Actually it makes us christians, the ones who actually believe or have faith that Jesus sacrificed his physical human body, that he sacrificed his life as a human person. This means Jesus gave up his physical human body he gave up his life as a human person. Jesus sacrificed his human body, or his life as a human person, Jesus gave up (sacrficed) his physical human body his life as a human person. If Jesus took back his physical human body, if he was resurrected as a human person again, then Jesus didn't give up his physical human body, he didn't sacrifice his life as a human person.
Please allow me to lay out my case that true Christian belief is that Jesus was raised physically. That is Paul's whole point in 1 Cor 15:
1Co 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
1Co 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of
first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:4
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:5 and that
he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1Co 15:6 Then
he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born,
he appeared also to me.
What is Paul talking about here? He is repeating what has already been stated in the gospel accounts:
Mat 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
Mat 28:6
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Mat 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that
he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
...
Mat 28:11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.
Mat 28:12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers
Mat 28:13 and said, “
Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
Mar 16:4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.
Mar 16:5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
Mar 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed.
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
Mar 16:7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Luk 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
Luk 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
Luk 24:3 but
when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luk 24:4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
Luk 24:5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “
Why do you seek the living among the dead?
Luk 24:6
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
Luk 24:7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified
and on the third day rise.”
...
Luk 24:12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and
looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
...
Luk 24:38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Luk 24:40 And when he had said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
Luk 24:41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
Luk 24:42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
Luk 24:43 and
he took it and ate before them.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Joh 2:20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
Joh 2:21
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Joh 2:22
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Joh 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Joh 20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “
They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
Joh 20:3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
Joh 20:4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
Joh 20:5 And stooping to look in,
he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
Joh 20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.
He saw the linen cloths lying there,
Joh 20:7
and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
Joh 20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
Joh 20:9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture,
that he must rise from the dead.
...
Joh 20:13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “
They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Joh 20:14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Joh 20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “
Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
...
Joh 20:25 So the other disciples told him, “
We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “
Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Joh 20:26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Joh 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “
Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
The above passages make it abundantly clear that Jesus's body was raised from the dead--
it was nowhere to be found, despite the linens remaining in the tomb. Jesus had the marks of the nails in his hands and the hole in his side. He even says he has "flesh and bones." John 2:21 tells us clearly that Jesus even said he was going to raise his body after three days.
There is simply
no way one can claim to have read and understood the NT and come to believe that Jesus wasn't raised physically, only spiritually in a "spirit body." Why is it so important to believe that Jesus was physically raised again (yes, in a glorified body; a "spiritualized," physical body)?
1Co 15:12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
1Co 15:14 And
if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1Co 15:15
We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
1Co 15:17 And
if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then
those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1Co 15:19
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1Co 15:20 But
in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1Co 15:21 For as by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But each in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
(All ESV.)
Jesus very clearly physically died and physically rose again--
that was the whole point of his coming. If a person or sect does not believe that Jesus was physically raised, then, based on 1 Cor 15:12-23, they cannot be Christian.
