Need Scripture Help Regarding the Resurrection

[weird7]

I was asked a question last night at church that I had not ever thought of before. Reading John 20:17 (KJV), Jesus appears unto Mary after his resurrection and tells her to not touch him for he has not yet ascended unto his Father. Later (before the Bible tells of him ascending) he appears unto the disciples and asks them to touch him, feel his hands, feet, and pierced side.

The question was: After appearing to Mary, did He ascend and then return to appear unto the disciples or if He did not, why did he tell Mary not to touch him because he had not yet ascended and then allow the disciples to touch him?

I wanted to get my fellow Christian's thoughts on this.

[jeremiah]

I was asked a question last night at church that I had not ever thought of before. Reading John 20:17 (KJV), Jesus appears unto Mary after his resurrection and tells her to not touch him for he has not yet ascended unto his Father. Later (before the Bible tells of him ascending) he appears unto the disciples and asks them to touch him, feel his hands, feet, and pierced side.

The question was: After appearing to Mary, did He ascend and then return to appear unto the disciples or if He did not, why did he tell Mary not to touch him because he had not yet ascended and then allow the disciples to touch him?

I wanted to get my fellow Christian's thoughts on this.

When i studied this verse i concluded that Mary had grabbed Christ and was holding on to Him as if she would never turn Him loose. Christ explained to her that He could not stay because He had to ascend to His Father. So the reason he told her off was because she was clinging on him and wanted him to stay..

The reason he let the disciples touch him in my opinion is to strengthen their faith.

Very good. That one I can agree with and sounds like something Christ would do! I heard one explanation saying that the reason Christ said that was due to the fleshly nature of Mary and that she shouldn't make contact, or Christ couldn't have physical contact with her due to the sinful nature. Not to sure of that one.

Otseng, nice church, sounds like one I would go to. And that is odd for a baptist church. I wonder if they are seeing that things like that are causing divisions so they are making not "essential". Basically it doesn't matter when Christ comes back, because people don't know, nor does Christ but the Father is the only one. what does matter is that the resurrected Christ is coming back again, as to where we can see him, and our whole being, mind, body, etc, will finally be as he is. That is what I find in Scripture, and that is what I told to myself.

[joer]

weird7 see if this helps. Enjoy!


189:4 DISCOVERY OF THE EMPTY TOMB

189:4.1 As we approach the time of the resurrection of Jesus on this early Sunday morning, it should be recalled that the ten apostles were sojourning at the home of Elijah and Mary Mark, where they were asleep in the upper chamber, resting on the very couches whereon they reclined during the last supper with their Master. This Sunday morning they were all there assembled except Thomas. Thomas was with them for a few minutes late Saturday night when they first got together, but the sight of the apostles, coupled with the thought of what had happened to Jesus, was too much for him. He looked his associates over and immediately left the room, going to the home of Simon in Bethpage, where he thought to grieve over his troubles in solitude. The apostles all suffered, not so much from doubt and despair as from fear, grief, and shame.

189:4.2 At the home of Nicodemus there were gathered together, with David Zebedee and Joseph of Arimathea, some twelve or fifteen of the more prominent of the Jerusalem disciples of Jesus. At the home of Joseph of Arimathea there were some fifteen or twenty of the leading women believers. Only these women abode in Joseph's house, and they had kept close within during the hours of the Sabbath day and the evening after the Sabbath, so that they were ignorant of the military guard on watch at the tomb; neither did they know that a second stone had been rolled in front of the tomb, and that both of these stones had been placed under the seal of Pilate.

189:4.3 A little before three o'clock this Sunday morning, when the first signs of day began to appear in the east, five of the women started out for the tomb of Jesus. They had prepared an abundance of special embalming lotions, and they carried many linen bandages with them. It was their purpose more thoroughly to give the body of Jesus its death anointing and more carefully to wrap it up with the new bandages.

189:4.4 The women who went on this mission of anointing Jesus' body were: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the Alpheus twins, Salome the mother of the Zebedee brothers, Joanna the wife of Chuza, and Susanna the daughter of Ezra of Alexandria.

189:4.5 It was about half past three o'clock when the five women, laden with their ointments, arrived before the empty tomb. As they passed out of the Damascus gate, they encountered a number of soldiers fleeing into the city more or less panic-stricken, and this caused them to pause for a few minutes; but when nothing more developed, they resumed their journey.

189:4.6 They were greatly surprised to see the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb, inasmuch as they had said among themselves on the way out, " Who will help us roll away the stone? " They set down their burdens and began to look upon one another in fear and with great amazement. While they stood there, atremble with fear, Mary Magdalene ventured around the smaller stone and dared to enter the open sepulchre. This tomb of Joseph was in his garden on the hillside on the eastern side of the road, and it also faced toward the east. By this hour there was just enough of the dawn of a new day to enable Mary to look back to the place where the Master's body had lain and to discern that it was gone. In the recess of stone where they had laid Jesus, Mary saw only the folded napkin where his head had rested and the bandages wherewith he had been wrapped lying intact and as they had rested on the stone before the celestial hosts removed the body. The covering sheet lay at the foot of the burial niche.

189:4.7 After Mary had tarried in the doorway of the tomb for a few moments (she did not see distinctly when she first entered the tomb), she saw that Jesus' body was gone and in its place only these grave cloths, and she uttered a cry of alarm and anguish. All the women were exceedingly nervous; they had been on edge ever since meeting the panicky soldiers at the city gate, and when Mary uttered this scream of anguish, they were terror-stricken and fled in great haste. And they did not stop until they had run all the way to the Damascus gate. By this time Joanna was conscience-stricken that they had deserted Mary; she rallied her companions, and they started back for the tomb.

189:4.8 As they drew near the sepulchre, the frightened Magdalene, who was even more terrorized when she failed to find her sisters waiting when she came out of the tomb, now rushed up to them, excitedly exclaiming: " He is not there—they have taken him away! " And she led them back to the tomb, and they all entered and saw that it was empty.

189:4.9 All five of the women then sat down on the stone near the entrance and talked over the situation. It had not yet occurred to them that Jesus had been resurrected. They had been by themselves over the Sabbath, and they conjectured that the body had been moved to another resting place. But when they pondered such a solution of their dilemma, they were at a loss to account for the orderly arrangement of the grave cloths; how could the body have been removed since the very bandages in which it was wrapped were left in position and apparently intact on the burial shelf?

189:4.10 As these women sat there in the early hours of the dawn of this new day, they looked to one side and observed a silent and motionless stranger. For a moment they were again frightened, but Mary Magdalene, rushing toward him and addressing him as if she thought he might be the caretaker of the garden, said, " Where have you taken the Master? Where have they laid him? Tell us that we may go and get him. " When the stranger did not answer Mary, she began to weep. Then spoke Jesus to them, saying, " Whom do you seek? " Mary said: " We seek for Jesus who was laid to rest in Joseph's tomb, but he is gone. Do you know where they have taken him? " Then said Jesus: " Did not this Jesus tell you, even in Galilee, that he would die, but that he would rise again? " These words startled the women, but the Master was so changed that they did not yet recognize him with his back turned to the dim light. And as they pondered his words, he addressed the Magdalene with a familiar voice, saying, " Mary. " And when she heard that word of well-known sympathy and affectionate greeting, she knew it was the voice of the Master, and she rushed to kneel at his feet while she exclaimed, " My Lord, and my Master! " And all of the other women recognized that it was the Master who stood before them in glorified form, and they quickly knelt before him.

189:4.11 These human eyes were enabled to see the morontia form of Jesus because of the special ministry of the transformers and the midwayers in association with certain of the morontia personalities then accompanying Jesus.

189:4.12 As Mary sought to embrace his feet, Jesus said: " Touch me not, Mary, for I am not as you knew me in the flesh. In this form will I tarry with you for a season before I ascend to the Father. But go, all of you, now and tell my apostles—and Peter—that I have risen, and that you have talked with me. "

189:4.13 After these women had recovered from the shock of their amazement, they hastened back to the city and to the home of Elijah Mark, where they related to the ten apostles all that had happened to them; but the apostles were not inclined to believe them. They thought at first that the women had seen a vision, but when Mary Magdalene repeated the words which Jesus had spoken to them, and when Peter heard his name, he rushed out of the upper chamber, followed closely by John, in great haste to reach the tomb and see these things for himself.

189:4.14 The women repeated the story of talking with Jesus to the other apostles, but they would not believe; and they would not go to find out for themselves as had Peter and John.


Biblical references

189:04.03 Women approach tomb John 20:1a (Same) "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre."

189:04.03 Women approach tomb Luke 24:1 (Same) "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them."

189:04.03 Women approach tomb Mark 16:1-2 (Same) "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun."

189:04.03 Women approach tomb Matthew 28:1 (Same) "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."

189:04.06 Entered sepulchre Luke 24:3a (Same) "And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."

189:04.06 Entered sepulchre Mark 16:5a (Same) "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted."

189:04.06 Find empty tomb Luke 24:3b (Same) "And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."

189:04.06 Find empty tomb Mark 16:6 (Same) "And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."

189:04.06 Find empty tomb Matthew 28:6 (Same) "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

189:04.06 Surprised at stone rolled away John 20:1b (Same) "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre."

189:04.06 Surprised at stone rolled away Luke 24:2 (Same) "And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre."

189:04.06 Surprised at stone rolled away Mark 16:3-4 (Same) "And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great."

189:04.06 Surprised at stone rolled away Matthew 28:2 (Same) "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it."

189:04.10 Appearance to women John 20:13-16 (Same) "And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?
She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?
She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."

189:04.10 Appearance to women Luke 24:1-10 (Same) "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles."

189:04.10 Appearance to women Mark 16:1-6 (Same) "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."

189:04.10 Appearance to women Mark 16:8 (Same) "And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid."

189:04.10 Appearance to women Matthew 28:1-6 (Same) "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

189:04.10 Appearance to women Matthew 28:9 (Same) "And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.
And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him."

189:04.12 Go tell apostles & Peter Mark 16:7 (Same) "But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you."

189:04.12 Go tell apostles & Peter Matthew 28:7-8 (Same) "And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word."

189:04.12 Go tell apostles & Peter Matthew 28:10 (Same) "Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me."

189:04.12 Go tell apostles John 20:17-18 (Same) "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her."

189:04.12 Go tell apostles Luke 24:10 (Same) "It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles."

189:04.13 Peter & John run to tomb John 20:2-6a (Same) "Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie."

189:04.13 Peter enters tomb Luke 24:12 (Same) "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass."

189:04.13 Women tell, not believed Luke 24:9-11 (Same) "And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not."

189:04.13 Women tell, not believed Mark 16:8 (Same) "And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid."

189:04.13 Women tell, not believed Mark 16:10-11 (Same) "And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not."

189:04.13 Women tell John 20:2 (Same) "Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him."

189:04.13 Women tell John 20:18 (Same) "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her."

189:04.13 Women tell Matthew 28:8 (Same) "And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word."

[joer]

Weird7 check this out.

112:6.3 To a certain extent, the appearance of the material body-form is responsive to the character of the personality identity; the physical body does, to a limited degree, reflect something of the inherent nature of the personality. Still more so does the morontia form. In the physical life, mortals may be outwardly beautiful though inwardly unlovely; in the morontia life, and increasingly on its higher levels, the personality form will vary directly in accordance with the nature of the inner person. On the spiritual level, outward form and inner nature begin to approximate complete identification, which grows more and more perfect on higher and higher spirit levels.

190:0.2 All this power which is inherent in Jesus—the endowment of life—and which enabled him to rise from the dead, is the very gift of eternal life which he bestows upon kingdom believers, and which even now makes certain their resurrection from the bonds of natural death.

190:0.3 The mortals of the realms will arise in the morning of the resurrection with the same type of transition or morontia body that Jesus had when he arose from the tomb on this Sunday morning. These bodies do not have circulating blood, and such beings do not partake of ordinary material food; nevertheless, these morontia forms are real. When the various believers saw Jesus after his resurrection, they really saw him; they were not the self-deceived victims of visions or hallucinations.

190:0.4 Abiding faith in the resurrection of Jesus was the cardinal feature of the faith of all branches of the early gospel teaching. In Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and Philadelphia all the gospel teachers united in this implicit faith in the Master's resurrection.

190:2.1 From the time of the morontia resurrection until the hour of his spirit ascension on high, Jesus made nineteen separate appearances in visible form to his believers on earth. He did not appear to his enemies nor to those who could not make spiritual use of his manifestation in visible form. His first appearance was to the five women at the tomb; his second, to Mary Magdalene, also at the tomb.

190:2.3 In the meantime, as they looked for James and before they found him, while he stood there in the garden near the tomb, he became aware of a near-by presence, as if someone had touched him on the shoulder; and when he turned to look, he beheld the gradual appearance of a strange form by his side. He was too much amazed to speak and too frightened to flee. And then the strange form spoke, saying: " James, I come to call you to the service of the kingdom. Join earnest hands with your brethren and follow after me. " When James heard his name spoken, he knew that it was his eldest brother, Jesus, who had addressed him. They all had more or less difficulty in recognizing the morontia form of the Master, but few of them had any trouble recognizing his voice or otherwise identifying his charming personality when he once began to communicate with them.

190:2.4 When James perceived that Jesus was addressing him, he started to fall to his knees, exclaiming, " My father and my brother, " but Jesus bade him stand while he spoke with him. And they walked through the garden and talked for almost three minutes; talked over experiences of former days and forecast the events of the near future. As they neared the house, Jesus said, " Farewell, James, until I greet you all together. "

191:5.4 When the Master had so spoken, he looked down into the face of Thomas and said: " And you, Thomas, who said you would not believe unless you could see me and put your finger in the nail marks of my hands, have now beheld me and heard my words; and though you see no nail marks on my hands, since I am raised in the form that you also shall have when you depart from this world, what will you say to your brethren? You will acknowledge the truth, for already in your heart you had begun to believe even when you so stoutly asserted your unbelief. Your doubts, Thomas, always most stubbornly assert themselves just as they are about to crumble. Thomas, I bid you be not faithless but believing—and I know you will believe, even with a whole heart. "

191:5.5 When Thomas heard these words, he fell on his knees before the morontia Master and exclaimed, " I believe! My Lord and my Master! " Then said Jesus to Thomas: " You have believed, Thomas, because you have really seen and heard me. Blessed are those in the ages to come who will believe even though they have not seen with the eye of flesh nor heard with the mortal ear. "

191:5.6 And then, as the Master's form moved over near the head of the table, he addressed them all, saying: " And now go all of you to Galilee, where I will presently appear to you. " After he said this, he vanished from their sight.

191:5.7 The eleven apostles were now fully convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead, and very early the next morning, before the break of day, they started out for Galilee.

Biblical references

191:05.02 Jesus is seen by all apostles 1 Corinthians 15:7b (Reference) "After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles."

191:05.02 Thomas doubts John 20:25-26 (Same) "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.
But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you."

191:05.03 As God sent me, so send I you John 17:18 (Same) "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world."

191:05.03 As God sent me, so send I you John 20:21b (Same) "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

191:05.03 Baptism with Spirit of Truth+ Acts 1:5 (Reference) "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

191:05.03 Great Commission Acts 1:8b (Compare) "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

191:05.03 Great Commission John 17:18 (Same) "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world."

191:05.03 Great Commission Luke 24:47 (Same) "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

191:05.03 Great Commission Mark 13:10 (Same) "And the gospel must first be published among all nations."

191:05.03 Great Commission Mark 16:15 (Same) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

191:05.03 Great Commission Matthew 24:14 (Same) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

191:05.03 Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20a (Same) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

191:05.03 Peace be upon you John 20:21a (Same) "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

191:05.03 Tarry here Luke 24:49 (Same) "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

191:05.03 When Spirit comes Acts 2:1-4 (Reference) "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

191:05.04 Jesus to Thomas John 20:27 (Same) "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

191:05.05 Thomas to Jesus John 20:28-29 (Same) "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

191:05.06 Go to Galilee Mark 14:28 (Same) "But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."

191:05.06 Go to Galilee Mark 16:7 (Same) "But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you."

191:05.06 Go to Galilee Matthew 26:32 (Same) "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee."

191:05.06 Go to Galilee Matthew 28:7 (Same) "And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you."

191:05.06 Go to Galilee Matthew 28:10 (Same) "Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me."

[/b]

[myth-one.com]

Regarding: Has Jesus already returned a second time to the earth?

Jesus lived for thirty-three years as a human on the earth, was then crucified and resurrected on the third day. Every single human who has ever lived and died will also be resurrected:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (I Corinthians 15:22)

All humans who ever lived will be made alive again, or resurrected. However, all will not be resurrected at the same time. There will be an order to the resurrections:

But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:23)

So Jesus will be resurrected first, and that has already occurred. The resurrection which we presently await is the one at which those "that are Christ's" will be resurrected. Those "that are Christ's" refers to Christians. This resurrection will occur when Jesus comes back to the earth, or "at his coming:"

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2-3)

The implication is that Jesus will come again after our place is prepared, not again and again. When all dead Christians are resurrected (when Jesus returns), all Christians who are alive on the earth will be born again as spirits and meet Him in the air:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17)

Only Christians are supposed to post into this thread. Have any of you been caught up into the clouds to meet Jesus and the resurrected Christians in the air? If not, then Jesus has not yet returned to the earth. If the next in line for resurrection is all dead Christians, and if no one except Jesus has been resurrected, and if this event happens when He comes to earth again, then He has not yet returned the second time as no other human has been resurrected since Jesus. Jesus is presently in Heaven working to prepare our place which He will bring back with Him.

The Second Coming is actually described in Revelation chapter nineteen:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)

The "Word" is Jesus:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us... (John 1:14)

The only part of the Trinity of God who became flesh and dwelt among us was Jesus Christ. Therefore, the deity named "The Word of God" coming from heaven on a white horse is Jesus Christ. This is His Second Coming to the earth! At His Second Coming, all Christians are to be resurrected as spiritual bodies and reign with Jesus for a thousand years. The first mass resurrection for mankind is described only a few verses away from the description of the Second Coming:

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:4-5)

Conclusion: Jesus was born of Mary as a human and crucified. He was resurrected as a human into a human world. About forty days afterwards, He ascended to heaven as a spirit. When He returns, all dead humans will be resurrected, and all living Christians will be changed and meet them in the air. Since that has not yet occurred, Jesus has not yet returned.

When i studied this verse i concluded that Mary had grabbed Christ and was holding on to Him as if she would never turn Him loose. Christ explained to her that He could not stay because He had to ascend to His Father. So the reason he told her off was because she was clinging on him and wanted him to stay.

I support Mr. Gonzalez. In the New International Version of the Bible, the verse is as follows:

Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' (John 20:17)

This probably means that Mary knew He would be going away to Heaven and was trying to physically keep Him with her. He replied that He is not going immediately, let go of me, and take this message to the apostles. "I am returning" does not mean He is returning to the Father presently. This cannot be the meaning because He is presently with Mary. It is a confirmation that He is going to return to His Father shortly. I shall return, or I am returning.