p.2 Did Jesus change his form in His resurrection?

The Bible explains that the same body that died is resurrected (according to God’s word). Jesus being raised from the dead approves Jesus’ sacrifice as the sinless lamb for sin being accepted by the Father.

Adams comments, On Jesus’ many appearances to Mary Magdalen, “notice now that Jesus is appearing in a different form, Jesus is ascending the biological realm, and Jesus can take many different forms because he is now, the spirit of the Lord . So he can appear in any form he wishes. He is choosing to appear in forms that are familiar to the local people there even though those forms may not resemble the Jesus of Nazareth that they remember as in terms as having the same face, for example.”Underline mine (035: Mike Adams discusses the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ)

“Mary would later see Him appear in a different form, as He no longer appeared as the human vessel of the biological Jesus of Nazareth she had previously known." (035) According to Adams, “she saw Jesus but did not recognize Him due to the Messiah transcending His physical body.”

From what I gather from all his statements, Adams is saying is that his original humanity is no longer there, something else is present; Spirit. This is a denial of the same body brought back to life.

“Christ then told her that He is in the process of ascension, which means He is in between the realms of Earth and Heaven. Thus, His form is different from His body …. Jesus TRANSCENDED the biological realm when He rose again.”Underline mine

It’s not that Jesus doesn’t have this ability, but did Jesus do what Adams is actually saying? The answer is No, He did not!

According to Adams description Jesus did not have a resurrection but instead a transformation from human to…? His ascension was not a process since he resurrected. He was among the disciples for 40 days (Acts.1:3), and on the day he ascended, they watched him be drawn into heaven by the Father.

What we need to remember as we go through the Scriptures, the last time anyone saw Jesus, he was a bloody mess, being crucified. As Isaiah says, “his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14.) Several women watched when Jesus was buried (Matt.27:57-61; Mk. 15:42-47; Lk 23:50-56; Jn. 19:38-42.)

The accounts on the Resurrection

One needs to read carefully on the first eyewitness accounts of the resurrection.

In John 20:1 Mary went to the tomb while it was still dark. V.12 “ she stood outside by the tomb weeping, looks into the tomb sees the two angels they ask her.” Vs.13-16, she hears a voice asking, “Woman, why are you weeping?”She said, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.”

Jesus also dressed in a certain way before his crucifixion, was wrapped in linen, after he resurrected he had a different garb on (Mt. 27:59; Jn.20:7). Jews also wore a covering over the head. In her conversation Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!”

Mary was distraught, grieving and wept bitterly probably for days (the Greek word for weeping is klaio, it means to sob, and wail aloud, it is a strong word for someone under duress.). At this time it was still just getting light, she was teary eyed, and she was not expecting Him to be alive. She thought he was some other human being; but she was mistaken. Jesus did not change form.

John 21:13-14 “ the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead."

John 21 records the third appearance of Jesus (v.14) to several of the disciples who went fishing. V.1 says He showed Himself, V. 4 says that Jesus called out to them about having any food from the beach. V.4-5 tells us “the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.” If we examine the passage carefully, we see that it was early morning, just getting light, and that He was in the distance so they could not actually tell who he was (v.8 says they were about 350 feet away). V.6 after Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side, their nets become full. Then Peter knows it’s the Lord, as he recalls another instance when he told him to cast the net on the right side and they had a huge catch. Even when they ate breakfast with Him face-to-face they still could not believe it. John 21:12-13 “ none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"-- knowing that it was the Lord.” It says that they knew it was Jesus. Up until this point everyone that was resurrected was by Jesus, but they could not understand he was resurrected.

Adams, “the evangelist recounted that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene before appearing in another form to two of His disciples who were traveling. Regardless of who wrote the account,”Adams says, “Jesus is now appearing in a different form and He is transcending the biological realm because He is now the Spirit of the Lord.” (035 on the resurrection of Christ)

So he is saying he is no longer physical? That he is spirit. This is a denial of the gospel that saves, 1 Cor. 15:4, that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Jesus himself addresses this in Luke 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Later on this is reaffirmed to Thomas, look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." (John 20:27)

The disciples, especially the women were distraught having followed him for three years and thought he was now gone. There is no proof he was changed to be different, i.e., a spirit. What changed is that he is now glorified in the same human body he incarnated and lived in.

Mark 16:12 “After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.” Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, explains “It was not a [metamorfoosis] or transfiguration like that described in Mark 9:2.”

The answer for this encounter is contained in Luke 24:15-27. In a conversation of recent events Jesus Himself drew near two men and walked with them. V.16 “But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” It's not that he changed appearance, he looked different to them because he was unrecognized (at first). Jesus purposely did not reveal himself to them because even after the women testified to them of His resurrection, they were in unbelief (of which they mention). He was trying to draw them into faith, asking them what took place. He was revealing what they believed, that they were ignoring what he said previously before all this, that he would rise on the third day. They even tell him as they walked together “today is the third day since these things happened.” As he states in v. 25. “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken.” That he would suffer these things and to enter into His glory.” V. 30-31, when he broke bread with them, then, “their eyes were opened and they knew Him.”

Jesus purposely veiled himself (supernaturally) which prevented them from recognizing him. He wanted to hear their faith in what he taught them previously (that he would rise from the dead), not their despair.

Why would anyone persist in saying he did not raise physically from the dead when this is what a resurrection is described as? He continues to used the words another form.

Adam’s says, “He can appear in any form He wishes. He's choosing to appear in forms that are familiar to the local people there, even though those forms may not resemble the Jesus of Nazareth that they remembered in terms of having the same face ." (035 on the resurrection of Christ.)

Now it is forms, plural. And not having the same face? This concept is certainly found in the new age movement, they point to Maitreya as the new Christ of our age, who can come in many different forms, just as Adam’s is describing here.

The body that emerged from the tomb was seen (Matt. 28:17) at least 11 different times. The same body that died by crucifixion was raised back to life. Mark 14:28 "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee ." The resurrection of the body conquers death.

Understand that Jesus when he was seen by his disciples was not in the same attire as prior, He did not have the garments he had on previously, and, His body was now glorified, it can no longer die. (Rev. 1:18 Jesus says, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”When John sees Jesus in heaven he is fully glorified (Rev.1:12-16) dressed in his royal garments.

The account of showing he was raised from the dead

They mistakenly thought Jesus was a “spirit” similar to the time when He had walked on water (Matt. 4:26). But this time Jesus showed the disciples his scars of the crucifixion to prove he was in the same body. His human body bore the marks of crucifixion in the same place, His spirit was not marked by the crucifixion. He is not a risen soul but alive in the body that died, or death is not overcome; then there would be no victory over death or sin (Rom.6:8-10).

Thomas was not there and did not accept the other’s testimony but wanted to see it firsthand for himself. John 20:26-29 “after eight days …Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

According to Adams, Thomas' doubts dissipated when he realized that the resurrected Jesus – now transcended His physical body but still had enough resemblance to what he was to be recognized. Jesus says, put your hand in My side! Do not be unbelieving!

There is no reason to think Jesus changed from his physical human form, as Adams implies or describes, the Bible has NOTHING to say on this. In fact, there is every reason to believe his human body rose from the dead from his own words and the disciples eyewitness. He didn’t change color, or change his human form, or his face, or from physical to spirit. All this rejects the numerous eyewitness testimonies. Again, much of the statements can be attributed to the disciples not looking for Him to be resurrected. It says over and over He had risen from the dead. Mark 16:6 the angels say “He is risen” (Lk.24:23), his body was missing from the tomb because he was raised in it.

Our Resurrection

All resurrections in the Bible brought back to life the same body that did. John 12:1 “Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.”

Adams says, “The Rapture is the raising of the souls.” Our souls are not resurrected, it is our bodies that die that are to be resurrected. What he is teaching is liken to the Jehovah's Witnesses, who are unbelievers in a physical resurrection.

We are to have the same type of resurrection Jesus had in our body. He is the firstfruits. Phil. 3:21:“who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” Rom. 6:5 “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

Instead of preaching clarity from the Scripture, Adams muddies the waters on what is explicitly spoken of as a bodily resurrection. Which is the only type of resurrection throughout the whole Bible.

Our resurrection is to be the same as Jesus’, yet Adams says our soul (the immaterial part of us) will be resurrected. Where does our body go? 1 Cor. 15:42-44 On “the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

What this means is the same physical body we had is raised and animated back to life by the Spirit, who gives us eternal life. No longer will our life be empowered by our blood. The natural body (the human body we were born with) has flaws, weaknesses. In our present condition, flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom (1 Cor. 15:50). The resurrection (and rapture) of our body will change that. We will have an eternal body perfectly made for life in heaven, and on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1). We will be transformed so that the spirit will permanently have full control over the flesh so we can serve God without sin. The “spiritual body” will be flesh that is glorified (like Jesus’ body is). It will no longer be subject to decay or death; it will have no weaknesses. It will be a complete spiritual upgrade. Paul gives us the illustration in 1 Cor.15:35, our bodies are the “seed” and will be raised in glory.

Every resurrection that occurred was the person’s same body that died. This hope to life, a bodily resurrection as Jesus, is a foundational teaching (Heb.6:2). If one does not believe the same body that died is raised, then their sins are not cleansed because this is the complete gospel that saves; the death AND the resurrection. Adams stated elsewhere, “ The Messiah also demonstrated His burden of carrying the sins of mankind and washing them away in His death and resurrection.” Which makes his fallacy of a resurrection incongruous. When He defines the resurrection it is not the same described in the Bible. The resurrection is not an awakening of consciousness, nor is it of the soul.

Instead of teaching the obvious and consistent definition of a resurrection, he is redefining it, letting other influences to determine the scriptures meaning of Jesus’ resurrection.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:12 “ But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? It is the third point in the gospel message that he began in v.1. Adams is among those who are saying this.

1 Cor. 15:V. if Jesus is “ not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ.”

It was the gnostics that denied Jesus rose from the dead, as they also denied that God did not become a human being in the Messiah.

1 Peter 3:18 explains that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, not became a spirit. A soul that resurrects is not the resurrection that the Bible describes (1 Cor.15:42).

A portion from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament. 1 Peter 3:18 The spirit of Christ did not die when his flesh did, but "was endued with new and greater powers of life" (Thayer). See 1 Cor 15:22 for the use of the verb for the resurrection of the body. But the use of the word pneumati (NT:4100) (locative case) in contrast with sarki (NT:4508) starts Peter's mind off in a long comparison by way of illustration that runs from 1 Peter 3:19-22.

This is why we are told by Peter,“we have a living hope through the resurrection ... Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pt. 1:3)

All resurrections were of the same body that died. This is no small matter. For if one denies a ‘physical’ resurrection of the same body that died, not being the same body coming back to life (James says the body without the Spirit is dead. Our body is united with our spirit to be brought back to life.) Then there is no resurrection, at least not in the way the Bible consistently explains it.

They saw the risen Christ from the dead. His body was now brought back to life. 1 Cor. 15:5-8 “He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all, He was seen by me.” Jesus appeared to Paul fully glorified when he was appointed to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9).

 

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