“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.

 

"Greetings. Do not be afraid. ..." (Matthew 28:9-10)

Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Why would they be afraid?

As described below, this occurred when Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene and Mary - assumably Jesus' mother. We must ask why, since these two women knew Jesus so well, why would they be afraid if they saw Jesus?

Conversely, why would Jesus scare them? As we will explain clearly below, Jesus did not appear before them in his physical body. This is why they didn't recognize him at first, and why they would be scared when they saw him.

Here Jesus is appearing to his disciples after he left his physical body. How do we know Jesus left his physical body?

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matthew 27:50)

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

The word "spirit" in these three verses is being translated from the Greek word πνεῦμα (pneuma), which means, according to the lexicon, "the vital principal by which the body is animated;" "the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides;" and "the soul."

Thus we can conclude that the word "spirit" is referring to the self within - the living being who lives within the physical body and leaves the physical body at the time of death.

To this we can add a verse from "The Wisdom [or Sophia] of Jesus Christ" a Gospel from The Lost Gospels of Jesus:

The Savior appeared not in his earlier form, but in the ethereal spirit. His appearance was like a beautiful illuminated angel. But I cannot properly describe his appearance. No material body could bear this – only the purified spiritual body – just as he taught us about from Galilee to the mount referred to as ‘the olives.’ (Sophia of Jesus Christ 2)

Is this when Jesus resurrected?

As we describe below, Jesus separated from his body - he rose from the body - as in resurrection.

The Book of Matthew also refers to Jesus as having been "resurrected" at the time of death:

... after Jesus' resurrection... (Matthew 27:53)

The events described in Matt. 27:51-53, which begin with "At that moment," clearly detail events at the time of death of Jesus' physical body. The inclusion of the word "resurrection" within this description of events - well before Jesus' supposed "rising from the dead" three days later - clearly indicates the Book of Matthew refers to "resurrection" as the leaving of the spirit-person from the body at the time of death.

This is confirmed by Jesus' own teachings regarding resurrection:

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?”
Jesus replied, “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 22:23-31)

Both the question and Jesus' answer are obviously referring to the period following the spirit-person leaving the body at the time of death.

The very word "resurrection" - translated from the Greek word ἀνάστασις (anastasis) - means "a raising up, rising." What is rising? The spirit-person is rising up out of the body at the time of death.

Each of us has been created by God - and thus we are made of the same spiritual essence as He is (in quality, not quantity). This living personality is unseen by the physical eyes. We know each of us is alive and has a unique personality, but we cannot see this personality with our physical eyes. It lies on another dimension. It is spiritual in essence, while our physical eyes are made of matter.

What about 'the resurrection of the dead' versus 'the living'?

When the body dies, it becomes lifeless, and begins to decompose. It becomes "dead" because the soul or person within becomes separated from that body.

At the same time, the notion of being "dead" can be used symbolically to describe someone who has not dedicated their life to the Supreme Being - a self-centered person. Thus as Jesus says that God is "the God of the living," he is speaking both practically and metaphorically.

In other words, each of us will leave our body at the time of death, but at that moment we will also be either "living" or "dead" in the spiritual sense. This is an important element of Jesus' teachings, and he is trying to drive this point home because each of us has that choice to become spiritually "living" or spiritually "dead" at every moment.

Jesus confirms this when he discusses resurrection in another situation:

"Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:14)

Here Jesus refers to "resurrection of the righteous" rather than "resurrection of the dead" because the destination of a person who has dedicated their life to loving and serving the Supreme Being will be different than the destination of someone who has lived a self-centered life. 

And being "repaid" refers to our current actions having consequences after we leave this body.

Martha, one of Jesus' students, also clarified that Jesus taught that resurrection was the spirit-person leaving the body at the time of death:

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

Here "the last day," translated from ἔσχατος (eschatos) and ἡμέρα (hēmera) refers to the last day of the physical body - the time of death. ἔσχατος (eschatos) means "last in time or in place" according to the lexicon, but it can only refer to time when followed by "day" - taken from ἡμέρα (hēmera).

In other words, it is a metaphorical use of the term. We still use this metaphor to some degree, as we might say, "the last days of ...." when we are referring to a period of time just before someone dies.

Note that prior to Martha's statement, Jesus said to her:

"Your brother will rise again." (John 11:23)

But didn't Jesus' dead body rise after three days? Nope. We can see this clearly from each of the descriptions of how they found the tomb. 

Why do the Gospels describe Jesus' 'rising' differently?

In Matthew, we find that "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" came to the tomb and met with the following:

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. (Matthew 28:2)

The angel then shows the Marys where Jesus was laid, to find him gone:

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." (Matthew 28:6)

In Luke, we find that the 'women who had come with Jesus from Galilee' (Luke 23:51) found the tomb stone already rolled away and then: 'suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them' (Luke 24:4) and told them that Jesus had "risen!"

But Luke 24:5 also says:

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

Meanwhile, the Book of John says that it was Mary Magdalene alone who went to the tomb 'while it was still dark' and found that 'the stone had been removed from the entrance.' (John 20:1)

Mary then left and told Simon Peter, and they and another disciple dashed to the tomb to confirm it was empty. They saw strips of linen there in the tomb. After they left, Mary then 'saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.'

After they asked her why she was crying, suddenly Jesus appears to her in the tomb:

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

In Mark we find the event explained differently:

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. (Mark 16:1)

They also found the tomb stone rolled away, but they found something altogether different:

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. (Mark 16:5)

The 'young man' (not Jesus, and not two angels) then notified them that Jesus "has risen!" (Mark 16:6)

So which is it? Was it three women, two women or just Mary who found the tomb open? Was the tomb rolled upon by an angel who appeared when they were there and the guards where there, or was the tomb already laying open with no guards there? Was there one angel who opened the tomb, or were there two angels, or was there just one 'young man' there? Or was Jesus there and spoke to Mary?

Yes, each of the Gospels tells a different version of this event. Which is correct?

The varying stories can only mean that Jesus' appearance was described with hearsay. This means the writers were not all eyewitnesses. If all four Gospel writers were eyewitnesses, the event would be told the same each time.

This doesn't mean one of the versions is not true. One of the versions could well be true while the other three are less true or simply turned into legends after being passed on from person to person for a while before having been written down.

Who started the notion that Jesus' physical body 'rose'?

What the different versions have in common is that Jesus' dead body did not rise.

At the same time, the very foundation upon which many base their proposal that Jesus was 'special' - his "rising from the dead" - is so flimsy that any person who wanted to discredit such a notion could do so quite easily by simply comparing the stories between the Gospels?

Who started this notion anyway? It was the Roman Catholic institution that drew its doctrine primarily from Paul's teachings. Paul was not a direct disciple or student of Jesus. Rather, he was a Roman Pharisee who persecuted Jesus' followers and then claimed to have had a vision of Jesus.

Directly after his supposed vision (in which he saw a light and heard a voice) Paul began teaching a philosophy that departed from Jesus' own teachings and the teachings of Jesus' direct disciples such as James and Peter. This is despite the claim that he was an apostle of Jesus.

In other words, unlike Jesus' direct disciples, Paul did not study under Jesus. Nor did he spend years learning and training under Jesus as Peter and James and other disciples of Jesus had.

What Paul did was launch a doctrine that focused on anyone easily becoming "saved" by accepting that Jesus "died for our sins."

Jesus' teachings taught a person had to have a change of heart - and make significant lifestyle changes and come to worship and love God. Paul's doctrine - today called Pauline Theology - created a new philosophy that simply joining Paul's assembly/church would declare them "saved."

Paul's doctrine created a large following among the Romans of that era. And when the Roman government legalized Christianity early in the Fourth Century, they embraced Paul's version of Christianity over the more orthodox teachings.

As a result, the events of Jesus' life surrounding the crucifixion and the resurrection were emphasized, while Jesus' teachings themselves were de-emphasized.

Why do the four Gospels differ on these facts?

Not only do the four Gospels differ. There are other oddities. For example, if Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon, the third day (or in three days) would be Monday, not Sunday as preached among the Roman Catholic institution and most sects today.

Or how about the notion that Jesus was encouraging his disciples to "eat his body" and "drink his blood" - as is still practiced today in Roman Catholic institutions in the form of crackers and wine? Did Jesus really teach his followers to become cannibals?

Yet this institution and others have been involved in this and so many other inconsistencies in their doctrines. This of course includes the conspiracy theory of conspiracy theories - that the end of the world will come on a certain predicted date - which never happened.

It is now interesting that some are still predicting future dates - after they got all the previous doomsday dates wrong.

Did they think that people would be so gullible? 

It is interesting that the early Roman Catholic Church actually took the scriptures away from the people so they couldn't see these inconsistencies with their teachings. They confiscated all the circulating manuscripts, burned the ones they did not like, and then translated the ones that were the most similar (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) into Latin - a language the common person did not even speak.

And then they only reproduced just enough copies to circulate amongst the bishops and priests (and the Roman Emperor of course).

It was against the law to own one of these early Bibles in the Roman Empire. Only a priest or bishop was allowed by Roman law to own a Bible - or any other written scripture. A common person could not own a Bible - or any scripture for that matter.

Yes, the Romans burnt all the libraries that contained all scriptural manuscripts, save a few copies that were held in secret at the Vatican under lock and key. The only manuscripts we have found were buried in the desert to escape the destruction of the Roman Catholic institution, which burned every library they could find except their own.

The Romans effectively squelched any ability to investigate the authenticity of their translations and manipulations for over 1,000 years, through the end of the Holy Roman Empire. They imprisoned or burnt at the stake any person who disagreed with the teachings of their Roman Catholic priests or bishops.

This era of indoctrination which included Jesus' supposed 'rising from the dead' was not questioned because to do so would have meant being burnt at the stake or at least put in prison. After so many centuries, the interpretation has continued unquestioned. 

In the tradition of the Romans, even to this day, if anyone questions this interpretation, they will immediately be labeled a heretic.

It is ironic that as we mentioned in the beginning, prior to Jesus' body even being put in the tomb, the Book of Matthew's text clearly states that Jesus' resurrection already took place - at the time of the death of his body.

Was Jesus' mission to 'die for our sins?'

If Jesus' mission was merely to "die for our sins" then we must ask ourselves: Why did Jesus spend so much time teaching? And why didn't he just teach, "wait for my crucifixion then you will automatically be saved as long as you claim it."?

But he didn't Jesus never said this. He didn't teach that we would automatically be saved by simply claiming that he died for our sins. This may have been Paul's teaching. But it wasn't Jesus' teaching.

Rather, Jesus taught that we should ask God to forgive our sins. He actually taught his followers to pray (as part of the Lord's Prayer):

"And forgive us our sins,

For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." (Luke 11:4)

This means that suggesting that Jesus "died for my sins" is teaching something contrary to Jesus' own teachings.

The reality is that God does not need to send his Son (loving servant) to the earth to "pay for our sins by dying on the cross." Each of us is responsible for our own actions. But God is also gracious and merciful, and will forgive our sins should we request it from Him and be prepared to forgive anyone who may have wronged us.

These are Jesus' teachings and these teachings were consistent with the teachings of the Saints of the Old Testament. They were consistent with the teachings of Moses, Joshua, David, Samuel, Eli, Abraham, Jacob, and so many others. He often quoted the teachings of the Prophets because he was carrying out their instructions - to serve and please God.

We can understand, though a serious investigation of the Scriptures, that Jesus' principal mission was to save us and bring us back to the spiritual realm through his teachings:

"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." (Matthew 7:21)

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50)

Jesus' teachings are about devotion to the Supreme Being. Coming to know Him, love Him and serve Him. This is why his most important teaching was:

“ ‘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)