Apologetics

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When Jesus of Nazareth was buried, his body was wrapped with linens combined with aloes and myrrh (John 19:39-40). It was a shroud, the definition of which is a length of cloth or enveloping garment wrapped around a dead body. The disciples looked into the open tomb and "saw the linen wrapping lying there" (John 20:5-6). This is mentioned twice. Why is it so significant? It is because the shroud was undisturbed, untouched by human hands, still in the form and shape of the body of Jesus - but his body was not in it. 


This is not only commonly accepted by many biblical scholars, but is also suggested by the original Greek in which the New Testament was written. When the disciples saw the grave clothes in the same exact position, form, and shape, they believed beyond all doubt that Jesus had risen. The modern day equivalent would be a dead person coming to life and rising right out of a casket and burial site. How could a mere human do this? He or she couldn't. But Jesus was using the power of his supernatural, immortal body, not subject to physical barriers. This is backed up in John 20:19 after Jesus had risen, "When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst..."  Mark 16:12 further states that Jesus "appeared in a different form..."


Jesus always had his glorified nature. This was revealed long before the resurrection, in the transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17:1-3. "And six days later Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brought them to a high mountain by themselves. And He was tranfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with them."


In contrast, Philippians 2:6-8 says, "Who, although {Jesus} existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." 

Jesus became in the likeness of men to die. He used his already-existing immortal body and nature to rise. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead for you, you are saved. Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised {Jesus} from the dead, you shall be saved." How about you? Do you believe this?

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