Star Trek Mimics Real Miraculous Actions of Jesus
Copyright 2019 by Joan berry
“Beam me up, Scotty.” Many of us will recall that famous order by Captain Kirk on the original TV series, Star Trek. The characters in the show often appeared and disappeared at the push of a button. A few years later, a small number of scientists accomplished this “transportation” on a very small scale. I understand that it was too dangerous to continue the experiments. I would think that the Philadelphia experiment might have come to their minds. However, in real life long ago (ca. 30 C.E.), the Son of the Almighty God was popping in and out of places quicker than the blink of an eye; and He metamorphosed into a glorious, radiant being from the inside out. Thus, His inner circle got a glimpse of Jesus’ deity and His connection between Heaven and Earth. Following are accounts of Jesus’ appearances and disappearances and the transfiguration based on the books of the New Testament.
The Metamorphosis: The purpose of the occasion was to further teach a deeper understanding of the deity of Christ and of events to come.
Before Jesus was crucified, He took His inner circle, Peter and brothers James and John, into the country for rest and prayer on a mountainside. At some point, the disciples fell asleep and when they awoke, they saw figure of glorious radiance. His face shone like the sun and His clothes were a brilliant, glowing white. They beheld their Lord as He appeared in His deity. Appearing with Jesus were Moses (law) and Elijah (prophet). The glory of God appeared as a cloud that enveloped them. Peter made an error when he offered to make a booth (tabernacle) for each of them because this placed all three on equal status. To undo the error, God proclaimed from the cloud, ”Listen to Him,” referring to Jesus. The disciples had fallen on their faces in fear and Jesus comforted them as the two Old Testament figures disappeared and Jesus transfigured back into His recognizable body. And then He instructed them to tell no one of their experience. They needed to have this experience to better understand the mission of Jesus and what would soon come.
Appearances and Disappearances
Prior to meeting the two believers on the road to Emmaus, Jesus had suddenly appeared to the two Marys at the tomb and to Peter.
Mark and Luke have similar stories about Jesus and the two men on the road to Emmaus. According to Mark, Jesus appeared to two believers on the road and they did not recognize Him because He had changed his body. Mark pointed out that the men were walking in the wrong direction – away from the believers in Jerusalem; Jesus rebuked them for their lack of Scripture knowledge; and when they recognized Him, they turned back toward Jerusalem. Generally, biblical scholars believe that God did not want Jesus to be recognized right away until the full reality of the bodily resurrection could be better understood.
Luke reported a fuller account of this event; the same account as Mark told about Jesus’ appearance to the two men on the road to Emmaus, but here the accounts differ: Jesus starts a conversation by asking what recent events had occurred in Jerusalem. The men began to tell of a crucifixion three days prior of Jesus, who was a prophet who performed great miracles of healing and was an equally great teacher. However, he died as other prophets. They said that they heard He had risen from the dead, but didn’t believe it. When the group arrived at Emmaus, the men invited Jesus to stay with them and continue their conversation. During the meal, when Jesus broke bread with them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. And then Jesus disappeared. According to Mark, the followers returned to the believers in Jerusalem.
Appearance to the Disciples
The disciples gathered behind closed doors in Jerusalem to talk about what they had seen and heard about. Amid all the excitement, Jesus appeared in the room but was not immediately recognized because of the changes due to the resurrection and glorification of His body. In His new body, he was transcendent of all things. When the disciples finally recognized Him, they thought He was a ghost and Jesus ate a piece of broiled fish to prove otherwise. His body was not restored to the state familiar to His disciples as was Lazarus,’ but His crucifixion wounds were visible as a testament to his followers. His body was glorified and immortal and could appear or disappear at His will. Jesus met with His disciples at this time to prove He was resurrected and to further teach them to open their eyes to understand the purpose of His life and death and resurrection. He prepared them to teach and preach to others as His witnesses to the Good News.
Eight days following this meeting, Jesus again appeared to the disciples. This time Thomas was present having missed the first appearance. Jesus appeared to all eleven disciples to dispel any further unbelief concerning His resurrection (Judas was dead). Jesus rebuked their unbelief; He had foretold His death; He had foretold His resurrection; He told them the Old Testament had prophesized all that happened; and that the disciples had no excuse for their unbelief. We all know how Thomas (aka Doubting Thomas) touched a wound on Jesus’ body and declared “My Lord, My God!”
Great Commission
In another post resurrection encounter with His disciples, Jesus gave them the Great Commission. He instructed them to go forth into the world to teach, preach, baptize in His name and as His witnesses. Jesus spent 40 days between His resurrection and assentation during which he appeared to various people.
Ascension
Following a meeting with the His 11 disciples, Jesus led them out of Jerusalem to Bethany on the slopes of Mt. Olives. After speaking to them and promising them the fulfillment of Holy Spirit, and instructing them to wait for it in Jerusalem, He blessed them and then enveloped by a cloud (glory of God), He ascended heavenward until He disappeared.
Epilogue
The power of Jesus is amazing, not only for his metamorphotic powers, healing the sick, and walking on water, but for His love of us and the sacrifice to save us, To God be the Glory.
Sources
Life Application: New Testament Commentary. (2001). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub.
Life Application Study Bible NIV (2005). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub.
NKJV Study Bible. (2007). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Mark 16: 12-13; 14; 19-20. Luke 24: 13-34; 35-43; 44-49; 50: 53. John 20: 19-23; 21: 1-24; 21: 15-25.