Jesus Christ Conquered Death

Throughout the world, philosophers and holy men have thought about how mankind can be released from the impermanence of human life and find eternity and true meaning in life. Here is the record of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and many brothers' and sisters' personal experience of the unusual manifestation of life in Christ. The Apostle Paul declares that Jesus Christ conquered death and rose from his grave:

For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living... and last of all he appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

The life from God was demonstrated with power by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It was predicted by the prophets (Isaiah 53:5-7) and testified by his first disciples, and their testimonies are recorded in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.

The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the World

The anointed king Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to us as a mortal man, i.e. as Jesus of Israel, to reveal God's eternal purpose for us as human beings, which is to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. We are created in the image of God to have fellowship with God our Creator. For it is written that those God knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son's image, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:28-29). The Apostle Paul teaches:

He is the image of the invisible God . . . the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:15a & 18-20).

Although Jesus Christ is God, he had to come to us as a true mortal man, so that he could suffer an undeserved death on the cross for all mortal men. The spilled blood refers to his unspoiled life, which Jesus sacrificed for us, who are both sinful and mortal. The Christ came as a true human being to dissolve all enmity by his suffering and death, and consequently to renew the friendship between God and man. The world lives in hostility towards the true God, and people gets involved in many kinds of idolatry in sharp competition with each other. But for whoever believes, Jesus Christ abolished the hostility and brought new friendship with God and peace with each other. He endured the ultimate punishment on the cross for the offenses of all men, and in so doing, he broke the destructive momentum of this world towards the inevitable death of all. The resurrected Christ is therefore not only the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15b), but by virtue the main heir of all things in the coming kingdom of God. With him as head begins a complete new mankind.

Jesus Christ is Omniscient

Many have insisted that Jesus Christ as a young man traveled to India to be trained in the eastern religious traditions. But such stories are the product of imaginative minds. There exists absolutely no evidence for this conception from any known reliable historical sources. But didn't Jesus know about Buddha? Yes, I believe he did. For such knowledge must have been essential for that his mission to all the peoples could succeed. But it is not as the man Jesus of Israel, but as the Son of God with his divine omniscience. In the Holy Scriptures there is a special narrative, which indicates that Christ already saw Buddha sitting under the Bod tree. The similarity of the Biblical narrative and Buddha's experience of enlightenment is indeed striking. The Apostle John narrates:

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." (John 1:43-50).

It is important to notice what this story tells about Nathanael, and what Jesus said to him. Firstly, Nathanael was meditating under a fig tree. It is surprising, because the Bod tree, which Buddha was meditating under, also is a kind of fig tree. Nathanael was just like Buddha concerned about the big religious questions. He was meditating about the promises in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible, particularly the Law of Moses from about 1.600 BC. It can be understood from the statement of Philip about Jesus as the expected new Moses. Philip knew exactly, what was going on in the mind of his friend Nathanael.

At first Nathanael was surprised about the poor origin of Jesus from the countryside. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael asked. In the same way could the Europeans, who first received Christ, have asked: "Could anything good come from the East?" If one lives in Asia today, it is possible to ask: "Could anything good come from the West?" But God chose to let himself be known, not through the most powerful nations in the world, namely Europe and United States in the West, or through the most populous nations, namely India and China in the East. He revealed himself through a little and unimportant people, namely Israel, which is located at the center of the earth.

Jesus said about Nathanael that he was an Israelite, in whom there was nothing false. It is a man, who is totally truthful, and in whom there is no kind of falseness. It is something special for Jesus to say about an Israelite. For the ancestor of Israel by name Jacob, who later was renamed Israel, was characterized by his deception against his brother, whom he treated from his birthright as the firstborn. I am certain that Buddha also was a truthful man. He did not listen to the yogis in the wilderness, who strived to become god, or to the Brahmins, who believed that they could manipulate the gods with their sacrifices. He also rejected the foolish Indian idols, because he held that that they could not help a man to gain holiness. Finally, he taught people to live together with respect for each other. Yes, he was indeed a man, who abhorred all falseness.

Jesus surprisingly knew the character of Nathanael in advance, and he told him that he already saw him sitting and meditating under the figtree. There might be a parallel to the foreknowledge of Jesus of the thoughts of Nathanael. Jesus already knew the questions Buddha had pondered about under his tree, namely the supernatural knowledge of the course of life of others. Nathanael recognized in fact the divine omniscience in Jesus of Nazareth and spoke out, that he must be the Son of God and the Messiah, i.e. the Christ. It is him and his coming, which Buddha later heard rumors about from the West, and as he just before he passed away pointed out as his rightful successor.

The disciples of Jesus knew his omniscient knowledge about man. For they testified about him, that he didn't need anybody to tell him about people, for he knew himself, what is hidden in man (John 2:25). However, they were bound to see even greater things from the hand of their Lord and master. About this much more is written in the four Gospels of the New Testament.

The Coolness of Jesus Christ

Although the Christian Church often has been perceived as something Western in the East, Jesus Christ has always been noticed with some respect from the people of Eastern religions. What is it about Jesus that speaks for such esteem? A Buddhist perspective of Jesus Christ might somehow explain the case. One of the highest spiritual ideals of Buddhism is to be cooled from the three fevers of 'ignorance', 'desire' and 'anger'. Ignorance is particularly used to characterize the illusionary perception of being a self.

Since Christ, however, is without flaws and faults, the Buddhist term 'cooled' cannot be used about him. Being cooled indicates being in the process of spiritual evolution, i.e. aspiration towards higher levels of perfection. It is not so with Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ was already from birth as the Son of God free from all fever. But he came to earth to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Therefore, what can be found in the Holy Scriptures are demonstrations of supreme coolness from the tree fevers in the life of Jesus Christ.

Freedom from desire

Let us begin to see how Jesus Christ in his life demonstrated freedom from the fever of desire. Jesus started his ministry after the Holy Spirit had fallen upon him in water baptism. But 40 days and nights of fasting in the desert followed this event. When Jesus finally was hungry the Devil came to tempt him. First, he said: "If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread" (Matthew 4:3). Although food is needed, it is indeed possible to crave for food. Everybody knows the daily desire of the body for food. And although it is true that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in God's power, he did not give in to the tempter to gain personal satisfaction. He mastered perfect self-control over the cravings of the body.

Next, the Devil suggested him to make a miraculous sign by jumping down from the highest point of the Jerusalem temple to gain a special reputation (Matthew 4:5). The desire for fame is indeed the temptation of many men. But Jesus proved himself to be cool towards the desire for fame.

Finally, the tempter showed him the splendor of all the kingdoms of the world and offered it to him, if he just would fall down and worship him. But Jesus proclaimed that he would worship God alone (Matthew 4:8-10). According to the Holy Scriptures all things are created for him (Colossians 1:16), but through rejecting the proposal of the Devil Jesus rejected all false lust for the world and its pleasures and materialistic things. Thereby Jesus had demonstrated full freedom from craving for food and drink, desire for fame and false lust for the world and its pleasures and material things. In this way Jesus Christ demonstrated his complete freedom from the fever of desire.

Freedom from self

Let us next see how Jesus Christ in his life demonstrated freedom from the fever of ignorance. Jesus knew from the beginning everything that would happen to him in the end. He knew that he was going to be tortured, mocked and crucified. Now everybody fears pain and suffering. Just before these things was going to happen to Jesus Christ, he was praying in anguish to God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked to avoid the sufferings of the Cross so intensely that his sweat fell like drops of blood on the ground (Luke 21:44). Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him, but they fell asleep. He was alone with his fear. So great was his anguish that he asked the Father three times that this cup of suffering would pass him by. Fear of pain makes every man cling to self. Everybody has experienced how all concentration is focused upon one spot of pain. But Jesus did not give in to his self. He prayed to the Father: "Not my will but yours be done" (Luke 21:42). By obedience to the Father, Jesus Christ demonstrated freedom from clinging to his self. Thus Jesus Christ indeed demonstrated full freedom from the Buddhist fever of ignorance.

Freedom from anger

Let us finally look at how Jesus Christ in his life demonstrated freedom from the fever of anger. Everybody knows how it feels to be hurting and how it brings out angry feelings. But Jesus Christ even expressed perfect self-control, when he as a criminal was put on a cross with nails hammered through his hands and feet. It even happened after having been whipped. But anyway he said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). He did not react to injustice with hatred towards his enemies. Even the executing Roman officer admitted his innocence after his suffering and death and said: "Surely this was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47).

But the virtue of coolness does not mean being cold towards others. In stead of being filled with angry feelings Jesus Christ showed great compassion towards the repenting criminal on a cross next to him. He promised that he should be with him in paradise that very day (Luke 23:42-43). But towards a mocking criminal on his other side, he did not even lift his voice in negative reaction. This act of freedom from anger and hatred proved exactly the point of his death on the cross. On behalf of his Father he abandoned all righteous anger against mankind and died innocently to pay for the forgiveness of all sin.

Now anger and forgiveness are related topics, for appropriate anger is normally the result of being hurt by sin and evil. Hurts not forgiven turns into bitterness and even hatred in the heart of man. But forgiveness and the offer of reconciliation is non-anger. And exactly in this aspect Jesus showed a greater self-control than any other man or woman on earth in having to die an unjust, painful death on the cross without retaliation. He fully displayed the compassionate goodness of God towards all sinful men and women. For God is indeed "compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished" (Exodus 34:6-7). So it is exactly to let his anger go that God had to send his Son Jesus Christ to fulfill all righteousness and to die a substitutionary death for of all mankind, so that human sin will not be unpunished. Thus Jesus Christ indeed demonstrated the true heart of God the Father through the demonstration of his full freedom from the fever of anger and hatred. Through the death of Jesus Christ there is indeed full forgiveness for any sin and the promise of eternal life in Heaven.

The Person and Character of Jesus Christ

Is Heaven then the goal of the Christian life. Yes, however the Holy Scriptures of the Bible also teaches that the aspiration of a true disciple not is limited to the wish to go to Heaven, but to enter the stream of the Holy Spirit and realize one's life getting transformed into still greater Christ-likeness throughout life. The Apostle Paul declares that it is his primary purpose among all the fellowships in Christ to present each one perfect in Christ (Colossians 1:28). For that reason it is good to know about the person Jesus Christ.

The incarnation of Christ

Jesus Christ is described in a variety of ways in the Holy Scriptures. But let us begin focusing upon the human incarnate Christ as explained by the Apostle Paul:

Jesus Christ, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8).

Does this text in fact teach that Christ was born as a true man? For it is striking that Christ only is described in the text as "being made in human likeness" and that he was "found in the appearance as a man". It is known that the Gnostics of the first and second century after Christ actually denied the true humanity of Christ. They held that Christ only seemed to have a body, a heretic view called Docetism. This is not at least an important issue in a Buddhist context. For it is quite possible to understand Gnosticism as a reflection of Mahayana Buddhism as it developed in the contemporary India. Just like the historical Buddha by the Mahayanists was reduced to a phantom body by the spiritual master's own teaching of no-self (according to the doctrine of anatta), so the reality of the humanity of Christ was questioned in the second century European Church. The Mahayana Buddhists' argument sounds: If there is no self, what is Siddharta Gautama except a sound. The historical Buddha is not so very important. It is the impersonal Buddha principle manifest in him, which really matters for Mahayana Buddhists. But if Jesus Christ did not get born as a man, how could he possibly die to pay for our sins. His painful death was real, not a show-off.

The humanity and divinity of Christ

The Christian Gnostics however argued from the Holy Scriptures. The present text actually explains Christ as different from man. However, the reason is not that Jesus Christ not was a true man. The reason is rather that Jesus Christ - as the unique Son of God - is uncreated and eternally unborn according to his divine nature. Jesus Christ is the Holy One, our true God having become man, which distinguishes him from all other humans, who are created beings. Therefore, there is a good reason to present Jesus Christ as somehow different from us human beings. In the incarnation a human nature was added to his eternal divine nature. Thus the incarnate Christ fully identified with mankind from above. His appearance was not the successful attempt of the human Jesus to identify with an impersonal Christ-principle. The issue is God's identification with mankind in the person Jesus Christ, never any man's identification with God in Heaven above, who is a distinct other person.

The humbleness of Christ

According to the teaching of the Apostle Paul above, the Holy One of God decided to empty himself of his glory and to become born as a man. However, in emptying himself, he did not give up his divine identity. For how could our God become born as a mere man without some sameness of substance? There would be nothing to connect the son of man to his former glorious position as the Son of God. Did Jesus Christ then know, who he was? Yes, for he said: "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea, where I come from, or where I am going" (John 8:14-15).

However, for the Holy One to become a man, it could not have happened without his eternal divine nature being veiled. Obviously, some divine attributes like omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience and immortality could never be concordant with a human body. Therefore, to fully appear like a man Jesus Christ certainly had to give up the outward glory of his divinity. But he did not only empty himself of his powers. Without giving up being God, he submitted humbly to human conditions. To experience the conditions of human life he gave up all independent exercise of the divine powers, even in the completion of his powerful ministry to his people Israel. In all he did he was fully dependent upon the will of his Father in heaven. Jesus said that he could do nothing by himself (John 5:19). Therefore, he was also far from being a spiritual chauvinist with a primitive desire to show off his powers. At a definite time in history the divine Christ was born into the world as a mortal man. As such Jesus Christ tasted the bitterness of pain and death in perfect obedience to God his Father.

The holiness of Christ

Because of his great compassion Jesus Christ came to pay with his life as a sacrifice for the misdeeds of the whole mankind (Romans 5:6-8). Normally misdeeds will have to fall back upon the one, who actually committed the sin of the mind, the body or the tongue. But it is not so with Christ. For it is written that "he committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:22-23). Christ is the perfect Son of God without fault or blemish. How else could he as the lamb of God become the final and last sacrifice for human sins. For the Law of Moses required that each animal, which had to be sacrificed to God, had to be without fault and blemish. His undeserved death on the cross happened for our sins sake, so that we could be freed from an unbreakable bondage in this world. It is just because of his perfection that he could become a substitutionary sacrifice for us. For how could a defiled sacrifice ever atone for anything? So the Holy One of God humbled himself to become a man and to suffer and to die for our misdeeds sake, not to pay for any debt of his own. Our sins were transferred to him and put on his perfect holy life, which he gave up voluntarily for our sake. By saying that he gave his blood means that he paid the price with his human life (1 Peter 1:18-19). He never got soiled and changed into sin and evil. But through his bodily sufferings on the cross he carried our burdens with him into death, so that we can experience forgiveness through Him and be restored from human degradation.

The glory of Christ

As a true man Jesus Christ was able to die, but the divine life in him conquered death. Jesus Christ died on a cross and was put in a tomb. But the same Jesus, who died, also rose bodily from the dead to certify that the law of impermanence had no power over him. It demonstrated that even his human nature not was subject to impermanence and that an indestructible life has become manifest in him. For the Holy One of God is the unique source of all life. Jesus Christ had the royal power to come as a worldly conqueror, but he chose to come in humility to establish his kingdom. Therefore, because Jesus Christ became more humble than any other man on earth, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above all names (Philippians 2:8-11). Although this place already belonged to him as the natural heir of all things, Jesus Christ by deeds deserves the honor he now has in Heaven. For that reason "God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church (Ephesians 1:20b-23a). Sitting at the right hand of God the almighty, he is also interceding for the holy ones on earth, so that non of his people should become condemned (Romans 8:34). From there he shall also in the last times return to earth to judge living and dead (Revelation 19:11-21 & 20:11-15) and restore his rulership with power and much glory.

Summary

For us as disciples of Jesus Christ to be transformed into still greater Christ-likeness we have to know who and what he is like. Jesus Christ is the Holy One, the uncreated and eternally unborn Son of God, who became born into our world as a true man. To completely identify with mankind and to be found like a true human being, he had to empty himself of his glorious powers for a while. He even had to taste the bitterness of pain and death as a holy sacrifice for our misdeeds sake. But by his resurrection from the dead it was proven that the law of impermanence had no power over him. An indestructible life was manifest in Jesus Christ, who is the unique source of all life. He had the royal power to come as a great worldly conqueror, but he chose to come in humility and to die for each of us, so that all, who on that account recognize his universal authority, can be born into his kingdom and be transformed into the likeness of his image. All powers and authorities are placed under his feed. Sitting at the right hand of God the almighty, he is interceding for the holy ones on earth. From there he shall also in the last times return to earth to restore his kingdom with power and much glory.