Four years ago today, February 5, 2021, I shared a “meme” which said:
Everybody thinks I’m crazy. They say, “You take the Jesus thing too seriously.” Well I don’t know, but Jesus took me pretty seriously when he died for me on the cross.”
This generated quite a discussion on Facebook four years ago. But when I “shared” this memory today, the discussion was not included.
Here is the discussion, slightly modified, to avoid using names of individuals who have not given me permission to use them:
Unnamed responder:
Jesus did not die at all let alone dying for anybody’s sins.
I answered:
According to the Bible, particularly the New Testament record, and history itself, you are most certainly misinformed, for Jesus Christ died for me and you on the cross. Get your information from the primary source documents that recorded the history as eye-witness accounts. Do not depend for your information on secondary sources hundreds of years after those events took place. You cannot learn the truth from what are called poisoned wells of information, for they can only lead you astray.
Unnamed responder:
The well of source that I got is your bible. It is the direct word of Jesus. I just hope you can bear the truth by the time we start.
Jerome Smith, i want you to explain to the world that Jesus was telling lie in Matt 12:38-40.
AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF FISH SO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH “
Mr Jerome Smith, was Jonah Alive??? If Jonah was Alive, then Jesus was Alive.
That’s the miracle Jesus wanted for himself.
Jesus said, he would not die.
Can you explain this sir???
My response:
Jonah died. He was in Sheol. That is where he made his prayer from while in the great fish for three days and three nights. See Jonah 2:2. Jonah speaks of going down to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God (Jonah 2:6). Jonah was restored to life and released from the great fish upon the dry land.
Jesus did not say He would not die. To the contrary, Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that He would be killed, and that He would die by crucifixion.
Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Mat 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Mat 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Mat 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
rise again. The following are the other prophecies of his resurrection by Christ:—Joh 2:19; Joh 2:21, Mat 12:40; Mat 16:21; Mat 17:9; Mat 17:23; Mat 26:32, For the fulfillment, see Mat 27:62-66; Mat 28:1-9 : and compare Act 2:24; Act 13:32-39, Rom 4:24, 25, 1Co 15:16-17.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Joh 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Joh 2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
Joh 2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
I have given enough of the cross references to passages about Jesus predicting His death and subsequent bodily resurrection from the dead to demonstrate conclusively that the New Testament teaches that Jesus would die, that Jesus predicted His own death, the manner of His death, and at whose hands His death would take place.
To say that “Jesus said that He would not die” directly contradicts the extensive New Testament evidence I have cited, so to make such a claim is clearly demonstrated to be false.
Name withheld responder:
Sir Jerome Smith, if Jonah died as u claimed, how come was he praying to God from the belly of the fish???
And if you say Jonah died, then there was no miracle.
Remember Jesus said: …THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLE GIVEN TO IT EXCEPT THE MIRACLE OF PROPHET JONAH-MATT12:39
Jesus predicted that, the miracle of prophet Jonah will be his miracle. There is no where it is recorded that Jonah died. I didn’t expect that you would lie here.
Jonah was thrown in to the sea Alive, the fish swallowed him Alive, he was in the belly of fish for 3 days and 3 nights, praying Alive. Is that not a Great Miracle ???
That same Miracle was what Jesus predicted about himself.
Jonah was much Alive, how could you quote Jonah 2:2 without starting from verse 1???
Let’s read Jonah2:1-2 ” THEN JONAH PRAYED TO THE LORD HIS GOD FROM THE BELLY OF FISH,
(2) SAYING, “I CALLED TO THE LORD, OUT OF MY DISTRESS, AND HE ANSWERED ME : OUT OF THE BELLY OF SHEOL I CRIED, AND THOU DID HEAR MY VOICE. “
Can you see that??? Jonah was Alive through out praying. And if Jonah was Alive in the belly of fish, then Jesus was Alive also in the heart of the earth. That ‘s why Jesus said :” AS JONAH WAS IN THE BELLY OF FISH, THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, SO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH -matt12:40
Now, Jonah was Alive, then Jesus was also Alive.
In fact the situation of Jonah has given us a clearer picture of what really happened to Jesus, Jesus was Alive in the heart of the earth praying.
This is the Miracle Jesus was talking about.
Sir Jerome Smith, compare this Matt12:38-40 with all the verses you provided above and ask yourself, why is Jesus contradicting himself??? Did Jesus really die on the cross???
Was Jesus dead or Alive, according to Matt 12:38-40???
My answer:
You have asked some very good questions which I am happy to answer for you.
You asked, “If Jonah died as you claimed, how come he was praying to God from the belly of the fish?”
The answer is, that the Bible teaches the conscious existence of the person after death. Therefore, though Jonah truly died (or he could not be in hell, Hebrew, sheol), he was still conscious and could pray. In Luke 16:22-31 we see that there is prayer taking place in hell or in Greek, hades, which is equivalent to the Hebrew term sheol.
You comment,
“And if you say Jonah died, then there was no miracle.”
Of course, we know that Jonah did come back to life again, which is the miracle of resuscitation from the dead, performed by God, when the fish disgorged Jonah upon the dry beach.
This makes Jonah’s experience a “type” or picture that portrays the experience Jesus would undergo, namely, physical death followed by the miracle of bodily resurrection after being in the tomb for three days.
You state,
“Remember Jesus said: …THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLE GIVEN TO IT EXCEPT THE MIRACLE OF PROPHET JONAH-MATT12:39
“Jesus predicted that, the miracle of prophet Jonah will be his miracle.”
Your reasoning is quite good, and almost correct. Jesus did indeed predict that the miracle of prophet Jonah will be His miracle. I see two direct likenesses. (1) Jonah died and was in effect buried for three days and nights in the belly of the fish, during which Jonah prayed while in Sheol; (2) Jonah was resuscitated and came out alive, which is a picture of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ who actually died and after three days was resurrected out of the dead, from the dead.
Notice I distinguish what happened to Jonah, who was resuscitated or brought back to physical life but who undoubtedly died a natural death after that, though the account of his death is not recorded in the Bible so far as I remember.
Jesus Christ was resurrected, not merely resuscitated, in His own but now transformed and glorified indestructible body which will never die.
You state,
“There is no where it is recorded that Jonah died. I didn’t expect that you would lie here.”
When I introduce you to new information that you had not known about, I am certainly not telling a lie! I hope that I am upgrading your education for the purpose of more accurate discussion and understanding. I did not pull this information “out of a hat,” but rather I share with you what I have learned from many years of careful study of the Bible. That Jonah actually died is a fact derived from proper inference based upon the presence of the word “sheol” in the text of Jonah 2:2.
Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
hell. or, the grave. Heb. sheol, +*Gen 37:35 note. +Deu 32:22, 2Sa 22:6, Job 26:6, +*Psa 9:17; +*Psa 16:10; Psa 18:5; Psa 116:3; *Psa 139:7; *Psa 139:8, +*Isa 14:9; +*Isa 14:11, Lam 3:55, +*Eze 32:27 note. +*Amos 9:2 note. Hab 2:5, **Mat 12:40, *Act 2:27; *Act 2:31.
The KJV translators supply the alternative rendering “grave” for “hell.” They rightly consigned this reading to the margin. It is not correct. “Sheol” never actually means “grave,” though it is often so translated in the KJV. There are different Hebrew words that specifically mean “grave.” Much doctrinal confusion has arisen because of the confusion of these terms. The term “Sheol” pertains to the soul which even after physical death of the body continues in conscious existence; the term grave (Hebrew “qeburah” and qeber) applies to the body, not the soul or spirit. Bodies enter graves, the soul or spirit if of a saved person who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior enters heaven or paradise immediately upon death or if unsaved enters sheol or hades to await the judgment and after that be consigned forever to the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 21:8). I have placed a full note about this in my book at Genesis 37:35 where the word “sheol” is first used in the Bible.
You state,
“Can you see that??? Jonah was Alive through out praying. And if Jonah was Alive in the belly of fish, then Jesus was Alive also in the heart of the earth. That’s why Jesus said :” AS JONAH WAS IN THE BELLY OF FISH, THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, SO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH -matt12:40
“Now, Jonah was Alive, then Jesus was also Alive.”
Yes, I agree that both Jonah and Jesus upon their respective deaths were still conscious in spirit, though their bodies were dead. Jonah was miraculously brought back to life and released from the fish; Jesus Christ was miraculously resurrected bodily from the dead and lives for ever in a glorified, imperishable, indestructible yet tangible body. Jesus left behind the empty tomb and appeared alive to all his disciples and followers during forty days in a body marked by the nail prints in His hands and feet, and the scar from being pierced in His side by a sword, demonstrating that it was He Himself and not a ghost or spirit Whom they saw.
The Scripture carefully distinguishes where Jonah and where Jesus were during the interim from the time of death until resuscitation or resurrection occurred. Jonah was conscious in Sheol. Jesus Christ was conscious in paradise.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
You conclude,
“Sir Jerome Smith, compare this Matt 12:38, 39, 40 with all the verses you provided above and ask yourself, why is Jesus contradicting himself??? Did Jesus really die on the cross???
Was Jesus dead or Alive, according to Matt 12:38, 39, 40???”
My answer is already long (which is why I sometimes quote less of the context from Scripture when I post verses, I post those that relate most directly to the matter being discussed), but let me share some information to help you better understand the question or request of the scribes and Pharisees which Jesus addressed by looking more closely at Matthew 12:38,
Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
see a sign. The first of six “signs” asked for (Mat 12:38; Mat 16:1; Mat 24:3, Luk 11:16, Joh 2:18; Joh 6:30) [CB]. The particular “sign” sought for was, no doubt, the sign of the Son of Man’s glorious appearing as foretold in Dan 7:13, and promised by Christ in connection with his Second Coming, Mat 24:30; instead of which he tells them here that there should only be given them the sign of his humiliation (De Burgh). *Mat 16:1, 2, 3, 4, 1Ki 13:3, Isa 7:11, *Mar 8:11; *Mar 8:12, *Luk 11:16; *Luk 11:29; *Luk 11:30; Luk 23:8, **+Joh 2:18, 19, 20, 21, 22; *Joh 4:48; *Joh 6:30, *1Co 1:22, Rev 12:1.
Jesus did not give the scribes and Pharisees the sign they expected. Jesus gave them the sign that corresponded to the Divine Order of events predicted in the Messianic Prophecies given in the Bible.
After His resurrection Jesus clarified for His disciples just what that predicted order is, as reflected in what He said as recorded in Luke 24:26,
Luk 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
In brief, the lesson is: first the sufferings, then the glory. At His first coming or advent Jesus experienced the predicted sufferings foretold of the Messiah; at His second coming or advent Jesus will fulfill the remaining Messianic Prophecies which pertain to His Glory.
Name withheld responder:
Sir Jerome Smith, Luke 16:22-31 has nothing to do with what happened to Jonah, it is talking about what will happen to the Righteous and the wicked after death . The case of Jonah and Jesus is different. Lazarus and the rich man died a natural death. Lazarus was taken by the Angels while the rich was being tormented.
But Jonah was thrown in to the sea Alive , GOD kept him Alive, then the fish swallowed him as GOD commanded it, Jonah was in the belly of fish Alive, it was was a miracle through out.
If someone is thrown into the heart of the sea, everybody’s expectation should be that the man is dead already, if they now find out that the man is Alive, they will be amazed and conclude that it was a miracle. If they now heard again that the man was swallowed by the fish for three days and was later disgorged, they will give glory to GOD for the greatest miracle HE has done in the life of the man.
What happened to Jonah was Miracle upon miracle. This was what Jesus said would happen. Jesus was nailed on the cross, his hands and feet were nailed, but his heart was not nailed, Jesus was on the cross for 3 hrs, nails in the hands and feet could not have killed Jesus. Jesus only became unconscious immediately after he drank vinegar -Matt27:48, Mark15:36, John 19:28-29.
We all know the effect of consuming concentrated Vinegar, the intake of it can slow the heart from beating. Jesus was unconscious. And as at the time that Jesus was confirmed dead, the two thieves were still Alive.
And when one is in the state of unconsciousness, he looks like a dead person. Anyone who saw Jesus in that position would think that he is dead.
Similarly, anyone who saw Jonah being thrown in the sea would think that Jonah was dead, but GOD kept Jonah Alive, and if Jonah was Alive, Jesus was also Alive, he was praying as Jonah was praying.
Sir, not that Jonah did come back to life again, Jonah was Alive from the day he was thrown into the sea. If you Jonah was resuscitated, then there was no miracle.
Are you doubting what GOD can do??? If GOD could save Daniel from the Lions’ den, is it difficult for GOD to keep Jonah Alive without being hurt??? If it is not difficult, then a great miracle is what happened to Jonah, there was no resuscitation . And if the miracle of Jonah was the miracle of Jesus , then there was no resurrection.
But sir, how could you say performed resuscitation for Jonah??? Does that mean GOD had to struggle before HE could rescue Jonah???
That statement belittles GOD Almighty. The Omnipotent!
There was no Jesus underwent physical death let alone body resurrection.
Remember Jesus was in the Tomb, not in the grave.
When Jonah said “HE answered me out of the belly of sheol,”-Jonah2:2, it did not mean Jonah was dead. In fact, Jonah was proving that he was Alive, even in the belly of fish which is the same as SHEOL, it will be so dark, very uncomfortable , his body was not broken, or passed through digestion, but was Alive, that was SHEOL he was referring to.
SHEOL means The world of the dead. Only a person who is Alive can recognize where he was. Jonah could not have known where he was if he had died. So, one can be in the world of dead when alive, with GOD it is possible.
The Sheol of Jonah was the fish, The sheol of Daniel was the Lions Den, he was also in the world of dead. Jesus was also in the world of dead.
Daniel, Jonah and Jesus were all Alive in the world of dead. No resuscitation, No resurrection. But Miracles.
Miracles kept them all Alive.
Yes, I said it, and am still evidently maintaining that, there is no where it is written that Jonah died. Sir, if what you said you have learned for years is that Jonah died owing to Jonah2:2, sheol, Pls sir you really still need to study again.
Sir, if you truly agree with Matt12:40, you have believed that both Jonah and Jesus did not die, their bodies, souls and spirit were still with them. GOD answered Jonah’s prayer Alive, NOT brought back to life as you twistly claimed -Jonah 2:2.
And GOD commanded the fish, and the fish vomited Jonah on the dry land-based Jonah2:10.
Jesus did not die in the first place, that’s miracle, there was no Resurrection. Death will come first before Resurrection, but it never happened. No death, No Resurrection.
Sir, i thought you just said Jesus lived with his body, glorified, imperishable, yet tangible??? How come you are saying again that Jesus appeared alive to all his disciples and followers during the forty days in a body marked by nail prints in his hands and feet, and the scar from being pierced in his side by a sword??? Is this not a contradiction???
If Jesus came out demonstrating that it was He Himself and not a ghost or spirit whom they saw, is that not telling you that Jesus did not die at all??? Only a resurrected body can be ghost or spirit, but Jesus denied this, which means there was no resurrection taken place.
Bible described that, both Jonah and Jesus were conscious in the Sheol. Jesus did not go to Paradise.
Luke 23:43 is not true. Did Jesus go to paradise on that same day he was crucified???
If it’s true, where was the Thief with him in Paradise???
My response:
You cannot get away with suggesting that Jesus did not die on the cross while on the cross. The evidence in the account is to the contrary. It was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy or type that “not a bone of his body would be broken.” When the soldiers came to check on those who were hanging on the three crosses, they broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten their deaths because they were still alive. But they did not break the legs of Jesus, because they saw that He had died already. But one of them pierced His side with a spear, a fact you did not account for in your interesting explanation above. Surely that sword wound would have killed Jesus if He were not already dead.
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus got permission from Pilate to get the body of Jesus and give it a proper burial. Pilate granted the permission after he first made certain that Jesus had actually died.
There is no room in the account that would make possible for Joseph and Nicodemus to have somehow picked up the wrong body. They certainly did not bury someone who was still physically alive.
Explanatory theories have been given before to try to explain away what happened to Jesus but none of them fits the evidence of the historical record, and so all of them are proven unsatisfactory.
Another name withheld responder:
When the body of Jesus was pierced by the soldiers blood and water came out according to bible narration. The question is: ” can blood and water come out from an already dead body?”
First name withheld responder:
Sir Jerome Smith, I am not suggesting that Jesus did not die on the cross, I am showing you the clear evidence in your bible that Jesus did not die, even while on the cross. I have given you the evidence , and the evidence is the Vinegar which Jesus drank, I don’t know why you are trying to dodge the part of Vinegar.
It was after Jesus drank the poisonous vinegar that Jesus became unconscious. The four gospels did not know how to describe his situation after he consumed the vinegar :
Matt27:50 says: “AND JESUS CRIED AGAIN WITH A LOUD VOICE AND YIELDED UP HIS SPIRIT.”
Did you see how Matthew described what happened to Jesus??? After drinking the vinegar, he cried loud, it might be that the effect of the vinegar that made him cry loudly and yielded up his spirit. Matthew did not say, and he died.
Mark15:37 says : “AND JESUS UTTERED A LOUD CRY, AND BREATHED HIS LAST. “
Can you see sir, Mark said he breathed his last. This means he stopped breathing, Not that he died . I’ve said it earlier that, the intake of concentrated vinegar can slow or stop the heart from beating , that was what happened to Jesus, he stopped breathing , in other word, Jesus became unconscious. Not that he died. Sir, this is where i expect you to apply your logic .
Jesus stopped breathing because, he became unconscious. Unconscious means : “In A State Like Sleep Because of an injury Or Illness, And Not Able To Use Your Senses.”(Advanced Learner Dictionary).
From nailing of hands and feet to the drinking of vinegar, Mark has shown us clearly that Jesus was unconscious . Not dead.
Luke 23:46 says : “THEN JESUS CRYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAID: “FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT! “
AND HAVING SAID THIS, HE BREATHED HIS LAST .
Here, his cry was Father Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit . And Jesus stopped breathing. Not dead.
John 19:30 says: “WHEN JESUS HAD RECEIVED THE VINEGAR , HE SAID, “IT IS FINISHED”: AND HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT. “
as you can see sir, we learned from here that it was the effect of the vinegar that made Jesus lost consciousness . The writers of the Gospels, were careful not to say that Jesus died . Because they were not there . Especially the writers of the gospels of John, they stated it clearly that they did not witness the event themselves, they only wrote from the one who claimed to be the sworn witness -John 19:35. The writers were also in doubt.
When the soldiers came to check on those who were hanging on the three crosses, they broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten their deaths, because they were still Alive . But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs -John 19:31-33
From John19:33, we can see that it was the effect of the vinegar that made Jesus looked as if he had died.
The vinegar was a Miracle that saved Jesus leg from being broken.
Another evidence from John19:31-33 was that, the thieves were still Alive , that is to say, a three hour of crucifixion could not have killed Jesus. He did not die.
Another eye opener is John19:34.
It says : “BUT ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PIERCED HIS SIDE WITH SPEAR, AND AT ONCE, BLOOD AND WATER GUSHED OUT.”
Blood and water can only gush out from a person who is still much Alive, if Jesus had truly died, his blood would have been clotted .
Jesus was much Alive,
The spear did not touch his heart.
And when a person is unconscious, he looks like a dead person . Jesus only looked like a Dead person
GOD made it to appear like that to the soldiers.
Another evidence that clearly shows that Jesus could not have died on the cross within three hours Is the reaction of Pilate. Joseph of Arimathe’a went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate Wondered if Jesus were already dead….-Mark15:43-44.
Pilate knew that it was impossible for Jesus to have died within three hours , something must be wrong somewhere , Pilate did not believe, he had to send for the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead , he granted the body to Joseph -Mark16:44-45.
Let’s take notice of what the centurion said after Jesus breathed his last . In Mark 15:39, it says: “AND WHEN THE CENTURION, WHO STOOD FACING HIM, SAW THAT HE THUS BREATHED HIS LAST, HE SAID, ” TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD! “.
did you notice that statement? Why did the centurion say, “TRULY, THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD???
Could it not be that the centurion had pity for Jesus from the beginning???
The statement :”Truly, This Man Was The Son Of GOD “, simply means “GOD was Truly Behind The man”.
The Vinegar was the Miracle, and the centurion knew about the Vinegar, just to save him.
Remember how the centurion stood facing him, to make sure that he breathed his last -Mark 15:39. And when Jesus actually did, he became convinced that GOD was really with Jesus as Jesus escaped being killed, his leg was not broken as did to thieves.
Do you think the centurion who made such amazing remark would tell Pilate that Jesus was not dead yet, seeing people who were asking for his body??? The centurion would not do that.
In fact, GOD saved Jesus through the Vinegar and the centurion. Jesus escaped being killed.
If truly there was a prediction that says in the scripture that “His legs were not broken, that prediction would be referring to his escape from death.
Sir, Joseph knew that he did not pick the wrong body, neither did he pick a dead body. That ‘s why Nicodemus bought spices in which they wrapped his body with, where they laid him, the women also followed them to know the the tomb where Jesus was laid and how the body was laid, they returned, and prepared Spices and Ointments -Luke23:53-56.
The spices and ointments are meant for treating wounds, this shows that Jesus was not buried, he was laid in the tomb, and the tomb was a airy place.
On Sunday, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought Spices, so that they might go and anoint him-Mark16:1.
Sir if Jesus was actually dead, would there be necessary for the women to go to the tomb with Spices and Ointments???
Spices and Ointments will only be necessary to treat the wounds .
Treating the wounds of a dead person will only amount to wasted efforts.
They knew that Jesus was still Alive, that’s why they brought the Spices and Ointments to help him treat the wounds . But they were surprised that the body was not found on getting to the tomb .
Another proof that shows that Jesus was Alive is John20:11-16. After the disciples had left the tomb, Mary Magdalene remained there weeping because she couldn’t find Jesus in the tomb where he was laid , but while she was weeping, Jesus came to her and asked her who was she looking for, she couldn’t recognize Jesus, she thought she was seeing a gardener .
Sir, if Jesus actually died and resurrected, why was he still looking like a gardener???
Don’t forget that you said earlier that” Jesus Christ was miraculously resurrected bodily from the dead and lives forever in a glorified, imperishable, indestructible yet tangible body. “
So how come a resurrected Jesus was looking like a gardener???
And if Jesus truly resurrected, would there be any need for the stone to be rolled away from the tomb???
A resurrected body is spiritualised , therefore, a resurrected Jesus would not need a stone to be rolled away from the tomb before he gets out of it.
Sir Jerome Smith, you might not be satisfied with the clear evidences given here, but go through them over and over again, the Truth is clear from falsehood. There are so much more evidences from your own Bible that proves that Jesus did not die let alone being resurrected.
Waiting for your response on this before I continue.
My Response:
I have been away from this computer and especially Facebook for a day or so. Yesterday we had record warm temperatures in the midst of our winter here. I was able to walk just over two miles without extraordinary discomfort. You will recall that I had a bad slip and fall accident back on December 12, 2016 when I sprained my left ankle. I have been taking extra care to allow time for proper healing, and avoiding re-injury.
You have written some very good and most interesting responses above on this issue in the meantime. I was fascinated that you quoted from the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Because of my extensive studies in linguistics and grammar I have this dictionary in my personal library. It is close at hand, being on the bookshelf built into the desk where I sit to use my desktop computer. I also have the accompanying volume by A. S. Hornby, A Guide to Patterns and Usage in English, published by the Oxford University Press, first published in 1954. I have the tenth impression dated 1966. My dictionary is the second edition, 1963, the seventh impression, dated 1967. The definition you quote is longer than the one contained in my copy of Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, so you may have a later edition, or perhaps a different work with the same title. My dictionary is by A. S. Hornby, E. V. Gatenby, and H. Wakefield.
In an entry above you stated:
Sir Jerome Smith, Luke 16:22-31 has nothing to do with what happened to Jonah, it is talking about what will happen to the Righteous and the wicked after death.
My purpose in citing Luke 16 was to show that prayer does take place in Hades or Sheol. The persons Jesus spoke of as being in Hades had certainly died. I used that as evidence to show that since Jonah prayed while in Sheol according to Jonah 2:2, he had suffered physical death while in the great fish until God revived or resuscitated Jonah. I used the term “resuscitated” to signify that Jonah was brought back to physical life or mortal life (in this case a miracle performed by God), and so at some time future to that this restoration to mortal life ended with Jonah’s physical death, an event not recorded in the Bible.
Jesus cited the experience of Jonah as being in the great fish for three days and three nights (see Matthew 12:40) as the only sign or miracle that would be given as He answered the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees in their Messianic expectations were focused upon those prophecies in the Old Testament that speak of the glory and power of the Messiah. This should have demonstrated to the scribes and Pharisees that they focused on the wrong Messianic expectation chronologically speaking. They were unwilling to accept the body of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament which portrayed the Messiah as coming first to suffer and die for the sin or sins of all mankind, and upon experiencing physical death of His human mortal body, that the Messiah would be raised from the dead in an immortal body. This order of prophetic events is carefully preserved in an unmistakable manner in several Old Testament passages.
I will get back to answer more of your very fine questions and challenges as soon as I am able to do so again. I am resting today from the extensive walking I did yesterday in that unusual warm weather. I took advantage of the nice weather when it was available.