a priest who could offer to his God (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14) his body of flesh with its blood for our sins, after which he sat down at God's right hand (Hebrews 10:10,12), since as long as he was on earth he could not be a priest. (Hebrews 8:4) This does not mean that God raised Jesus in the flesh and not in the spirit. It would simply mean that Jesus was first raised from the oblivious condition of death with the heavenly, celestial bodily glory. Jesus then could raise up his body of flesh as needed for various appearances.
If we reason that Jesus was raised in the flesh, rather than in the spirit, then his resurrection would have simply been earthly, fleshly, and not heavenly, spiritual; he would, in effect, still have been a man, having a glory that is a little lower than the angels, and he would again be in the days of his flesh here on the earth. (1 Corinthians 15:39-41; Hebrews 2:7; 5:7) Jesus was put to death in the flesh for our sins, but he was not raised in the flesh but in the spirit. -- 1 Peter 3:18.
Jesus could not raise up his former body while he was the oblivious death condition in sheol/hades. (Psalm 16:9,10; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Acts 2:27-32) His God had to first save Jesus from death by raising Jesus up out of the death condition before Jesus could raise up his former body for various appearances.
I have a study related to this at:
jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/2016/11/raise-himself.html
