Monday, February 26, 2007

Body of Jesus Found

Sure. This story has been all over the religious news and blogosphere in the last couple of days:
"The Lost Tomb of Christ," which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries — small caskets used to store bones — discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel.

One of the caskets even bears the title, "Judah, son of Jesus," hinting that Jesus may have had a son. The very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

From the perspective of this liberal Christian, finding the body of Jesus would not be problematic. I don't believe in the bodily resurrection of a dead corpse, Jesus' or anyone else's. To say that Jesus lives is to say that Jesus continues to be present with his followers in spirit.

So I assume that Jesus' body was buried in some form, and decomposed like any other body. But how would we ever know if we found his body? The only evidence would come from DNA analysis and where would we get that? Unless we also believe that the good fiction of The DaVinci Code is actually fact and that Jesus has a bloodline, we have no way of matching DNA.

There sure is lots of interest in Jesus these days. Christians say Jesus saves. But lots of folks have also found that Jesus sells.

2 comments:

ProgressiveChurchlady said...

I just read this article too and was about to post it. Naturally you saw it too.

...WWJB (Where was Jesus Buried)?

Sure, Jesus sells. But the positive "side of this coin" is that people are still moved enough by the story to be seeking Jesus in some way.

logisticmosquito said...

But how would we ever know if we found his body?

A. His body of flesh and bone will be in one piece.
B. He will have holes in his hands and feet
C. he will have flesh wounds around his head and on his back.
D. He will be missing a rid - surgically removed by the loved ones who prepared him for buriel.