Were Jesus’ resurrection appearances physical or mere visions? PROBLEM: Jesus spoke of His resurrection body having “flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39). He ate physical food (v. 42) and was touched by human hands (Matthew 28:9). But Luke calls it a “vision” in this passage, which implies that it was not... [ Continue Reading ]
A— Did Jesus dematerialize when He suddenly disappeared from the disciples after an appearance? PROBLEM: Jesus could not only suddenly appear after His resurrection (cf. John 20:19), but He could also instantly disappear. Is this evidence, as some critics claim, that Jesus dematerialized on these o... [ Continue Reading ]
Was Jesus invisible to mortal eyes before and after He appeared? PROBLEM: The phrase “He appeared” means “He made Himself visible” to them (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Jesus also disappeared (Luke 24:31). Some take this to mean that Jesus was not essentially material, but simply materialized when He... [ Continue Reading ]
Was the OT divided by the Jews of Jesus’ day into two or three parts? PROBLEM: The Jewish Bible is divided into three sections—the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Many believe that Jesus is alluding to this threefold division in the phrase “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.” Ho... [ Continue Reading ]
Why did the disciples go to Galilee when Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem? PROBLEM: According to Luke, the apostles were told to “tarry in the city of Jerusalem” until Pentecost. But Matthew tells us that they went into Galilee (Matthew 28:10; Matthew 28:16). SOLUTION: First, it is possib... [ Continue Reading ]
Did Jesus ascend from Bethany or from the Mountain of Olives near Jerusalem? PROBLEM: Luke says Jesus ascended from Bethany (Luke 24:50), but Acts 1:9-11 affirms that He ascended from the Mt. of Olives near Jerusalem. SOLUTION: Bethany was on the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives, which is just e... [ Continue Reading ]