Christ's conquest of death

[PowderedGold]

I am a little confused about something.

I was taught that Christ conquered death when he was resurrected. But didn't Christ, and the Old Testament prophets, and even the apostles, also raise people from the dead? What makes those resurrections less significant than Christ's own resurrection?

Or am I being too literal? Perhaps it means that Christ conquered death by providing us with eternal life when he was resurrected, and the resurrections beforehand were about returning someone from a state of physical death to a state of physical life.

 

[ContentInHim]

You are NOT being too literal. Yes, other people were raised from the dead but they in their human flesh died again. Jesus was resurrected in perfection and did not die again!

Thus your 3rd paragraph stands!

Also, those who were raised from the dead with the exception of Lazarus who was dead 4 days were raised before 3 days. The Jews believe(d) that the spirit left the body in 3 days. Jesus' raising of Lazarus conquered that boundary. That's why he dallied on his way to Bethany - he wanted the crowd to understand that only by the power of God could Lazarus live again. Still, eventually Lazarus died (again).

 

[PowderedGold]

Thanks very much for your explanation. I now understand the distinction between Christ's resurrection and miraculous physical resurrection.

 

[HypnoToad]

Actually, no one but Christ has yet been "resurrected", they were only "resuscitated".

"Resurrection" includes the new, incorruptable body, not merely coming back from the dead.

It's a very common mistake, just like confusing "hell" and "the lake of fire".

 

[PowderedGold]

That kind of sounds like mincing words to me. Are you agreeing with what ContentInHim said?

 

[HypnoToad]

Not mincing words at all. If you have a Nave's Topical Bible, look up "Resurrection". Events like Lazarus are not listed there.

 

[PowderedGold]

When I think of resusciation, I think of someone who's had a heart attack receiving CPR.

 

[ContentInHim]

When I think of resusciation, I think of someone who's had a heart attack receiving CPR.

Actually, I like XianJedi's description. Recuscitation is probably a better word for miraculous raisings like Lazarus. We do the same in emergency rooms all over the world - people are clinically dead for minutes and are jolted back to life. Jesus and Elijah didn't use electric paddles and drugs - they used the power of God!