“Don’t tell anyone what you have seen ...” (Matthew 17:9)

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (Matthew 17:8-9)

Why does Jesus request their secrecy?

Jesus says this as he, Peter, James, and John were walking down from the mountain after witnessing hearing God’s voice - and after Jesus had spoken with Moses and Elijah.

It is understood from his statement that Jesus knows people may not understand what happened on the mountain very easily, and it could inflame things. As such, Jesus understands that this information is best suited for public consumption later.

This relates to his position as teacher and the fact that the Supreme Being wants to give people the choice to love Him. God doesn't want to force us into accepting Him. He wants that to come out of freedom of choice.

"...until the son of man..."

Remember that "son of man" is a mistranslation of the Greek phrase, υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. The word υἱὸς can only mean "son" in the context of a physical family, and the lexicon confirms that it also relates to a follower or servant ("used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower.")

Furthermore, the word ἀνθρώπου can mean "man," or "mankind" or "humanity."

Thus the more appropriate translation of υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου is:

"Servant of Humanity"

This is appropriate because Jesus was serving all of humanity with his teachings.

What does 'raised from the dead' mean?

There is a misunderstanding among sectarian institutions regarding the concept of “raised from the dead.” Most ecclesiastical theologians interpret this statement to mean the three-day disappearance of Jesus’ body, and the sudden appearance of his form to his disciples.

The phrase "raised from the dead" is being translated from the Greek phrase ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῇ. The word ἐκ means "from." The word means can mean "lifeless" or "dead" when used literally, yes. But metaphorically - which Jesus was speaking, according to the lexicon, the word means "spiritually dead."

And ἐγερθῇ means "to arouse, cause to rise" according to the lexicon.

In other words, Jesus is not talking about himself dying at all. He is speaking of himself "rising" or leaving the physical body and the physical world - the spiritually dead.

Is Jesus talking about himself being dead at some point? No. Jesus did not teach that we die when our body dies. He taught that we are eternal, and we live on after the body dies:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)

Jesus' Jesus' teachings were found upon the idea that after the death of the body we move on. He also taught that we can return to the spiritual realm should we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Being.

Certainly, a decomposing dead body cannot return to the spiritual realm.

For hundreds of years, humans have been digging up various remains to study ancient history. Frequently, we will even dig up a grave to study a person’s cause of death. Sometimes we even discover situations where people were buried in fields a few years ago. In every case, we find the human body simply decomposes.

We also find no difference in the decomposition between a so-called Christian and a non-Christian either. All bodies decompose equally once the spirit leaves the body.

To this we can reference another statement describing Jesus' thoughts about the physical world:

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22)

Here we see again how Jesus is describing persons who are spiritually dead. They are focused upon the forms and things of the temporary physical world. They are identifying themselves with the physical body, and are thus spiritually dead.

What does it mean to be spiritually dead?

To be spiritually dead means to think this body is "me." We are not these physical bodies, however. We the living spirits temporarily occupying a physical body.

Just as a person sits down within a car, we sit within the vehicle of the physical body.

This temporary physical body is dead matter without the spiritual life force that drives it. When the living spirit leaves the body, the body dies. In other words, the body is animated by the living spirit.

Thus, physical matter is essentially dead without the animation of spiritual life forces. Thus, those who dedicate themselves to the matter of the physical world would functionally be considered spiritually dead.

In the above statement, Jesus is telling his disciples to not reveal what happened until after his body dies and he - the spiritual being - returns to the spiritual world. According to Jesus, being "raised from the dead" is essentially the spirit-person returning to the spiritual realm.

In other words, any of us can become raised from the dead if we have advanced spiritually to the point where we can leave the physical dimension and return to the spiritual realm after the death of our current body.

Otherwise, we are destined to return to the physical dimension in another physical body in order to continue to develop our spiritual consciousness.

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed ...” (Matthew 20:18-19)

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19)

Did Jesus really say 'betrayed'?

The Greek word being translated to "betrayed" is παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi). This word primarily means, according to the lexicon, "to give into the hands of another." This could also mean, "to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death."

Neither of these definitions indicate betrayal. They indicate being arrested or turned over to be arrested. But betrayal is another thing altogether.

In other words, Jesus' real statement says something different, something like:

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be arrested ...”

or perhaps:

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be persecuted...”

This is important because Jesus was not forced under arrest. He knew in advance of going to Jerusalem that he would be arrested, as this statement indicates.

Why did he go to Jerusalem then, if he knew he'd be arrested, and then persecuted?

And why did he instruct Judas to go ahead and inform the high priest of his whereabouts?

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27)

Then Jesus waited to be arrested, he greeted the guards positively and chastized Peter when he tried to fight off the guards who arrested him.

These points - including the fact that Jesus could have simply not gone to Jerusalem, or he could have not waited on Mount Olive to be arrested, or he could have run off into the woods when he knew they were coming to arrest him - all indicate that Jesus was not betrayed so much as he was prepared to meet with his fate at the hands of the high priest.

Given that, Jesus also knew Judas would arrange to receive a ransom in return for arranging for Jesus' arrest. This was the betrayal of Judas. Jesus did instruct Judas to do what he was going to do. But he didn't instruct him to receive a ransom. That was an act of betrayal, and Jesus knew he would do this.

Jesus is the loving representative of God. In such a relationship, God can make certain facts about the future available to His loving servant. This is because it pertains to Jesus’ service to the Supreme Being:

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

Why is Jesus speaking of himself in the third person?

Why doesn't he say, "We are going up to Jerusalem and I will be betrayed ...?"

And what is a Son of Man? Isn't every male born in the physical world a son of a man - and therefore "Son of Man"?

The Greek phrase translated to “Son of Man” is υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. The Greek word τοῦ means "of". The Greek word υἱός (huios) might indicate a relationship of offspring in another context, but in this context, we have to draw from the secondary meaning of υἱός (huios). This is, as taken from the Greek lexicon, "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower."

In this context, this relates to working for the welfare of another, or service. Furthermore, the Greek word ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpos) means "generically, to include all human individuals" according to Thayer's lexicon. This would mean that Jesus is putting himself at the service (or "following") of humankind, or better, humanity.

In other words, instead of "Son of Man," υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου should be translated more accurately to "Servant of humanity."

Furthermore, Jesus is referring to "Servant of humanity" in the third person because "Servant of humanity" is a role. This might be compared to the use of the word "General" in the military. Yes, there are specific people who hold this rank, but the rank is a role, not one particular person.

As such, there have been multiple people who have been called this role. David referred to himself as the "Son of Man" [servant of humanity]:

"O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the Son of Man that You think of him?" (Psalm 144:3)

David is obviously using this reference to himself from a position of humility. David is considering himself a lowly servant of humanity, and why should God consider him?

We also find that the Supreme Being addressed Ezekiel as "Son of Man" at least 60 times in the Book of Ezekiel, such as:

“Son of Man [servant of humanity], I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me." (Ezekiel 3:17)

In the same way, Jesus addressed himself humbly, as the servant of humanity. Yes, he was truly God's loving servant, but he was serving humankind as he taught God's message and tried to save people.

The reality is, all of the activities of Jesus were intended to please God and serve humanity. Even though Jesus knew he would be betrayed, mocked, and tortured, he still kept traveling to Jerusalem. He could have easily stayed away and kept his body safe. But he continued out of his love for God and his desire to please God (see also "thy will be done" in the Lord's prayer).

Did Jesus' murder cleanse our sins?

Some teachings suggest that Jesus' murder was so our sins would be forgiven. They claim that Jesus suffered on the cross so that we would be cleansed of the responsibility of our selfish actions ("sins"). That all we need to do is ceremoniously drink Jesus' "blood" and we don't have to worry about the consequences of our selfish activities, even if those activities include maiming or even murdering people.

Certainly, Jesus’ sacrifice has the ability to relieve our sins. But only to the extent that we have a change of heart. Only to the extent that we realize that Jesus' sacrifice exhibited Jesus' loving relationship with God and his commitment to pleasing Him.

In other words, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in his service to God. This is why, before his arrest, Jesus prayed:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matt. 26:39)

Jesus' suffering was about his relationship with the Supreme Being. This is the message of this event. It is not about our sins.

This has the ability to purify our consciousness - and thus can relieve us from self-centeredness.

How does this work? Let’s say that a man was put in jail for stealing. The man is sitting in jail because of what he did. But in many places, including the U.S., a man can be pardoned by a president or governor.

Such a pardon does not come easily. The jailed man can't just imagine he is pardoned. There is a process that includes the Governor's careful review of the situation. It also must come with some confidence that if the man is let out of jail he won't just go out and commit the crime again.

In a bonafide pardon, the person being pardoned should show evidence of being rehabilitated. If the man simply gets out of jail and commits the same crime, the Governor will be at least partly responsible. Therefore, pardons are typically not taken lightly.

What about the consequences of our activities?

The physical world was designed as a place of consequences. Self-centered acts that harm others will have consequences. These consequences range, and depend upon the harmful activity and whether it was done with an awareness of the harm it would do.

In other words, a conscious act that harms the body of someone else creates consequential harm against our body in the future.

Such consequences are not punitive. It is not that God is up there wanting to see us suffer.

Rather, this physical world is designed as a place of consequence in order to teach us. Consequences help teach us to love others. They help teach us to care about others and empathize with others.

Consequences are like walking a mile in someone else's shoes. They allow us to understand how it feels to be treated the way we treated someone else in the past. This allows us to grow.

This is also why there is so much suffering in the world. Many ask, "if God exists, why is there so much suffering?". There is so much suffering because we commit activities that cause the suffering of others, and suffer the consequences as a result.

Our bodies are bound to suffer the same fate we have inflicted upon others. This may take place during our current physical body, or it may take place in the next physical body (which is why some children are born into tough situations).

The bottom line is that the world is conditional: Where we go is dependent upon what we do. How we treat others. It is not as if we can harm people all week and then go to some ceremony and drink some wine and stare at a cross and be relieved of the consequences, only to go back and keep doing those things.

To use the sacrifice of Jesus in such a way offends Jesus and God. This is why Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will come to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:21-23)

Jesus calls them "evildoers" even though they were calling his name and even healing and teaching in Jesus' name.

Jesus' suffering can be purifying if we see the extent of Jesus' love for God and his commitment to God within this activity.

But this will not have much value if the person simply returns to their self-centered consciousness. Jesus' sacrifice was intended to show us that our relationship with the Supreme Being is more valuable than the life of the physical body.

Who or what will 'rise'?

Jesus' sacrifice and his appearance before his disciples after the death of his physical body was also meant to illustrate that we are not these physical bodies. We are the spirit-person within the physical body and we leave it at the time of death.

This is why Jesus uses the word "raised" here - translated from the Greek word ἐγείρω (egeirō) - meaning to "arouse" and "cause to rise."

What is rising? It is the life force - the living being who rises from the body at the time of death. This is what Jesus is referring to. (The Greek does not indicate the words "to live" in this verse - only "raised.")

And it is clear from the scriptures Jesus' physical body did not rise - rather, the spirit-person of Jesus rose out of the body that had been murdered. This is evidenced by the fact that Mary, Martha, and other close disciples of Jesus did not recognize him when he first appeared to them - on multiple occasions. If he had risen in his physical body, he would have been immediately recognized, especially by those who had been so close to him. Instead, we several verses indicating they didn't recognize him, such as this one regarding Mary:

... she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. (John 20:14)

Jesus confirmed this reality that he - nor we - are these physical bodies in his teachings:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matt. 10:28)

Jesus devoted his life to teaching about the spiritual value of the living being within and the need for us to dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Being. This is because Jesus had a spiritual relationship with God - a relationship that existed beyond the physical dimension.

He loved God, and his sacrifice illustrated the extent of his love for God and his commitment to their relationship.

Jesus also instructed each of us to re-establish our loving relationship with the Supreme Being:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

“At the resurrection people will neither marry ...” (Matthew 22:29-30)

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:29-30)

Was resurrection a common teaching?

Jesus is answering this question detailed posed by Sadducees:

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" (Matt. 22: 23-28)

This discussion between the Sadducees and Jesus illustrates that resurrection was a teaching that was widely debated. At the time there were multiple interpretations of the Scriptures. The primary sects at the time were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zadokites (though the Essenes were closely aligned with the Zadokites). 

As stated in the verse above, the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection. And it is apparent that the Pharisees did believe in resurrection. Clear indications from Scriptures and the Dead Sea Scrolls also indicate that the Essenes and the Zadokites also believed in resurrection.

However, the controversy in this regard is the current interpretation of resurrection by many modern-day sects. The meaning of resurrection commonly taught today actually contradicts what Jesus and others taught about the meaning of resurrection.

What is commonly taught today is that resurrection is the rebirth of the physical body after it dies, often termed, "raising of the dead." This interpretation assumes a physical body rebirth in the same body that died.  Some modern-day versions describe dead physical bodies rising and “dancing on their graves.”

The question the Sadducees raised is assuming this interpretation of resurrection. They were questioning who would be married in the resurrection, which assumes a continuation of the physical body. It is obvious by Jesus' response that he did not agree with this interpretation.

The interpretation of resurrection that Jesus taught, which was also taught by the Essenes and the Pharisees (Paul was a Pharisee), was an afterlife for the spirit-person, commonly termed the "soul."

They taught that after the physical body dies, the soul (spirit-person) leaves the physical body. This was communicated with the term, "the spirit passes." Once left the body, that spirit can either return to God in the spiritual realm or go to another place, depending upon the condition of consciousness.

Why were they 'in error'?

According to Jesus, the Sadducees' interpretation was 'in error.' He stated that once the spirit leaves the physical body, the condition of the body is no longer applicable. The body is left behind and begins to decompose. 

Yes, the spirit-person lives on. But the body dies. The Sadducees - as many today still - confused the spirit with the temporary physical body.

The physical body and the relationships of this body have nothing to do with the resurrection Jesus is speaking of here. We all know scientifically that the physical body simply decomposes in the ground. It is eaten by bacteria and worms, and becomes “dust to dust.”

As evidenced by tens of thousands of cases of clinical death, and confirmed by scripture, each of us is a spiritual being - not the physical body - and we leave the body behind at death.

So what is the precise meaning of "resurrection," according to Jesus' teachings?

What happens 'at the resurrection'?

The word "resurrection" is translated from the Greek word ἀνάστασις, which means, according to the Greek Lexicon, "a raising up, rising (e.g. from a seat)." So what is rising from what?

It is the spiritual individual, who is rising up from the body as the body dies.

The first resurrection Jesus refers to is when the soul - the nonphysical spiritual personality - is released from the physical world and returns to the spiritual world. In other words, the repositioning of the spiritual person back home, in the spiritual world with God.

How do we know this? Because Jesus is clearly stating that "they will be like the angels in heaven." This indicates clearly that the resurrection Jesus is speaking of is the returning of the spiritual individual back to the spiritual world after rising from the body and leaving the physical world (where marriage takes place).

What is the 'resurrection of the dead'?

Jesus also mentions another type of resurrection: The "resurrection of the dead." What is the resurrection of the dead?

The word "dead" here is allegorical. It is not related to a dead body, it is related to the person's consciousness. It is related to whether the individual is serving God or serving themselves. A person whose focus is upon serving themselves is spiritually "dead" because they are not experiencing love for God. Jesus also used this allegorical use of the word "dead" when he said:

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22)

The King James translation translates this verse more emphatically: "....let the dead bury the dead."

In this statement, "the dead" who are burying a dead body are certainly not "dead" in the physical sense. They have to be alive physically in order to prepare for a burial. Rather, these "dead" who are focused upon the dead physical bodies of their relatives are "dead" spiritually. They are living within a consciousness that makes them spiritually dead.

Jesus is using the same allegory here in this statement above regarding the "resurrection of the dead."

Jesus also clarifies this when he quotes God's statement to Moses:

Then He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 2:6)

Why is this important? It is important because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all devoted servants of God. They were all spiritually "alive," in other words.

As for the "resurrection of the dead," those of us who remain focused on a self-centered existence will return to the physical dimension after the death of this body, to continue our learning experiences and the suffering of the physical body. In other words, remaining spiritually dead, here in hell.

What does 'God of the living' mean?

Jesus concludes, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Again, Jesus is not referring to the dead consciousness of self-centeredness. He is referring to those who remain dead spiritually.

Those who love God and love others are "of the living." A person who is spiritually alive is functioning within their natural relationship with the Supreme Being. They are loving God and loving God's children.

In this state, their consciousness is alive with love for God. In this state, they are prepared to go back to the spiritual world, as they have achieved Jesus' primary instruction:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

"But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." (Matthew 26:32)

Jesus says this to his disciples at Mount Olives, after "they had sung a hymn" (Matthew 26:30) and following their supper - often termed the "last supper."

Is Jesus saying he will rise from the dead?

If Jesus was saying that he will be "raised from the dead" as many interpret, this would mean that Jesus was predicting that he would die and then somehow come back to life. It would mean that for a while, Jesus didn't exist. And then came into existence again.

How does someone who is existing now, come to not exist and then come back into existence?

Again, that would mean for a time, Jesus didn't exist. Are those who suggest he was raised from the dead ready to say that Jesus didn't exist for three days?

Most who believe in Jesus would say he has always existed. And for good cause. This is why Jesus said:

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)

The word "am" here is translated from the Greek word εἰμί (eimi). This means "to exist." This means that Jesus was saying that he existed even prior to Abraham took birth on the earth more than 1,000 years before.

This means that Jesus is saying that he is eternal. His spirit-person is eternal, and existed prior to Abraham walked the earth.

The bottom line is that Jesus is saying that he is eternal.

Since Jesus is eternal, Jesus could not have risen 'from the dead' because he never died. He was eternal, so Jesus would not have said this.

Let's look more closely at what he is saying.

The phrase, "have risen" is being translated from the Greek word ἐγείρω (egeirō). ἐγείρω means "to be raised up" according to the lexicon.

What is Jesus speaking of that is being raised? Is he referring to his physical body?

Some will have us believe that Jesus is his physical body and his physical body died and then rose from the dead.

If Jesus' physical body "rose up" after being dead, why wasn't Jesus recognized when he appeared to Mary, and to his closest disciples?

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. (John 24:4)

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. (John 20:14)

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matt. 28:17)

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. (Luke 24:31)

Do these verses indicate Jesus was walking around in his physical body? If Jesus "rose up" in his prior physical body, his closest associates and disciples would have recognized him when he appeared to them. This means that his immediate appearance was unrecognizable.

And how could a physical body 'disappear from their sight'?

For example, today many families will pay a mortuary to embalm a dead body of a relative. They will embalm the body and display it in a casket for everyone to honor. In such a case, is the dead person rising? Did they 'rise up'?

Certainly not. Their physical body is still there, but something is missing. The person has gone. The spirit-person has left the physical body and that is why there is no life in the body.

On these occasions, it will be stated that the person has "passed away." What has "passed away" then if the body is still in the casket, all dressed up?

It is the soul - the spirit or spirit-person - that has left the body, or "passed away." The self has been separated from the body.

Yet the dead body in the casket is recognizable by relatives and friends. This means that the spirit-person (or soul or self) is invisible to our physical eyes. It exists on another dimension.

But in Jesus' case, his appearance to his disciples and students was not immediately recognizable. This is because Jesus was showing that his spirit-person is still existing. He was showing them that he lived on despite the body dying. In Jesus' case, he isn't easily recognized after he had 'risen.' This means he did not rise with his body.

The true meaning of "have risen" or "rise up" is illustrated when one of Jesus' beloved students, Martha ('Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.' (John 11:5)) responded to Jesus when he said: "Your brother will rise again" (John 11:23):

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (John 11:24.

Martha was responding with what Jesus had been teaching, which is that a person will "rise" from their body at the time of death. The phrase, "last day" refers to the Greek word ἀνάστασις (anastasis). This word is being translated to "resurrection." Yet the root word means to "rise up," This is why ἀνίστημι (anistēmi), (translated to "he will rise again") also means to "rise up."

Jesus is referring to his spirit self rising up from the physical body after his body was murdered on the cross.

Then he is suggesting that after his spirit-person rose from the body, he would meet up with them again. This is the significant aspect of his statement.

Do we all rise then?

Each of us - spirit-persons -  will rise up from our body at the time of death. This has been proven scientifically in clinical death research.

In a multitude of studies that have followed tens of thousands of patients who have died in the hospital, it has been proven that we rise up and out of our bodies at the time of death, and we can observe our body from above after we leave it. Millions of people have now had clinical death experiences like this.

Looking down at our body at the time of death illustrates that we are not the physical body. We are spiritual, not physical. This is what Jesus had been teaching his disciples:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)

This illustrates that Jesus taught the existence of a "you" that exists after the body is killed. Who is this "you" Jesus is referring to that exists after the body is killed? Who is the "you" that can be thrown into hell?

This is the spiritual self. It is the person. The personality that gives life to the body.

Let's say we look at a picture of our body as a child. Then we look in the mirror at our adult body. The two bodies look different, yes? Yet we are the same person, yes? Our body is constantly changing, while we - the spiritual self - remain the same. Science tells us that all the molecules that made up that childhood body have been replaced by new molecules within five years. The body we had when we are a child is gone, and now we wear an adult body.

This same spiritual self who remains through changing bodies - this is the person who leaves the body at death. Each of us "rises" from the body, leaving the body lifeless. Jesus was trying to teach us to be focused on our spiritual selves, rather than our physical bodies because this is our true identity:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. (Matthew 6:25)

Where did Jesus' body go?

Yes, Jesus' body did go missing, according to the scripture text.

But we must recognize that Jesus's body could have simply been moved at some point before the third day. It was not as if no one could have rolled away the stone that Joseph himself rolled in front of the tomb:

He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:60)

If Joseph alone could have rolled the stone into place, surely another person or a small group could have rolled the stone away as well. After all, the tomb was being guarded by those who were involved in killing Jesus, and did not want to see a big deal surrounding his body.

Jesus' body was put in that tomb because Joseph of Arimathea - one of Jesus' disciples - put it there. He requested from Pilate to receive Jesus' body in order to bury it.

Was this meant to be Jesus' permanent tomb? No. Under Mosaic Temple law, a person's body was not allowed to be buried in the tomb of a non-family member. So this was a temporary tomb for Jesus' body.

In such a situation, if the body was laid in someone else's tomb, it would be moved to a family tomb. In such a tomb, once the body decomposed, the bones would be put into a burial box and kept in the family tomb with the bones of family members. This was Jewish custom during Jesus' time.

The scriptures also indicate that this tomb was temporary:

Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:42)

There is no certainty on where Jesus' physical body was eventually taken. But a 1980 archaeological find has been suspected to be the tomb of Jesus' family. In this tomb, the researchers found ossuaries ('bone boxes') labeled in Aramaic, "James, brother of Jesus," "Jesus, son of Joseph," "Joseph," "Marium," and others in the same tomb.

While there has been controversy surrounding this tomb, research by a team of scientists led by North Carolina University Professor of Religious Studies James D. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici indicates the possibility that Jesus' body was moved to this family tomb - consistent with Jewish practice. The findings were the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary that first aired in 2007.

What about Jesus appearing to his disciples?

From the scriptures, we find that Jesus was not recognized by his closest students after he "rose." This illustrates that he had left his physical body. He appeared before his disciples on several occasions and even proved his identity by showing holes in his body.

This latter fact also illustrates Jesus was not appearing in his physical body. A physical body that had holes in it would be spilling blood all over the place. It would be a bloody mess.

As evidenced by the fact that he could control his appearances and recognition, showing holes in his hands illustrates Jesus' ability to manipulate his apparition angel-like appearance to reassure his students of his identity. After all, Jesus appeared suddenly to his disciples several times. He didn't walk up in his physical body. 

When Jesus appeared to his disciples at their dinner, for example, the doors were locked. How did Jesus get in if he was wearing his physical body?

As for Jesus meeting them in Galilee - as we'll find later - Jesus is referring to his appearing to his disciples in Galilee after the death of his physical body. He was preparing them to pass on his teachings to others:

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15)

And what did Jesus teach that he wanted his disciples to also preach?

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

What is the 'last day'?

"The last day" in Martha's statement - as was also used by Jesus and in other Biblical verses - indicates the time of death. 

In this context Martha was not speaking of some time in the distant future when the world would supposedly end. The Greek phrase ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ (eschatos hēmera) utilizes "day" in a metaphorical manner, meaning, as outlined in Thayer's lexicon to indicate "time in general." 

Thus the time of death is the only appropriate interpretation for the metaphorical use of "last day" here.

The teaching that our physical bodies will rise again at the end of the world as taught by some has no practical foundation. A dead body will decompose within a year or two in normal conditions, leaving just the bones.

In normal acidic soil, the bones will also decompose within a few decades. Any old bones we have found have been preserved by abnormal environmental conditions, such as freezing. Most dead bodies completely decompose to soil. Even those who claim to be saved will leave behind bodies that decompose within a few decades.

So what is supposed to "rise" then, some thousands of years later when the world supposedly ends? How can a decomposed body "rise"? This makes no sense.

Some have tried to hide this inconsistency by suggesting that all the dead people (all the dead bodies?) have to wait in some kind of "purgatory" state for the "end of the world" scenario. So if their bodies have decomposed, in what state will they be waiting? And why would they have to wait?

Yet oddly enough, some of these very same teachers will often refer to someone who has died with, "they are with Jesus now."

How could they "be with Jesus now" if their bodies are sitting in the mortuary awaiting burial? Or if their bodies have been buried in a casket? How could they "be with Jesus" if they are buried underground in a casket?

The contradiction is that we may refer to a dead person as having "passed away" - as though they have separated from the physical body. But we will at the same time insist that the person is the physical body. 

Jesus teaches that the spirit-person is eternal, the physical body is temporary, and at the time of death (of the body) the spirit-person will rise up and leave this physical body.

Jesus' statement above indicates that after this rising, he will then re-appear to his disciples to teach them some more.