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The
Jehovah's Witnesses and the
Resurrection of Jesus
The
Watchtower organization says that Jesus did not rise from the dead
in the same body he died in (You Can Live Forever on Paradise Earth, p.
143-44). Instead, it says that He rose as a spirit creature and that the
material body of Jesus was taken away by God the Father. Therefore,
they deny the physical resurrection of Christ. Is this
important? Most definitely!
1 Cor. 15:14 says, "If Jesus is not
raised, then our faith is in vain." In other words, if Jesus did
not rise from the dead, then Christianity is a waste of time and we are
then still dead in our sins. It is obvious that the doctrine of the
resurrection of Jesus is a vital and essential element of Christianity.
But what of the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Are they accurate in their
assessment of Jesus’ resurrection in denying the bodily resurrection but
affirming a "spiritual" resurrection? The answer is a definite,
"No."
It is obvious from Jesus' own words in John 2:19-21 that He would raise Himself from the dead:
"Jesus answered and said to
them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up." 20The Jews therefore said,
"It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise
it up in three days?" 21But He was speaking of the
temple of His body."
John 2:19-21 is a clear prophecy of Christ. Note that He said He would
raise up "this temple." John the apostle clarifies for us
that "this temple" was actually Jesus physical body.
Therefore, Jesus' physical body was raised from the dead. Very
simple. However, the Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe Jesus' own
words here.
In order to help you see the error of the
Watchtower position and aid you in refuting their arguments, I've compiled
the following list of arguments used by the Jehovah's Witnesses to support
their position.
1. They
use 1 Pet. 3:18 where it says that Christ was "put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit" as an attempt to show that
Jesus was not raised physically, but as a kind of spirit creature.
Their use of the scripture to support their
position is incorrect because this verse does not say that He was raised a
spirit creature. It says that He was "made alive in the
spirit." What does that mean? Quite simply, it means that Jesus
was raised in an imperishable body. This is what 1 Cor. 15:35-45 says when
it refers to the body as being sown perishable, but raised imperishable;
sown in dishonor and raised in glory; sown a natural body and raised a
spiritual body, etc. Jesus was the "Last Adam" a life giving
spirit. Paul is typifying the resurrection body. In this passage Paul is
talking about the resurrection of all people. All Christians will be
raised in physical bodies. It is said the same of Jesus.
2.
The Bible says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God (1 Cor. 15:44-50). Therefore, Jesus’ physical body could not be raised lest
it contradict this verse.
What the Jehovah's Witnesses miss is that
after His resurrection Jesus said, "Touch me and see, for a spirit
does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39).
You must note that Jesus did not say, "flesh and blood."
He said, "flesh and bones." This is because Jesus’
blood was shed on the cross. The life is in the blood and it is the blood
that cleanses from sin: "For the life of the flesh is in the
blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for
your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:11). See also, Gen. 9:4;
Deut. 12:23; and John 6:53-54. Jesus was
pointing out that He was different. He had a body, but not a body of flesh
and blood. It was flesh and bones.
3.
The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus manifested different physical
forms in order to convince the disciples that He had been raised.
This is faulty for several reasons. First,
it would mean that Jesus was tricking His disciples into believing that
His body had been raised when it hadn’t. Second, it disregards the clear
teaching of Jesus Himself who said His very body would be raised. He said
in John 2:19-21, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up." 20Then the Jews said, "It has taken
forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three
days?" 21But He was speaking of the temple of His
body." Jesus said that His body would be raised. The Jehovah’s
Witnesses clearly deny Jesus’ very words. Fourth, 1 Tim. 2:5 says,
"For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ
Jesus." Jesus is said to be a man -- in present tense language.
If He was not raised physically, then how could he be a man? He could not
be.
4. Jesus
manifested different bodies after the resurrection, the same way the
angels took human form in the Old Testament in order to show the disciples
that He had been raised.
Again, this contradicts what Jesus said in
John 2:19-21 that He would raise Himself from the dead. . . physically.
Also, Jesus is not an angel contrary to what the Jehovah's Witnesses
believe. Jesus was God in flesh (John 8:58;
John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8).
The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus
did not rise from the dead in the same body He died in. This is a
dangerous doctrine that contradicts the Bible and condemns those who
believe it to eternal destruction because it is denying His physical
resurrection which is the proof that He conquered death. The Jehovah's
Witnesses need to keep Jesus’ own words in mind when He said, "Destroy
this temple and in three days, I will raise it up" (John 2:19).
Since He was speaking of His body says John in verse 21, then it must be
true; Jesus rose from the dead in the same body He died in. Also, at His
ascension people watched Him rise to be with the Father. They saw His body
ascend. That is why it can be said that Jesus, the man, is the mediator
between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). It isn’t an angel or a spirit creature
that is the mediator. It is Jesus the man.
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