The Ecumenical Christian Church U.K.

Beginnings, Part 2 : Bishop +Roger continues his latest series of essays exploring the origin of early Christianity from the time of the Apostles, throught the Post Apostolic period and beyond. If you have any comments on this essay, pro or anti I would love to hear from you . Ring me on 01225702436 or email tyfurog@aol.com

So Jesus was dead. That is certain even though he was only crucified for a few hours and it often took several days to die on the cross. But when he was asked for the body Procurator Pilate was surprised at the early death and made enquiries to be certain that Jesus was dead. The body of a crucified criminal was usually either left to rot on the cross or thrown into a rubbish pit. It was not usually given to relatives, but Joseph of Arimathea,  and Nicodemus, both senior members of the Jewish authorities obviously had particularly strong influence.

Some h

 istorians have suggested that Joseph was the Virgin Mary’s uncle, though the evidence is weak. However Jesus’ body was hurriedly taken to a burial cave and the entrance was close with a heavy circular stone door. With Pilate’s permission the Jewish authorities arranged a guard to prevent any disciples stealing the body and then claiming that Jesus had risen as he had said that he would. though this is only recorded in Matthew’s Gospel.

Because it was almost Sabbath (which started at 6pm on that Friday) the burial was hasty and without the usual formalities, so early on the Sunday when the Sabbath was over some of the women followers went to the tomb to wash and anoint the body with herbs. Accounts vary as to the number who went, and what they actually saw, but all agree that the tomb was open, the guards gone and Jesus’ body was not there.

Some say that the women fled in panic, others that they went to tell the apostles who didn’t believe them. One version tells that Peter and John rushed off to confirm the story.  Another says that Mary Magdalene actually met the risen Jesus, but didn’t at first recognize him.

After this there were several sightings of Jesus, but he was i

 n some way different and not easily recognized at first. He might suddenly appear in a locked room, and equally suddenly disappear. Nearly always this happened in the presence of several people, and the writings go to some length to point out that he could eat and be touched, which ghosts cannot do, but he was certainly different from his previous form.

Can this happening be explained? Jesus’ followers were quite sure that he had risen from the dead as he had said that he would. Others have suggested that he never really died. There had been some crucified people who had recovered even after more than the few hours that Jesus suffered, and there is good historical evidence of this. It has been supposed that he was given some drug which

  mimicked death when he was offered thirst relief on a spear.

Although mandragora is supposed to have this property there is, again, no evidence of its use. Anther possibility is that his appearances were veridical hallucination which are known to occur quite commonly to close relatives after a death (but rarely to more than one

 person at a time) and can have a very realistic physicality.

Jesus’ followers were bereft. Their leader, the Messiah, the king had left them. But he had promised them a comforter. And at Pentecost which they were celebrating secretly because they were afraid of being arrested as dangerous to the State they were suddenly filled with a new strength and fearlessness, described as like a fire borne on a mighty wind invading their little room. It was the promised comforter, the Holy Spirit of God.

Immediately the left their hideout and went out to preach on the streets of Jerusalem, so vigorously that their hearers at first though them to be drunk. They were not preaching ‘ Christianity’ but a new way of practicing Judaism  given by the Jew from Nazareth who had proved his power by rising from the dead, and who would come again soon to rule the whole world in a manner which was fully Jewish as recorded in the Jewish  scriptures.

The followers of Jesus and their ‘converts’ continued to worship and behave as convinced Jews, as a sect of Judaism, praying daily in the Temple, with all members of Jewish birth or full converts obeying all the religious law and customs of Judaism to the letter. They called themselves ‘followers of the way’ and were   led by James the brother of Jesus who was a fanatical Jew. Peter, though a senior member of the group was not at this time their leader. Things continued in this way for some time under James’ leadership, and the something quite amazing happened. Which we will see in the next part.