Jesus, Our Resurrected Lord

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
³ Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. ⁴ So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. ⁵ And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went away again to their own homes," (John 20:1-10, NKJV)

The first person to see our Resurrected Lord was Mary Magdalene.  Reading further down in St. John chapter twenty, when Mary's eyes were opened to recognize that it was Jesus and not the gardener with whom she spoke, she wanted to embrace him, but "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God," (vs. 17, KJV).

As we continue in this series of teachings, Deeper Look into the Death of Jesus, we see here that He is no longer dead.  He said to the apostle John on the isle of Patmos, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death," (Rev. 1:18).

As amazing as it seems, not all Christians, including many leaders, believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Look at Psalm 16:10 in several different translations:

"I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay" (CEV).

 

"because you will not leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; Sheol].
    You will not let your holy one [saint; loyal one] rot," (EXB).

 

"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay."(NASB).

 

"because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay," (NIV).

 

"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (KJV).

 

When Jesus appeared to Thomas he said, "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," (Luke 24:39).

 

Jesus had walked with his disciples in public ministry for three years.  They knew him; yet, there was something much different about him after his resurrection.  

 

- They did not recognize him until he opened their eyes (Luke 24:15-16; John  20:14; 21:4).

- He supernaturally appeared among them inside locked rooms (John 20:26).

- He was able to do so many works that John testified, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen," (John 21:25).

 

Something was different about Jesus.  He rose from the grave victorious.  Whenever we win a spiritual battle, we are changed.  Certainly Jesus, who is referred to in scripture as the "last Adam" was changed; that is, he was rewarded. 

 

^44" It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

⁴⁵ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

⁴⁶ Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven," (I Cor. 15:44-47).

 

THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD DWELLS BODILY WITHIN THE GLORIFIED MAN, CHRIST JESUS! (Col. 2:9)  He is still one hundred percent God and one hundred percent Man.  The One who received the Spirit without measure imparts himself into you and me out of his own fullness (John 1:16); and yet his own fullness is not diminished. 

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SOUL OF JESUS?  Jesus was the grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died in order to produce a harvest.  He is the firstfruit among many brethren.  The Son of Man...the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  How this transition took place may only be revealed in glory.  All souls belong to God (Ezek. 18:4).   Jesus sowed his body and his soul.  He gained our bodies as temples of the living God and he gained our souls which he died to save.  After Jesus' resurrection we never hear mention of the soul of Jesus ever again.   Everything we inherit as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ is all spiritual:

 

- the gifts of the Spirit (I Cor. 12; 14).

- the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)

- "...he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit," (I Cor. 6:17).

- "God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind," (2 Tim. 1:7)

 

In other words, we are not to be "soul-tied" to our God, but rather, joined to Him by the Spirit.  Many Christians walk with God out of their soulish realm... out of their feelings/emotions, their mind or will, etc.   Then, when things don't go their way or they get their feelings hurt or offended, they backslide until they need God again.   We're to be joined to the Lord by the Spirit of Truth and we're to walk by faith...according to His word... not by sight or feelings or our own opinions, thoughts, ideas or plans.

 

Something about the resurrected Lord was different.  His name now carried power in heaven, earth and beneath the earth.  He now held the keys of hell and of death.  He could now shift into his ministry as our High Priest and release the Holy Spirit into the earth to be with us.  Yet when Mary saw our Resurrected Savior in the body that had been whipped, beaten and crucified, (but now glorified), he restrained her from embracing him, stating, "...for I am not yet ascended to my Father...".

 

Jesus was obviously resurrected, but there was something more that had to happen.  He still had to ascend!  We know that the Spirit of Jesus had been committed into the hands of the Father when Jesus breathed his last on the Cross.  It was the soul of Jesus that had gone into hell, was risen back into the body that did not decompose, rot, decay or "see corruption", but had never stood before the Father in his glorified body.   After telling Mary not to touch him, we only have to read down ten more verses to ready what He said to Thomas when he reappeared in the midst of the apostles,

 

²⁷ Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing," (John 20).

 

Ten verses later Jesus invites Thomas to touch him!  So... what happened between the time Mary saw him and his appearance to Thomas?  Surely he had "ascended".  But, he's back on earth among his disciples!?!  What's going on here?  What does this mean?  Let's dig a little further next week.