Many people know that Christ, like all of us, lived on this planet and walked on earth. Also, everyone knows his terrible death on the cross. But many people have a question, where is Christ now? Is he dead or alive?
In this article, we will try to answer this question, based on the teachings of the Church Fathers and what the bible has to say.
Orthodox Teaching About The Location of Jesus
Orthodox Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, as the Lord and ruler of all creation.
The doctrine of the Ascension tells us that after His resurrection, Jesus Christ returned to heaven to reign over all things.
Christ indeed suffered on the cross and his body was dead until the moment of resurrection. After this, Christ appeared to his disciples.
What Does The Bible Say About Jesus’s Location?
In the book of Acts, Luke describes the moment of the Ascension, when Jesus was taken up into heaven in the sight of His disciples.
1. Jesus is in Heaven.
In Acts 1:9-11, Luke writes: «After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’»
These verses show that Jesus was taken up into heaven and that He will one day return to earth. Before appearing to his disciples, his body was also in paradise, as the angel took the body from the tomb.
Jesus Himself predicted His ascension in John 20:17, when He said to Mary Magdalene: «Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’»
2. He is Seater At The Right Hand of God.
The book of Hebrews lets us know about the nature of Jesus’ reign in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
This passage shows that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. It can be interpreted that Christ is indeed now in paradise with God the Father.
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3. He is With Us At All Times.
However, spiritually Christ is with all of us, as he says in the Bible: «And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.» (Matthew 28:20)
Hebrews 4:14-16 also teaches that Jesus is our great high priest who intercedes for us in heaven:
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
It shows that Jesus provides us with the grace which we need in our life. Since Christ is risen and is not dead, he is officially the head of the Orthodox Church and he cares about all Christians and the Church.
The book of Revelation also describes the reign of Jesus in heaven. In Revelation 5:6-14, John sees a vision of the Lamb of God, who has triumphed over sin and death and is seated on the throne of God.
This part of the Bible shows that the Lamb is worshiped by all the creatures in heaven and on earth and that He is the ruler of everything.
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Ascension of Jesus
In Orthodox Christian theology, the doctrine of the Ascension also tells us that Jesus is both fully human and fully God and that He reigns over all creation as the Lord and Savior of the world.
The physical body of Jesus is no longer on earth as it was transformed at his resurrection and ascension.
It’s hard to imagine that a physical body would be taken to heaven, but the Church teaches that Jesus’ body was transformed into a spiritual body, which was capable of entering heaven.
The New Testament says that after Jesus’ death, he was buried in a tomb. Three days later, the tomb was found empty and Jesus was seen by his disciples and many others in his resurrected body. This event is a fundamental part of the Christian faith and is celebrated each year on Easter.
Christianity believes that every person will rise just like Jesus Christ. The Bible also speaks of the resurrection of believers who have died.
When believers die, their souls go to Jesus in heaven, and when Jesus returns to Earth, their bodies will be resurrected and reunited with their souls.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul writes, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
The Ascension also reminds us of the promise that Jesus will return one day to judge the living and the dead, and that he will bring the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth.
Related Read: What Does The Holy Spirit Look Like?
Final Thoughts
It can be concluded that Christ isn’t dead, but so far he cannot be seen in our world.
The physical body of Jesus Christ is no longer on earth as it was resurrected and ascended into heaven after his death on the cross.
Christ went through resurrection, a process that every person will go through in the future. The Church believes that death is impossible, therefore Christ lives.
A few days after his body was dead, he appeared to his disciples, and then saying that he would always be with us, he went to heaven, where he is there seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. That is, on the one hand, Christ is with all of us, on the other hand, he is in heaven.
Charalampos
Charalampos is an Orthodox Christian who wants to help others learn about Christianity. His main goal is to help people understand the Bible and how to apply its teachings in their everyday lives. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and hiking.
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