OK, here's something that has confused me for some time, and I wish someone could explain it to me.
First, death is understood as the separation of that eternal part of us (our spirit) from the mortal part of us (our physical bodies). I think that's universally accepted and acceptable.
Christ was the first to be resurrected. After He died on the cross (in which His spirit and His body were separated - He really did die), His body was in the sepulchre for three days, during which time he was somewhere that was NOT in the presence of His Father (which is why He said to Mary "Touch me not," right?). So then, after having been dead for a period of time, He resurrected. His body and spirit were reunited. He visited his disciples. His Apostles ate with Him, and Thomas who doubted initially was later shown beyond question that He had risen.
After another period of time, He ascended into Heaven again.
So what's the point of resurrection? From what I understand, most Christian denominations believe the Nicene Creed, which says that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are one God, indivisible and incomprehensible. He exists as a Spirit in Heaven.
So if Christ had a body, but now does not, what happened? Did He die again? Again, death is understood as the separation of the body from the spirit. It would seem that according to the creed Christ died again. Or am I missing something?
How glorious it is, then, that we are not left to suffer in blindness. God lives and loves us. It is vitally important to understand the nature of God. He is our Father and we were created in His image. When Joseph Smith saw Him and Christ in the grove in New York, centuries of darkness were dispelled. People can know God and Christ. He will answer prayers. How empowering this is! How full of hope and love and joy!
I know this is true because He has answered mine.
Comments
Firstly, death is simply the separation of our breath (AKA spirit) from our bodies.
[Jas 2.26]
In other words, we breathe our last breath. Hence we die.
There is no "eternal part" of us.
We are entirely mortal; the spirit is simply the breath which returns to GOD who gave it.
[Eccl 12.7]
Hence, without the resurrection,
we will never live again.
Scripturally, death is described as "sleep," that is, the sleep of death
[Psa. 13.3. See also Eccl. 9.5,10];
Hence, resurrection, is to be "awaken" out of death.
So Christ literally and truly died.
He was "dead" for 3 days until GOD Almighty raised him from the dead.
If GOD did not raise him, he would be still dead!!
So when Christ ascended into Heaven,
he did not ascend into Heaven "again".
This was the first time he had ever literally been to Heaven.
This was part of his reward, his exaltation; he literally ascended into the presence of the ONE GOD [Heb 4.14]
to be set at His right hand;
in fulfilment of Psa 110.1.
Forget the Nicene Creed!!
It is a manmade concept that was foisted on to Christianity, hundreds of years after Christ.
Neither Christ nor any of his disciples ever taught or affirmed the concepts in the Nicene Creed.
This then may be the source of your confusion.
Solution: simply drop it, it is not scriptural.
Rather ...
Christ is literally in Heaven at GOD's right hand.
He is literally GOD's right hand man
[Psa 80.17]
(1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
Christ exists in Heaven as a resurrected, immortalized, glorified man!.
He is the first such human being of many.
[Rom 8.29]
That is, when Christ returns to the earth to inaugurate GOD's Kingdom upon the earth at his Coming;
all true believers will likewise be resurrected and transformed/immortalized, and have a glorified body like Jesus.
[1 Cor 15.42-44,50-53; Phil 3.21]
Billy, for more info about the "true Jesus" as oppose to the
Nicene version,
I recommend this video:
The Human Jesus
Take a couple of hours to watch it; and prayerfully it will aid you in your quest for truth.
Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor