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Life and Spirit
Jesus is Life.
    John 11 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
"...whosoever liveth and believeth" in Jesus "shall never die."
 
 
Examining other Scripture will show us how Jesus defines Himself as Life for mankind.
 
 
As we read further in the book of John, Jesus says that in His Father's House are many mansions.
    John 14 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Jesus tells of His own death in these verses: "if I go." His "going" or death will prepare a mansion "in my Father's House" for the disciples.

The Greek word used for "house" is "oikia" (Strong 3614) and in English means "house" or "temple." The Greek word used for "mansions," "mone" (Strong 3438), translated to English means "to dwell or abode." This abode is not a direct place such as a house or residence. It means exactly what its definition implies: to abode or dwell (somewhere).

Verse 2 translated:

In my father's temple are many dwelling places.

The Father's temple is a dwelling place for the disciples.

So what exactly is the Father's "temple"? John gives us that answer.

John 2 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus spoke of His body as the "temple" that would replace the temple in Jerusalem.

The Father's "house" of John 14:2 is the body of Jesus. Jesus is the Father's temple. Simply put, it is in the temple Jesus that the disciples will have an abode with the Father.

Jesus is telling His disciples that through His death He will provide an abode or dwelling for the disciples with the Father.

Paul also speaks of Jesus as God's temple.

Ephesians 20 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

According to Paul, all who seek to dwell with Jesus will find an abode in the Father through the temple Jesus.

It is through dwelling in the temple Jesus that Jesus gives life: "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26).

 
In Corinthians, Paul mentions Jesus as the ""house" or temple of God who clothes us.
2 Corinthians 5 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2 For in this we groan,earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of theSpirit.6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Those who are "clothed" with the house Christ will have life. Notice how he calls the physical body a "tabernacle" and then says that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord.
 
Peter also spoke of the physical body as a tabernacle.
    2 Peter 1 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
According to Peter, to depart from this world is to "put off this tabernacle" or to leave the physical body.
 
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says that to leave this physical body is "to depart and to be with Christ..."
    Philippians 12 1 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, havinga desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Interestingly, when we read Paul's previous statements, we learn what he believed is that the spirits of those believers in Christ will be with the Lord after death or departure of the physical body.
 
Yet, in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, he writes that, upon physical death, a person sleeps.
    1 Corinthians 15 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:14 Andif Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
Through Jesus (the firstfruits or first to be resurrected), those who have "fallen asleep" (physically died) will later be "made alive" when Christ returns "at his coming." Paul is telling us that those who have died as believers in Christ will sleep until Christ returns to resurrect them.
 
Is Paul contradicting himself in his letters? Do believers go to be with the Lord or do they sleep after physical death?
 
If we read what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, we learn that he taught both, that those who are with the Lord are asleep, yet they are with the Lord.
    1 Thessalonians 4 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Verse 14: "Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
 
At His return, the Lord will bring back with him those who have physically died. How? Although their physical bodies"sleep," their spirits are with Him.
 
Beyond the physical body, there is a spirit. The spirit goes to be with the Lord. The physical body sleeps. If you think about it, this only makes sense. 
 
 
Something to consider: if in this life all Paul was going to do is sleep, why would he prefer to be with the Lord rather than to be in a physical body  (Phil. 1:23)?
 
 
If we continue to read 1 Corinthians 15, we will learn that it is through a resurrection of the physical body that a transformation occurs and the spirit receives a spiritual body.
    1 Corinthians 15 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
It is sown in corruption (physical death). It is raised in incorruption (spiritual body). It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. "Morality" is "swallowed up of life" (2 Cor.5:4). "Death is swallowed up in victory" (v. 54).
 
The spirit of those who belong to God are forever alive with Christ. They have found their abode in the temple Christ. The physical body is "made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22) through Christ when given a spiritual body at the resurrection.
 
What our Maker has saved us from is our own "corruption." And if we look at everything as is, we can understand this. By taking on our sins through His blood shed on the cross at His death, Jesus has given us a chance of eternal life, to be with Him after departure from the physical body and to be with Him in a new spiritual body for all eternity.
 
The old body is sown. The new is raised incorruptible. And so, "death is swallowed up in victory" for those who choose to seek abode in Jesus, a Shelter from the raging storm.
 
 
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Furtherstudy:
 
Early Christian Writings on Hegesippus:
    Concerning the relatives of our saviour. There still survived of the kindred of the Lord the grandsons of Judas, who according to the flesh was called his brother. These were informed against, as belonging to the family of David, and Evocatus brought them before Domitian Caesar: for that emperor dreaded the advent of Christ, as Herod had done.So he asked them whether they were of the family of David; and they confessed they were. Next he asked them what property they had, or how much money they possessed. They both replied that they had only 9000 denaria between them, each of them owning half that sum; but even this they said they did not possess in cash, but as the estimated value of some land, consisting of thirty-nine plethra only, out of which they had to pay the dues, and that they supported themselves by their own labour. And then they began to hold out their hands, exhibiting, as proof of their manual labour, the roughness of their skin, and the corns raised on their hands by constant work.                                                                                               
    Being then asked concerning Christ and His kingdom, what was its nature, and when and where it was to appear, they returned answer that it was not of this world, nor of the earth, but belonging to the sphere of heaven and angels, and would make its appearance at the end of time, when He shall come in glory, and judge living and dead, and render to every one according to the course of his life (Kirby).
The belief in a spirit separate from a physical body is not only a teaching in the New Covenant, but was an original teaching from the Old Covenant. It is a Jewish teaching.
 
King Solomon taught that the "dust" (the physical body) returns to the earth, but the spirit returns to God.
 
Ecclesiastes 12 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
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Further Scripture study:
    Mark 13 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
    Revelation 20 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ athousand years.5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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Works Cited
 
Kirby, Peter. "Hegesippus." Early Christian Writings, 2018. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/hegesippus.html. Accessed 26 May 2018.
 
Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Hendrickson Publishers, Incorporated, 2009.