The Watch Tower Society teaches that when Jesus died he went out of existence. It required Jehovah God to raise him because he was only in God’s memory: ‘ Resurrection involves a reactivating of the life patter n of the individual, which life pattern God has retained in his memory.’ Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p.333 They also say Jesus was resurrected as a spirit, having no physical body. He simply materialised bodies to suit the occasion: ‘ It is true that Jesus appeared in physical form to his disciples after his resurrection. But on certain occasions, why did they not at first recognise him?...Jesus evidently materialised bodies on these occasions, as angels had done in the past when appearing to humans. Disposing of Jesus’ physical body at the time of his resurrection presented no problem for God. Interestingly, although the physical body was not left by God in the tomb (evidently to strengthen the conviction of the disciples that Jesus had actually been raised), th
Russell M Ballard Speaking in Toronto If you were asked to identify ‘the most remarkable event in history’ you would, as a Christian, be spoiled for choice. I know the obvious answer is the events on Golgotha, the cross and the atoning sacrifice of Christ, but there are some pretty close run second place events in Christian history. What about the incarnation itself, God taking on human form and, as John so eloquently puts it: ‘ The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled, pitched his tent) among us and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ John 1:14 Then again , that this Word become flesh went about healing the sick, raising the dead, and more remarkable still, forgiving sins – full of grace and truth indeed – must be up there. The unveiling of his glory atop mount Hermon, to which John alludes – ‘we have seen his glory’ – is a truly remarkable event. The Son of God, his glory veiled in flesh, revealing his true nature a