Jesus resurrection as recorded in Bible

[Big Steve]

It's been a joy to pursue self-actualisation and I am grateful for the wisdom of many including Leo and a particular Swami (non dual advaita-vedanta).  All up I have done my best to contemplate and grow with over 300 podcasts and counting over 4 years.  I am a 58 year old who was inducted into the Christian world view/paradigm, and I have done much to deconstruct and realise both the wisdom and shortcomings contained within the bible and I can now see that all world views are relative.

Both Leo and my favourite Swami sometimes use the life and teachings of Jesus as a positive example with regard selflessness/enlightenment etc but little is said about his reported miracles/resurrection.  I would be deeply grateful if Leo could share any views he has as I have not heard my Swami's view on this.  I would also love the views of other forum users and please be assured I have nothing to defend here- I am simply after non church related opinion to provide more balance to my perspectives and help in my growth.

On one hand some of the reported biblical events including the resurrection seem almost impossible, but on the other hand Leo has often said that the universe can do anything it wants as it is infinite.  I have heard another commentator (Richard Rohr) a forward thinking catholic mystic opine that the resurrection refers to human ability to transform and be re reborn in the sense of enlightenment whilst living- not after the body dies.

I read your guidelines and  appreciate you do not want any religious debates and I seriously don't wish to start one, but I can't stop thinking about this issue.  This is my first time ever posting anything in any forum so I hope I am putting it in the right area and that the moderators are gracious enough to publish it.

 

[Dazgwny]

@Big Steve I’ve mentioned a few times, address this issue with the teachings of Neville Goddard. Read his books, without straight up believing, try to clarify for yourself. The myths can be shattered

[GreenWoods]

@Big Steve Welcome to the forum:)

Everything is possible because Reality is Infinite and God's imagination. 

Therefore I believe this kind of resurrection is undoubtedly possible.  But we can't be sure whether Jesus actually did it because you never know which parts of the bible are literal or metaphorical or both at once. But my guess is that Jesus did it.

[RedLine]

The resurrection after 3 days was a recurrent myth in previous tradions. It didn't happen, it is just a myth, methapor or whatever you want to call it.

All the myths about gods, miracles, resurrection, etc were not real but Jesus story is? why? wishful thinking.

Edited April 7, 2021 by RedLine

[Boethius]

5 minutes ago, RedLine said:

The resurrection after 3 days was a recurrent myth in previous tradions. It didn't happen, it is just a myth, methapor or whatever you want to call it.

All the myths about gods, miracles, resurrection, etc were not real but Jesus story is? why? wishful thinking.

Where are the "previous" traditions today?

[RedLine]

20 minutes ago, Boethius said:

Where are the "previous" traditions today?

Christianity triumphed because of its symbolic and moral power and other sociological reasons, not because the story of Jesus was historically accurate...

[Guest SirVladimir]

5 hours ago, Big Steve said:

I read your guidelines and appreciate you do not want any religious debates and I seriously don't wish to start one

I'm smiling because your post is totally fine, presented in a clear manner, and devoid of religious mumbo jumbo. Yet still, your subtle concern that it could get flagged is kinda cute, for there is nothing to be worried about.  I hope you find the answer you are looking for, eventually.

The best I can do is a humble intuitive guess. I'd assume it is possible, just like in a night dream. In my opinion, it would require a deep pure sense of Love. Perhaps there is more to the age-old saying that love can move mountains. Essentially, you'd be asked to see through physicality. 

I have a cool story to go with that. 

Had a fantastic lucid dream some time ago. What was peculiar about this one was how real and tangible it felt. Usually, in a lucid dream you're aware of your mental barriers, and therefore capable of crossing them out. It feels easy, fluid, without a substance. Yet this dream had kept its physicality. I could warp and distort the consciousness, but not fully break it. I was aware that I was in a dream, yet not to a degree where I'd be capable of 'overcoming' my own mental limitations. (Sparks a resemblance? Wink.)

As the dream progressed, I stumbled upon a barred window. You know those thick rusted bars that smell like iron? I bashed my head against them as if trying to come through. Cause, clearly, I was in a lucid dream, right? Well, guess what. Bang. Those cheeky fellas wouldn't let me through. It had literally felt as bashing your head against them in the normal waking state. 

The wisdom I got out of this dream is that physicality (and its limitations) may feel scary at times when you are facing it. Physicality feels like this huge heavy impenetrable wall that sprawls a hundred feet up. You are standing at its foot and think, "Gosh, there's no way I'll overcome it. It's... bigger than me."

Yes, your stomach clenches. But when you finally wake up, the physicality is finally seen for what it was: A challenge you had created for your own amusement.

[Boethius]

28 minutes ago, RedLine said:

Christianity triumphed because of its symbolic and moral power and other sociological reasons, not because the story of Jesus was historically accurate...

I agree!

The average Christian hasn't felt a great need to engage in an academic, forensic analysis of the historical record while agnostically suspending final judgment on Christianity's truth claims. Most people would tell you that they have better shit to do with their time. And yet 1/3 of the world's population is Christian. Perhaps the truthfulness of religious "myths" (whether you're using that word in its negative sense or its neutral sense) is determined by other means -- which again, seems to be what your response implies.

[Insane butterfly]

²⁰Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  ²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man.  ²²For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life ²³but each one in proper order; Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.

1st Corinthians 15, 20-23

 The 20 could mean that Christ is deaths first child, that death creates Life, he is the first that came in Life from the dead, not only back in life.

The 21 is also very meta,  it could be possible if God can do everything. So Adam is Death and Christ is Life, his resurrection could mean the Absolute consciousness, that christ left his body, out of body experience or that he left all materials including his physical body.

I try to deconstruct the bible too, it's a very difficult but spirituality makes it very interesting 

[snowyowl]

I don't know why but this subject fascinates me, I'm not a Christian or anything. I just did an internet search on 'died and resurrected after three days' and many references to pagan deities come up who fill this criteria, eg Dionysus. My favourite theory is that these are mostly archetypal Sun gods and as we all know, the Sun goes through its annual cycle higher and lower in the sky. The lowest point is the winter solstice on c. 21 December when the darkness is at the maximum and apparently victorious with the ritual death of the light, followed by the Sun's rebirth a few days later when the ancients would have been able to measure its first movement back up in the sky again. 

A few years ago I read Michael Baigent's book 'The Jesus Papers' which told me about the major Jewish community in Egypt at the time, together with Jesus's family fleeing to Egypt because of Herod. Then he builds a theory about Jesus being initiated into the mystery religions also prevalent in Egypt, including rituals such as symbolically dying and being buried in a cave underground for several days, then coming back up to the surface in a symbolic rebirth or awakening. He goes back to Israel for his ministry, but gets into trouble with the authorities and after a fake crucifixion is smuggled back to Egypt, then on to South France.  

Obviously none of this is proven to a good standard - eg another book I'm currently reading says that he went east to live in Kashmir afterwards. So there's many theories, I suppose it's the powerful history of Christianity which makes its origins so compelling.