Quote Originally Posted by dberrie2000 View Post
If Christ's testimony can be trusted--Christ stated He had not yet ascended to His Father--period:

John 20:17---King James Version (KJV)
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

That was following His resurrection. How could Jesus have been in heaven with the thief the day after His death--and claim He had not yet been to His Father after His resurrection???

The only record we have that specifically relates where Christ was after His death, is this one:

1 Peter 3:18-19---King James Version (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Quote Originally Posted by alanmolstad View Post
In Bible school I got to actuary stand up and do a little talk on the words that Jesus said to mary after the resurrection.

If I remember what I taught on, I had done some research into the words used, and then on my own tried to put them into a more modern context for the cl***.

i think I ended up saying that when we remember that mary was so upset at the death and now missing body of Christ, that when she saw that Jesus was back to life she pounced on him!,,,,

The words Jesus said was that he wanted Mary to stop "clinging to him"...the context is that Mary was hugging him tightly as to never, ever let him go.

To this Jesus tells her to relax as he has not left yet, but that he had stuff for her to go and do right now.

I think Jesus was just trying to get Mary to let go of him long enough for him to tell her he had a mission for her now to run and go do.
And how does all this validate your claim that Jesus was with the thief in heaven the day of His death--and yet--Jesus claims He had yet ascended to His God and Father after His resurrection?

John 20:17---King James Version (KJV)
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.