His Easter Body

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[font=Verdana]There's quite a bit of disagreement about the physical characteristics of Christ's resurrection.

1• Jesus' corpse wasn't restored to life. His body remains deceased, and squirreled away somewhere on Earth in a condition, and a location, known only to God.

2• Christ's corpse underwent metamorphosis while in the tomb; viz: his body was restored to life transformed, a.k.a. glorified.

3• Christ's corpse was restored to life just as his body was when Jesus passed away, viz: no transformation, no glorification.

It's commonly believed that No.2 represents the correct characteristics due to the fact that Christ's resurrected body did things it had never done before, e.g. suddenly appear and disappear, and pass thru locked doors.

Plus; according to John 20:27, the spear's penetration in Jesus' side was an open wound, yet he seemed to experience no ill effects from it. We should talk about that.

Since Jesus was somewhat elevated on the cross (it is not said exactly how high) the soldier's spear point would have entered his body at an upward angle. The text doesn't say which side was stabbed, but from John's description, and judging from the intent of the soldier to leave no doubt about Jesus' death, the heart side was very likely the side they cut into and the spear point entered just under his rib cage.

The heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium. This membrane contains a serous matter or liquor resembling water, which acts as a lubricant to prevent the surface of the heart from becoming chafed by its continual motion. It was very likely this which was pierced and from which came the water spoken of by John 19:34. The point of the spear also seems to have reached one of the ventricles of the heart, and the blood, yet warm, rushed forth, either mingled with or followed by the liquor of the pericardium, so as to appear to John to be blood and water flowing together. Though not medically accurate in our day, John's calling the serous fluid "water" was accurate enough in his own day.

The Koran claims that Jesus didn't die on the cross; he only appeared to have passed away (The Women 4.157). But that spear wound had to be lethal. There is just no way any man could possibly survive it without immediate medical attention; which of course was out of the question for Jesus because the Romans wanted him just as dead as dead can be; and he was. (Mark 15:43-45)
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[Imprecise Interrupt]

2• Christ's corpse underwent metamorphosis while in the tomb; viz: his body was restored to life transformed, a.k.a. glorified.

According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, resurrection involves, among other attributes, being raised in power as opposed to the weakness of the mortal body. Teleportation seems to be one of those powers as evidenced in Luke and John. Even Matthew supports that idea, if only indirectly. When the angel opens the tomb, it is already empty. (What do you suppose Jesus was doing before Sunday morning? Did he shower and put on fresh clothes and hang out with some angels on Saturday night?)

Not that Jesus needed to die and be raised to have superpowers. He was proficient at walking on water even in a storm. Which makes one wonder what he was doing that for? According to Mark, Jesus was going to pass by the Apostles in the boat until they called out. Was he simply, like the chicken, getting to the other side? Apparently, teleportation was not yet one of his powers, so crediting that to the resurrection seems reasonable.

Q. How do you tell the teenage Jesus at the Sea of Galilee?

A. He’s the one without a surfboard.