The death and resurrection of Christ go so much deeper than the so-called supernatural miracle of the bodily resurrection from the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
The ‘death and resurrection’ of Christ is a – 100% natural! – miracle that took place in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the man of flesh and blood. And that makes it possible for us as living people of flesh and blood in a completely natural way to undergo the same ‘resurrection’.
Almost everywhere where Paul speaks of ‘being dead’ and ‘being alive’ and of ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’, it is about the so-called ‘spiritual death’ (a spiritually darkened consciousness) and the ‘spiritual resurrection’ (the Christ Light that rises within us; the so-called rebirth).
A few examples:
“We (living people of flesh and blood) were buried with Him by baptism into death (not into physical death, but into the ‘spiritual death’ of Christ), that just as Christ was raised from the dead (from ‘spiritual death’) by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (from ‘spiritual death’ to spiritual life!). … Likewise you also (living people of flesh and blood) should reckon yourselves to be dead (not physically, but spiritually) to sin, but alive (not physically, but spiritually) to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:4,11)
“Set your mind on things ‘above,’ not on things on the earth, for you (living people of flesh and blood) died (not physically, but according to the ‘flesh’), and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2,3)
“For me (Paul, as a living man of flesh and blood) through the law I am dead to the law (not physically, but according to the ‘flesh’) that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ (not physically, but the crucified ‘flesh’/ego), and it is no longer I who live, that is, not I (ego), but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:19,20)
“And you (living people of flesh and blood), when you were dead (not physically, but spiritually) in trespasses and sins, …” (Ephesians 2:1)
“us (living people of flesh and blood), when we were dead (not physically, but spiritually) in our trespasses, hath quickened us together (in the Spirit) with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together (not physically, but spiritually), and made us sit together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5,6)
“while we look not at the things which are seen (the physical death and resurrection of Jesus), but at the things which are unseen (the spiritual ‘death and resurrection’ of Christ); for the things which are seen are temporary (subject to change), but the things which are unseen are eternal (unchangeable).” (2 Corinthians 4:18; Paul did not teach dualistic Gnosticism!)
If this was the core of the message that Paul proclaimed, which he calls the gospel of Christ [1], why would the core of the gospel as proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth be the resurrection from physical death?
The gospel of Christ is about the ‘spiritual death’ and the ‘spiritual resurrection’ of Christ, who is everything in all.
“the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
What happened on Golgotha and on the early morning of the third day (and in between)?
Jesus of Nazareth was scourged and tortured and his – to the bone – mutilated body was nailed to a cross. He was on the point of death. The Christ Light in him, which had shone so powerfully on the mount of transfiguration, had almost been extinguished. He did not consider his ‘being equal to God’ as robbery, but took on the form of a slave. At that moment, Jesus was in outer darkness as far as his spiritual state of consciousness was concerned; the state of consciousness that we have come to call ‘hell’. The Christ in him had ‘died’, the Christ Light in him had been extinguished, which resulted in the three-hour darkness (as within, so without). Of course, the Christ (who is the image of God and therefore Spirit) cannot literally die, but this is a state of consciousness in which we are no longer aware of the Christ Light. Spiritually speaking, Jesus was ‘dead’. At that moment he experienced nothing more of his Father, of his ‘being equal to God’. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is the cry of someone who is completely darkened in his consciousness; it is a cry from the deepest darkness of his soul.
After about six hours – which was very short for a ‘normal’ crucifixion followed by physical death – the body of Jesus is taken down from the cross and placed in a grave. The shrouds are wrapped around his body, but the cloth that was supposed to be wrapped around his head is placed somewhere else in the grave, neatly folded. (Why?) Was Jesus still breathing? The body of Jesus is treated with – the equivalent of 30 kilos! – myrrh and aloe. A quantity that was exorbitant for the embalming of a deceased body. (Why?) In those quantities it was used at that time for wound care and pain relief. After three days, women go to the grave to embalm the body of Jesus again with the herbs they had bought (Why?); on the way they wonder who will roll the stone away from the grave for them. (Why?) In the story of the death of Lazarus, it was the women who wanted to prevent the grave from being opened after three days because of the smell of corpse. Did the women believe that Jesus was still alive and therefore wanted to open the tomb to take care of his body once more?
In the meantime (between the burial and the moment the women return to the tomb) the greatest natural miracle that has ever taken place in human history takes place. The resurrection power of Christ came ‘to life’ in the perishable and mortal body of Jesus and within three days the shattered, totally mutilated and completely exhausted body of Jesus undergoes a metamorphosis (transformation) into a heavenly glorified body through the resurrection power of Christ. The revelation of the resurrection of Christ, right through the body of Jesus of Nazareth, was a fact! This is the real miracle of the resurrection! This is the real miracle of Easter! Whether Jesus was actually physically dead or not, does not matter at all. By focusing on the physical resurrection of Jesus – which would have been a supernatural miracle – we ensure that we see the real – completely natural! – miracle that has taken place, which means that the true revelation of the resurrection power of Christ passes us by.
If it was possible for Jesus of Nazareth to undergo this transformation (metamorphosis) in three days – from a physical condition that left nothing to the imagination! – then it is possible for every person, regardless of our physical condition, to undergo a transformation into a glorified body in a short time. Even more so, it is possible for the entire creation to transform into a ‘new’ heaven and a ‘new’ earth in a short time. The resurrection power of Christ is in everything and everyone!
“If the Spirit of Him (Christ) who raised Jesus from the (spiritual) dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the (spiritual) dead will also give life to your mortal (not your dead!) bodies through His Spirit (Christ) who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)
“For this corruptible (not the dead!) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (not the dead!) must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)
The second Adam (Christ in us) is truly a life-giving Spirit! Christ in us is truly our hope of glory, the hope of a glorified body, regardless of the state of consciousness (however darkened) we are in now.
“our vile (not our dead!) body will be changed, that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the power (the resurrection power of Christ, which is in everything and everyone), by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:21)
Jesus of Nazareth truly conquered death! Not by rising from physical death, but by looking death right in the face, knowing that Christ in him will lead him to victory. Christ in us is truly our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27); not after our physical death, but here and now!
“Therefore my heart rejoices, and my soul is glad; and my flesh shall dwell in safety: for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see the pit. Thou makest known unto me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; in thy right hand is pleasure for evermore.” (Psalm 16:9-11)
“Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:26)
Of course, Jesus is talking about ‘spiritual death’ and ‘spiritual life’ here. But if we have truly come to (spiritual) life (through the Christ who rises in us), then physical death no longer has power over us and our body of flesh and blood (regardless of its state) will undergo a metamorphosis and transform into a glorified body.
“This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as our fathers ate, and are dead (physically). Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:58)
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection (the new birth!); over such the second death (physical death) has no power.” (Revelation 20:6)
“O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:55,56)
The law is a picture of the knowledge of good and evil. Through the knowledge of good and evil, sin (missing the mark; dying physically) entered the world. Jesus came to take away the missing of the mark (sin) from the world. He went before us as the ‘firstfruits’ in this, so that eventually all his brothers and sisters (all of humanity!) and then the whole creation would follow him. Hallelujah!
[1] Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 2:12, 4:4, 9;13, 10:14; Galatians 1:7; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:2
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