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Archive for the ‘resurrection’ Category

>Still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Posted in resurrection, Sadducees, tagged on August 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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“[H]ave you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living. When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.” – Matthew 22:31b-33

The faithful knew this verse as God’s introduction of himself to Moses,1 but Jesus revealed a meaning they hadn’t realized.

Sadducee’s, a scholarly religious group in charge of the temple, did not believe in a literal life after death because they found no evidence of it in the books written by Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. This caused real contention and confusion among the less studied who were considered common and unintellectual.

Jesus settled the issue and gave hope to all by pointing out, from their own section of the Bible, that when God said “I am“(not “I was”) Abraham’s, Isaac’s, and Jacob’s God he was saying they were still very much alive in a very real place, still worshiping God as their own.

The term, “gathered to his people”, was not a euphemism for some bone pit but a place of continued fellowship with God and loved ones who had passed on.

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” – 2nd Corinthians 5:8

– fritz

1 – Exodus 3:6

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The "Much More" of "Life"

Posted in resurrection, tagged on July 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10

God wants to do “much more” than just take us from being enemies to being forgiven. If being “saved” was just about forgiveness this verse would not make sense.

“Salvation” is not something we save up for and wait for like social security, it is a daily experience of the risen1 Jesus; living in the his kingdom now and forever. King David put it this way,

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” – Psalm 68:19

– fritz
1 – See “Resurrection of the Body” (July 6,2010)

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Resurrection of the Body

Posted in resurrection, tagged , , , , , on July 6, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“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.” – Jesus after his resurrection (Luke 24:39)

Jesus’ resurrection was not “spiritual” as we, today, define the term. He didn’t become a ghost and he doesn’t live in our hearts and minds like our departed loved ones; he was bodily raised from the dead.

This has always been a part of the faith. When the Bible says in Psalms 16:10, “neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”, it’s declaring the Christ’s body would not decay like everyone else’s; pretenders can’t make it past the grave1.

Certainly the resurrected body is different than when it died; it could materialize anywhere2, was not always recognized3, is no longer subject to illness or death4, and is “spiritual” in the sense that it is not limited to this earth’s physics5. But it is a new dimension of physical that can still eat6, be touched7, and interacted with like any other physical object8.

The resurrection of Christ defeated our last enemy, Death9, and when Jesus returns our mortal bodies shall change to be like his.10

That is the classic “hope” of the resurrection, not being some disembodied ghost somewhere but wholy redeemed individuals in an actual place Jesus has prepared for us.

– fritz

1 – Romans 1:3-4
2 – John 20:19
3 – John 21:4
4 – Romans 6:9
5 – 1 Corin. 15:44 Not “a spirit” but “spiritual body”
6 – Luke 24:41-42
7 – Luke 24:39
8 – Acts 1:3
9 – 1st Corinthians 15:26
10 – Philippians 3:21

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