Because He Lives

Why Do Christians Worship On the First Day of the Week?

What Is Jesus Resurrected Body Like?
Was Jesus the Only Christ?
What will Our Resurrected Bodies be Like?

The following is an excerpt from the book, “Bible Prophecy, Bible Versions,
Spiritual Formation,” by author / speaker Jocelyn Andersen. Her radio
commentaries can be heard on Sharecropper Christian Radio
www.ShareCropperRadio.com Her latest book, Woman Submit! Christians
and Domestic Violence, is available where ever books are sold. She invites
you to Visit www.WomanSubmit.com for details. Her book, Bible Prophecy,
Bible Versions, Spiritual Formation, is available FREE for Download at
www.Lulu.com/JocelynAndersen Visit www.HungryHeartsMinistries.com
for information concerning all her books.

He Is Risen
Why Do Christians Worship On the First
Day of the Week?
The feast of First Fruits accurately foretold the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast always takes
place on the first day of the week, and the scriptures
reveal the very first Christians immediately began to
honor the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day.
That is the day they met for worship (Acts 20.7, 1
Corinthians 16.1-2, Revelation 1.10).

First fruits is the first of three harvest feasts (Leviticus

23.10-11).

Early in the harvest season the people took a small

handful of wheat or grain and gave it to the priest to
offer as a wave offering before the Lord. This was a
faith offering given in anticipation of the larger
harvest expected to come later. This feast was called
First Fruits (Leviticus 23.10).
We saw in the feast of Passover, the physical death
of Jesus Christ. This was absolutely necessary.
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission
of sins (Leviticus 17.11, Hebrews 9.22).

We saw in the feast of Unleavened Bread the

putting away of the Law of Moses. This was
absolutely necessary. Grace was not possible under
the law. The law had to go (Galatians 5.4).

That little handful of grain, waved before the Lord

at the feast of First Fruits, represented much more
than grain. It represented Jesus Christ rising from
the dead—physically. This was absolutely
necessary. Without the physical resurrection of
Christ, we have no hope of a physical resurrection
for ourselves (1 Corinthians 15.13-14, 1 John 3.2).

And the anticipated harvest represented much more

than grain as well. It represented souls—saved
souls, many souls from down through the ages,
being reunited with their bodies at the Resurrection
of Life (John 5.29, 1 Corinthians 15.20).

What Is Jesus Resurrected Body Like?

Jesus was but the first of many to rise from the dead
in a glorified physical body (Acts 26:23, Roman 8:29).

Question: Why was it necessary for Christ’s body to

rise from the grave? Do the scriptures really teach a
literal physical resurrection of the man Christ Jesus
rather than simply a spiritual one?
Answer: 2 John 7 says this -- “For many deceivers are
entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ
is come(ing) in the flesh. This is the deceiver and an
antichrist.”

2 John: 7 is written in the future tense, and the

scriptures are clear that Jesus Christ cannot return
in the flesh unless he first rose in the flesh.

The entire 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with

only one subject—the fact that unless Christ rose
physically from the dead, we cannot possibly hope
to.

In light of that fact, was it absolutely necessary for

Christ’s body to be raised? Job said, “And though
after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh I shall see God (Job 19.26).”

The scriptures speak of believers who will never

experience death, but the bodies they already have
will be changed.

Without dying, in a moment of time, they will be

changed from mortal beings, capable of dying
physically, to immortal beings that will never die
again. Their mortal bodies, cursed to death because
of Adam’s sin, will instantly become glorious
bodies free from the curse of sin and death (1
Corinthians 15.51-53, 1 Thessalonians 4.16-17).

Jesus said, in John 2.19-22, that his body would die, but
three days later that same body would live again. In
fact, that was the proof he gave of his authority to
be doing and teaching the things he did concerning
eternal life and the Kingdom of God (John 2.18).
In order for us to obtain a physical resurrection
from the dead, it was absolutely necessary for
Christ to rise physically first.

When Jesus appeared in his resurrected body,

everyone was alarmed. They thought they were
seeing a spirit. Jesus’ response to this was to assure
them it was he, himself. He pointed out that a spirit
would not have flesh and bone like he did (Luke 24.36-
40).

is very revealing as to the nature of his

Acts 2.30-32
resurrected body. It reveals that Christ’s flesh saw
no corruption. It reveals that, genetically, he died a
physical descendant of David, and when he rose—
he was still, genetically, a physical descendant of
David. When Jesus Christ returns to this earth
again, and sits on the throne of David—it will be as
a physical descendant of David. And this is due to
his physical resurrection from the dead. Verse 30 is
very specific on this—according to the flesh, he
(God) would raise up Christ to sit on his (David’s)
throne.

makes very clear that anyone who denies that

2 John 7
the man, Christ Jesus, is returning in the flesh, is a
deceiver and an antichrist.

goes into even more detail in identifying

1 John 4.3-4
the spirit of antichrist. Verse 4 clearly states that
anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is come is not
of God.

The imperfect tense [in Greek] (which is

synonymous with the perfect tense in English),
which verse 4 is written in, is not merely a simple
present tense. The imperfect tense indicates ongoing
action—permanence.

Because of the tense it is written in, this verse

makes very clear the fact that Jesus not only came,
but when he arrived, he was already the Christ. It is
very important to understand this fact as there are
many who teach Jesus was not the only Christ.
Jesus himself warned that many false Christ’s
would come. Fortunately the scriptures give a
foolproof method of weeding out the true Christ
from a plethora of false Christs.

Jesus did not become the Christ as some claim. He

was born the Christ. The phrase “is come,” being
framed in the imperfect tense, tells us there was
never a time when Jesus was not the Christ, and
there never will be a time when he will not be the
Christ. Jesus was and is the only Christ. He entered
this world as the only Christ, and he presently is and
always will be the only Christ.

Jesus, the only Christ, was born in the flesh, died in

the flesh, rose in the flesh, ascended in the flesh,
lives continually (remains perpetually) in the flesh,
and will return in the flesh (Luke 2.11, 1 John 4.3-4, 2 John 7).

As the scriptures say, ‘there is only one mediator

between God and man—the man Christ Jesus (1
Timothy 2.5).’ This verse tells us that Jesus not only
presently exists as the Christ (not “a” Christ as
some falsely teach), but he also presently exists as a
man. Both his Christhood and his incarnation as a
human being are irrevocable, ongoing, permanent
conditions. 1 John 4.3-4 makes that abundantly clear,
and 2 John 7 backs it up.
If anyone teaches eternal life is possible without the
physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, they have no
scriptural authority to be doing so. They are
preaching another Jesus and an unauthorized
gospel. The real Jesus said his authority would be
based upon the fact of his physical resurrection (2
Corinthians 11.3-4, Galatians 1.8, John 2.19-22).

What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be

Like?
1 John 3.2 should effectively answer any questions we
may have concerning what our resurrected bodies
will be like. When we are raised from the dead, in
incorruptible bodies, our bodies will be exactly like
Christ’s—for the scriptures say we shall be like him
(1 John 3.2).

When Thomas saw Jesus after his resurrection, he

still had the wounds from his crucifixion. Jesus’
body could have been raised without scars or any
other blemish. But it is the opinion of this writer,
that he kept his scars as reminders, through-out
eternity, of his boundless love for us, and as proof
of his life, death, resurrection and permanent
existence as the man Christ Jesus (John 20.25-27, 1 Timothy
2.5).

Chapter Review:

• According to 2 John 7, who is the deceiver and

antichrist?
 • According to Luke 2.11 was Jesus born the
Christ or did he become the Christ at some
later date?
• In what condition will Job see God after the
worms destroy his body (Job 19.26)?

Are you reading your Bible daily, always picking up today

where you left off yesterday? If not, the book of John is a
good place to start. A King James Bible with no chapter
headings or footnotes is recommended.

This has been an excerpt from the book, “Bible Prophecy, Bible Versions,
Spiritual Formation,” by author / speaker Jocelyn Andersen. Her radio
commentaries can be heard on Sharecropper Christian Radio
www.ShareCropperRadio.com Her latest book, Woman Submit! Christians
and Domestic Violence, is available where ever books are sold. She invites
you to Visit www.WomanSubmit.com for details. Her book, Bible Prophecy,
Bible Versions, Spiritual Formation, is available FREE for Download at
www.Lulu.com/JocelynAndersen Visit www.HungryHeartsMinistries.com
for information concerning all her books.

Jesus said by our words, we will be justified, or by

our words, we will be condemned. That is a
frightening thought for most of us. During the
course of a lifetime we speak many words, and we
do not always choose our words wisely.

The wisest choice of words we can ever make is to

confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is the risen
Son of God. If we come to God on those terms, with
a truly repentant heart, we are promised eternal life.
A broken and contrite heart, he will not despise.

Here is what it all boils down to. Our God is

merciful and loving. He does not unnecessarily
complicate things. We read in Romans 10. 9, 10,
and 13, that if we confess with our mouth, words,
that Jesus is the Son of God, and believe in our
hearts that God raised him from the dead, and call
on God to save us according to those terms,
We,
Will,
Be,
Saved.

Is it well with your soul?