SIXTEEN PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH THE BIBLE'S ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION

There used to be a song "Sixteen Reasons Why I Love You". Sixteen is a good number to get into a song lyric. As you know from the other two blog posts if you have read them, I think Jesus Christ was able to beat death on the cross. Just because something is rare is not to say that it doesn't happen. One wise man said (I forget who) that when the impossible has been scientifically ruled out, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth. I believe Jesus did survive death and that his desciples probably saw him. I do not use the word "Apostles" because scripture in the old testament in Zechariah plainly states "Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered". I don't believe the desciples were in any frame of mind Easter morning or any other time to start a new religion. They were too disheartened, not to mention scared. What people don't say is that they probably all felt like Judas is said to have felt. They were disappointed because Jesus didn't summon down twelve legions of angels to smite their enemies. They were afraid because they thought (perhaps rightly) that the Romans were looking for them to extermanate them too. When they saw Jesus they were probably horrified at the pain he endured and also saw I imagine human weakness at that moment they had never seen in him before. There is no indication that ten of them went on to do anything else in the Bible. Acts says James was killed later but we don't know why. John may or may not be the same man as "John of Ephuses" heard from at the turn of the century in AD 100. How come we only hear from John in history as an old man? It seems about the only role Peter plays in the book of Acts, despite making a good Pentacost speech, is to be a foil for Paul. Paul would preach liberty apart from the law and Peter along with "James" would protest. About all we know about Peter and James comes from the book of Acts. There is a history of a James who was high priest in the temple in AD62 when he was either stoned or else fell to his death. There are indications in the Josephus text itself that he was not the brother of Jesus of Nazareth but another Jesus, who was also a priest. Since I am rather new at this there are several things I'm not doing right, like keeping track of the color Right now here are the sixteen reasons:

0. It says in scripture, “They gambled for my vesture” and we know the Roman guards cast lots for his seamless white robe. They mentioned it being a nice garment saying “Let’s not tear it”. Only thing is it was stained with blood from Jesus being scourged. Scripture says, “They took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him” and movies depict Jesus in a robe before Pilate. Who would cast lots for a robe they couldn’t wear?

1. When the three women were on the way to the tomb at sunrise they said to one another, “Who will roll the stone away?” Naturally it’s odd to wonder why they didn’t resolve this point before they set out. But more curiously, Mary Magdalene was with them and she had already been to the tomb “While it was still dark” and seen Jesus, or “The gardener”. Why didn’t she tell the other women? Good question.

2. When Jesus appeared to all the disciples they were gathered together in the upper room. Question: Why were they all gathered together like that? Scripture says, “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones”. Last time I checked “scattering” refers to movement- - dispersing. Perhaps fleeing to another town. Yet here they all were. Peter and John had seen an empty tomb. Were they gathered to discuss this? Next: When Jesus appeared to them was it to eleven or ten of them? Or perhaps it was twelve, as it says “Then he appeared to the twelve”. Was Paul unaware that Judas was no longer with them? And Luke seems to be unaware that Thomas was not with them. I don’t see that as something you could forget but it clearly states that eleven were there. We have a credibility problem.

3. Jesus told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the falling of the Holy Spirit. An angel also told his disciples to go to a certain mountain in Galilee where Jesus gave “The great commission”. You can’t have both, because if they had obeyed the second they’d have never returned to Jerusalem. Complicating this issue is John 21 where seven of the disciples go fishing in Galilee and were not expecting to see Jesus when they did. John 21 is truly an “independent source”.

4. We return to those women going to the tomb Easter morning. It says in John that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arithmea wrapped the body of Jesus in spices and buried him the same say as he was crucified, which is the Jewish custom. The women knew that that was Jewish custom and one wonders why they would violate it, especially since it was a holy week and they would be ceremonially unclean touching a dead person.

5. Why is there three examples of the disciples not even knowing it was Jesus after they saw him. Mary Magdalene, the two on the road to Emmaus, and the disciples on the lake. This suggest to me a suggestive state of mind, or that they were not sure what they were seeing. That’s my opinion.

6. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were talking about women who could not find a tomb. They were not talking about how Pilate just released a Zealot who was a patriot. This is a very unusual act historically speaking. They weren’t talking about the earthquakes, or graves opening and dead people coming to life. If they thought they had seen Jesus did they ever ask themselves, “Have others seen dead people today?”

7. Why didn’t Jesus just show himself to the Pharisees and put all doubt to rest. Or did Jesus enjoy a good mystery. Certainly anyone else would have sought to shut the mouths of lying accusers. If the Roman Guards saw certain events are we to presume they were so godless that a little money could shut them up?

8. In Luke it says Jesus led the disciples out of town where Jesus ascended into Heaven. This had to attract notice. Unidentified flying objects were far less common in those days than they are today. Certainly many city people must have seen it.

9. Why didn’t Jesus describe the afterlife to his disciples. In Revelation many argue we only have allegory and imigry. Isn’t it funny that the only person to die and come back isn’t talking about it. It would clear up a lot of mysteries.

10. Why did Jesus tell his disciples at the Last Supper, “and now I am no more in the world”. Doesn’t this imply that if you aren’t a “believer” you wont see him even if he is, for instance, right in the room? Doesn’t this allude to a “spiritual” resurrection like the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe? Doesn’t it imply Jesus disbelieved he would rise physically?

11. What did Jesus mean when he said “This is what I said while I was still with you”. Is this to imply his current state is somehow “less real”?

12. Why did Jesus say at the Mount of Olives “If someone says, ’behold he is in the desert’ or ‘behold he is in the secret changer’ don’t go looking for it. The son of man will come as the lightning flashes from east to west”. Isn’t this to imply that if you see an “appearance” of Jesus after he’s crucified to ignore it? Did Jesus not expect to rise again when he gave his Olivet prophecy? Is there a “time limit” on appearances? What about Methaius. He wasn’t appointed until after Jesus’ ascent into Heaven. Did he re-ceive an appearance? What about the apostle Paul? How seriously did Jesus mean this “no secret appearances” ban. Ah, that is the question.

13. When Jesus was on the cross he promised the repentant thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. This implies to me that Jesus expected to go to that other dim-ension we call eternity that Dad talks about where time is different. The only thing is scripture is quoted which says, “I will not abandon thy soul to sheol or allow the Holy One to see corruption. Sheol means “The grave”. If this is so what did Jesus mean when he talked about the son of man being “In the heart of the earth?” Doesn’t the OT scripture imply at best soul sleep? If Jesus was really with the thief in Paradise why didn’t he bring back the thief with him when he rose? (perhaps we could get the needed answers from him) 1^st. Peter gives us yet another view. In Thessalonians it says “the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive will be caught up and we will ever be with the Lord”. This implies soul sleep, and it implies the event has not yet taken place.

14. Jesus said on the cross, “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?” and then he said “I am thirsty” and one person ran up with the hyssop soaked with sour wine and perhaps some drug. And another said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will rescue him from the cross”. This implies for one thing that Jesus was worried about what was happening to him and perhaps things weren’t going as planned. There is the obvious inference that whatever he drank contained some drug which caused him to go into a swoon, after which he was taken down off the cross. The evidence of the Shroud points to it being a living person who occupied it. The inference of all of this would suggest that perhaps Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, but later.

15. When Mary Magdolane saw Jesus in the garden Jesus said, "Touch me not, for I have not ascended to my father in heaven". According to the teachings of some when Jesus went to "Hell" he liberated all the dead souls and they at that time made a procession to heaven. If this is so how is it Jesus is making an apparent "pit stop" on planet earth now?