by Herbert W. Armstrong

IT IS revealed that Jesus was “Emmanuel” – that is, “God with us” – GOD in human flesh. He was both God and man – divine as well as human. Can God die? Was Jesus really dead, or did only His body die? Was Jesus the divine One alive during the three days and three nights a body was in the tomb? What, then, is the NEED of the resurrection? Here is a brief pointed answer.

This is a question that has perplexed millions. It is an enigma that has never been made clear and plain to many minds.

Yet the Scriptures give us a clear revelation, in plain, simple words – if we can believe the Scriptures – which is to believe they mean exactly what they say.

We read, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3).

Christ means “Anointed” or “Messiah,” and while the name Jesus may be used to denote the human man, the title Christ certainly refers to the divine One – the One who was God with us. This Scripture says He died and was buried. And it was He – the CHRIST – the divine One – who ROSE FROM THE DEAD. He did not rise from life or a living state, but from DEATH!

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Rom. 14:9, Authorized Version). There is the answer. Through His death and resurrection Christ became Lord of the dead as well as the living. He paid the penalty for our past sins. He made possible the way so that both the dead and those now living might have life eternal – not mere temporary existence, but life everlasting.

When Christ rose, He was revived. When a boxer is knocked unconscious, the attendants work over him to revive him. The expression that Christ was “revived” indicates Christ had been unconscious – that He was dead not that He rose from a state of conscious mental activity.

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…. while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8).

God in the flesh

Notice again: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”(John 1:1).

The Greek word is Logos. It means “Word” or “Spokesman.” This is referring to the One who co-existed with the Father from eternity – who always existed – who is one with the Father, yet, as He Himself said, His Father is greater than He.

Always He referred to Himself as One sent by the Father. He said that the words He spoke were not spoken of Himself, but the Father who sent Him gave Him a commandment what He should say and speak. The one who gives the orders and sends another is in a position superior to the one sent, and who obeys the orders. A husband is set by God in a position superior, in the family relationship, to that of the wife. Yet they are both human – both on the same level – and they are ONE. Not one God, but one flesh .

In God’s Church, or local congregation, an elder is in authority during a service that all things may be done decently and in order, and he has the rule over the congregation. Yet Christ prayed that the Church would be kept as ONE, even as He and the Father are one. The Church is composed of many members, yet ONE BODY. And its members, more than one, are to be kept ONE in the sense of harmony and unity in love and purpose, as Christ and the Father are one – and they form ONE CHURCH, even as the Father and Christ form ONE GOD – yet more than one member, or one person.

Christ the everliving

In the Old Testament the Logos is called by different names. God calls people and beings what they are.

There was an archangel, perfect in beauty, full of knowledge. He was named what he actually was – LUCIFER, which in English means “shining star of the dawn” or “lightbringer.” But when, through pride, he decided to compete against God for supremacy of the universe, and to take possession and rule from God, his name was changed to what he now was – SATAN, which in English means “adversary, rival or competitor.”

Therefore the names of Christ have always been – whether names or titles – words that describe what He is. Most frequently He was called Yahweh, erroneously translated in the American Standard Version “Jehovah.” In the Authorized Version it is rendered “LORD.”

Today we do not know either the correct spelling or pronunciation of this name – it was regarded as so sacred it was never pronounced in ancient Judah, any more than a son who properly honors his father would call him by his first name. Yet we know its MEANING – it means “the Eternal” or the One in whom is inherent LIFE. It signifies One who possesses life inherent from eternity to eternity – life-source! He also was called Yahveh-rophehcha“God your healer.” He gave His name to Moses as “I AM.” That is, the One who Is – who EXISTS – who has life inherent in Himself!

He also is the Word, or Spokesman. God is Creator – but the Father created all things by and through Christ the WORD.

He (Christ) is the One who “SPAKE, and it was done.” He is the One who said, “Let there be light” – and the Holy Spirit (the spiritual essence or power that emanates from both Father and Son) moving upon the face of the water performed the command, and “there was light.”

Yet Jesus spoke, or commanded, only what the Father had commanded Him. Father, Word and Holy Spirit combined in perfect harmony in creation!

Now, the Logos – the WORD – was God. “The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him … In him was LIFE … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:2-4, 14, AV).

Christ was CONVERTED into flesh

Notice, the “WORD,” who was the ETERNAL the EVERLIVING – in whom was LIFE eternal life – by whom all things were made and created the very GOD Himself – HE WAS MADE FLESH.

Notice, He did not merely enter into some mortal, fleshly body – the body of another. He was not separate from the flesh, as One inside the flesh. It says in plain language – IF we believe the Scripture – IF we believe it means what it says – it says He was made flesh!

That is, He who had existed from eternity – He by whom God created the worlds and all things therein, He who was and is LIFE, He who was GOD – He was made flesh - converted INTO flesh, until He became flesh, and then He WAS flesh!

And, being flesh – being human – He divested Himself of inherent immortality for the time being that He might die for us – pay the penalty of our sins in our stead.

But, though human, He did have, from birth, what we may receive as God’s GIFT by GRACE – the indwelling of God’s Spirit – that He, even as we, might be resurrected from the DEAD, and given by the Father immortal life that is, converted back into spiritual immortality so that He by the resurrection once again became divine spirit – or very GOD! Thus He made the same resurrection possible for us – that we may also become divine sons of God.

Yes, Jesus was a fleshly MAN.

He was God come in human flesh. And, when converted into human flesh, the LIFE that kept Him alive resided IN THE BLOOD, as in all who are flesh (Lev. 17:11). The breath oxidizes the blood and is called the “breath of life” – of animal, or human, life.

Jesus was also GOD – He was both human and divine. But He was not GOD inside of, yet separate from, the body of flesh – He, God, was MADE FLESH, until He, still GOD – God with us – became God IN (not inside of) the human flesh – God manifest IN THE FLESH (I Tim. 3:16) – “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” (Heb. 2:14, AV).

That is, as we humans are partakers of flesh and blood, Jesus Christ, also, in exactly the same manner, was partaker of flesh and blood.

And why? That He might DIE! – “that through death he might destroy [annul] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil … For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham… . made LIKE unto his brethren” (verses 14, 16-17, AV).

Jesus came NOT in the nature of angels – that is, spirit nature. He was a human being. He was MADE FLESH – made HUMAN – He took on, at birth, HUMAN NATURE. He was tempted in all points like we are. He suffered as we do. He was forced to resist the pull of human nature, even as you and I. He, God, BECAME MAN – man so that He COULD DIE for us, that our sins might be erased and forgiven!

It was CHRIST who died

Jesus DIED! Jesus WAS DEAD!

And for three days and three nights the second person of the Godhead – EMMANUEL – GOD with us – God made human flesh – was DEAD!

And dead matter cannot impart life. Life can come only FROM life. As a human, Jesus was the Son of God the Father. God was His only Father. Mary was His mother. He became the SON OF man at His human birth. And now He was DEAD – yes, DEAD! If He was not DEAD, then the penalty of your sins is not yet paid. You are yet in your sins. You are without hope! But Jesus was DEAD!

If there were no other person in the Godhead, then the giver of all life was dead and all hope was at an end! If there were no FATHER in heaven while Jesus Christ lay dead – His blood, in which resided His LIFE, shed from His veins, given for you and for me – then all human life everywhere had come to its doom.

But the Father still reigned in high heaven! And the FATHER had LIFE INHERENT IN HIMSELF!

Life can only come from life! And Christ Jesus was now DEAD! His life had gone from Him – poured out on Calvary’s cross – poured out from His veins! That’s where His life resided – in His BLOOD, not in spirit! He did not shed a spirit to save us from our sins; He shed His BLOOD, and in so doing GAVE His LIFE.

But, “as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). God the Father raised Jesus from the dead!

Not resurrected in same body

Now notice carefully: God the Father did not cause Jesus Christ to get back into the body that had died. Some seem to believe that it was only the body that died – that Jesus Christ never died – that Christ was alive, and preached to “spirits in prison” during the three days and nights His BODY was dead. What they believe is that a BODY Christ lived in died, but CHRIST HIMSELF never died. Christ was God and, they argue, God could not die!

They do not realize that Christ had given up His immortal life inherent in divine glory and been converted into human mortality for the purpose of DEATH.

If they are right, they are lost and doomed to eternal punishment! If Christ did not die for their sins – if it was only a mortal body that died – then we have no Savior, and are LOST.

What happened is that the Logos – the WORD – the Eternal – was MADE FLESH. He was converted into, CHANGED INTO, flesh. Now He was FLESH AND BLOOD, exactly as you and I.

His life was in His blood, and He gave His LIFE by the fact His blood poured out while He was on the cross! He had taken on a HUMAN nature. He was God – but now God changed INTO flesh and blood – God WITH US – Emmanuel!

Yes, the Word was MADE FLESH, and He WAS flesh and blood, not just an immortal spirit IN a body of flesh and blood.

We may argue that God is immortal and could not die. But the Scriptures reveal that God so LOVED us that while we were yet sinners, the Eternal, the Logos, who was with God and who was God in the second person, permitted Himself voluntarily to be CHANGED INTO a flesh-and-blood MAN, until He BECAME a human who could and did DIE. But God the Father – God in the first person – still reigned in high heaven, and HE RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, not from life.

It was CHRIST HIMSELF who was DEAD. He was REVIVED. Nowhere does the Scripture say He was alive and active, or that God had Him get back into the human BODY that had died and was now resurrected.

Jesus Christ was DEAD. He was as much “out” as a boxer knocked senseless – much more, for the boxer usually is not dead but only unconscious. Jesus was DEAD – but was REVIVED!

And the resurrected body was no longer human – it was the Christ resurrected IMMORTAL, once again CHANGED! As He had been changed, converted INTO mortal, human flesh and blood, subject to death, and for the PURPOSE of DYING FOR OUR SINS; now by a RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, HE WAS AGAIN CHANGED, CONVERTED, INTO IMMORTALITY – and He is alive forevermore! Now a LIVING Savior, not a DEAD Savior. He was dead – but only for three days and three nights.

Now, how about YOU?

Do you realize WHAT a tremendous price was paid that you might be released from the death penalty of YOUR SINS? The very Eternal – the Spokesman of the Godhead, and very God Himself – permitted Himself to be changed into a mortal human – stepped down, descended to the human plane, suffered, was tempted, persecuted, despised, rejected of men, crucified!

If Jesus had been only human, His death could have paid the penalty for but one other human being who had incurred that penalty by transgression of God’s spiritual law (Rom. 6:23). Since God the Father created all things by Jesus Christ (Col. 1:16), and since all things, including man, were made by Jesus Christ, He is our Maker and therefore God, and His life that He gave was of greater value than the total of all human beings (John 1:1-3).

He died and for three days and nights WAS DEAD! He who was IN THE BEGINNING, and WAS GOD! He stooped to human level, submitted to DEATH trusted the Father to restore Him to life! That is the PRICE paid for you and for me. He GAVE Himself for you – and in so doing bought and paid for you! And therefore you BELONG TO HIM! Will you GIVE YOURSELF to Him?

That is the only way of salvation – the only way this GREATEST PRICE EVER PAID IN THE UNIVERSE FROM ETERNITY can save you, great as it was.

YOU must GIVE YOURSELF up! GIVE yourself TO HIM! Give Him your life – yourSELF. Let HIM come into your mind and heart, through His Spirit, and live His LIFE IN YOU!

It means full, complete, utter, unconditional SURRENDER. YOU are no longer your own, you are His. Give your life to Him, and see what great usefulness and accomplishment He will put it to! See what great joys will be yours as a result of the great GOOD He can and will do through you – IF you are His, wholly IN His POWER, wholly subjected to His WILL! Yes, Jesus Christ died and was dead! But God the Father RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. HE LIVES FOREVERMORE!

You are already dead in trespasses and sins unless, or until, you REPENT of sins, surrender to God, GIVE YOURSELF to the LIVING SAVIOR who died for you, but was RAISED to become your High Priest and coming King! We have to DIE in order to LIVE. Give YOURSELF to Christ, and He will give you ETERNAL LIFE!

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this LIFE is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:11-12)!