Did Jesus Raise Himself From the Dead?

Did Jesus teach that he would raise himself from the dead, and
therefore this proves he is God Almighty?

In John 10:17, 18 Jesus says,

The Father loves me because I lay down my life, to receive it back again. No one has robbed me of it; I am laying it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to receive it back again; this charge I have received from my Father. John 10:17-18 (NEB)

When Jesus drove out the money changers out of the temple he said in John 2:19, 

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 

Then the Jews said, 

Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days? 

In verse 21 it says, 

 But he spoke of the temple of his BODY. 

The fact that Jesus was speaking in veiled terms to an unbelieving audience should make us hesitant to build a doctrine on this verse, especially when many other clear verses say that the Father raised Jesus. For example, 1 Corinthians 6:14 states: “By his power, God raised the Lord from the dead.” Jesus was not in a teaching situation when he was speaking. Tempers were flaring and the Jews were against Jesus anyway. It was common for Jesus to speak in ways that unbelievers did not understand. Even a cursory reading of the Gospels will show a number of times when Jesus spoke and the unbelievers who heard him (and sometimes even the disciples) were confused by what he said.1

 

A doctrine cannot be built just on one passage of scripture. Trinitarians take this one verse (John 2:19) to try and prove Jesus is God Almighty.  However, when the isolated text is taken in view of the whole counsel of God, it reveals that Jesus is not God Almighty or splitting Jesus into a God/Man.

Jesus received the authority from his Father. If Jesus is God Almighty, then as God Almighty he does not need to give Himself any kind of right or authority.  There is no higher authority but God Himself.

Jesus lived his life in obedience to his Father, even unto death, and in this sense could guarantee his own resurrection.  Jesus would have the right to receive it back again because of his life of faithfulness, and in turn, God would keep His promise to resurrect him from the dead.

If we go to Matthew 26:53, we read Peter pulls out his sword and Jesus tells him to put it away.  Jesus could have called upon his Father to rescue him, but Jesus was intent on doing the will of the Father and not his own will.  He says,

Or do you think that I am not able now to call on My Father, and He will place beside me more than twelve legions of angels?

Jesus said to his disciples before he went off to pray,

My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with me. And he went a little beyond them, and fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.

Jesus has a will of his own and it was always in his power to choose to lay down his life or give into the temptation to choose not to do the will of his Father.  However, Jesus was obedient unto death on the cross.

If Jesus is God Almighty and could raise himself from the dead, why does he cry out on the cross, 

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” 

What concern would Jesus really have if he knew he could raise himself from the dead?  Furthermore, does God cry out to Himself?  Does God forsake Himself?  Trinitarians can't help but entertain mental gymnastics by talking about a "God part," and a "man part," to divide Jeus' human nature wherever it fits their doctrine.  What foolishness and such contradiction to agree that God is immortal and cannot die, but yet turn around and, with all seriousness, say God raised Himself from the dead!

Another dilemma and game of mental gymnastics Trinitarians must face is the fact that they say Jesus was 100% man as well as 100% God and we know that God alone is immortal, which means God can never die. Trinitarians agree with this. They will also say that GOD is the ONLY SAVIOR because "no man" can save us from our sins, and therefore Jesus is God. However, Jesus DIED on the cross - so they will say it was the "man part" that died, not God himself.

Can Trinitarians answer the following? Since they say "no man" can save us from our sins, then how can Jesus be their savior when they say it was only the "man part" that died" and not God? Remember? ONLY GOD can be our savior and save us from our sins, not "a man." This still leaves God having to die. When will this happen?

Trinitarians and Oneness folks need to take the time to use their God-given ability to reason and  think.  They say God raised Himself from the dead. God cannot die, He is immortal.

They sound like abortionists....it's only flesh.  Yet this glorified BODY, this MAN, is at the right hand of his Father.  

For there is ONE GOD, one mediator also between GOD and men, 

 Who is this mediator? 

himself man, Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2:5

Jesus is a MAN and will always be a MAN.  It never says he is God Almighty.  This is not to mention that Jesus is not only our Lord, he is also our brother!  (Heb. 2:10-12; Matt. 25:40; Matt. 28:10; Mark 3:34; John 20:17)

The point is, we cannot isolate one passage while ignoring the whole counsel of God and what Jesus said elsewhere.  In John 5:19 Jesus said, 

The Son is not able to do anything from himself,

And in John 14:10 he says,

....but the Father who dwells in me does His works.

How does the Father dwell in His Son?  Through the holy spirit of Almighty God the Father.

Romans 8:11 says,

But the spirit of Him [God] who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He [God] that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies.

This truth is spoken of in many places.  It is God Almighty who raised Jesus from the dead and not Jesus himself.  All the miracles he did and everything he taught was through the holy spirit of God Almighty dwelling in him.  It was God who did the works through Jesus (John 14:10).  It had nothing to do with Jesus having to be a God/Man or God Almighty.

Furthermore, Romans 10:9 says, 

"If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Note the verse does NOT say, "If you declare that Jesus is God..." Nor does it say, "...and believe in your heart that Jesus raised himself from the dead...."

Jesus said he could no nothing of himself.  Jesus, a human being like us, could not raise himself from the dead.  Dead is dead, folks.  There are at least 30 scriptures that says it was GOD who raised Jesus from the dead. 

Acts 2:24, 30,32; 3:15,26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:23,30,33,34,37;17:31; 26:8; Romans 4:24,25; 6:4; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:15; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 2:12;1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21

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1.  One God & One Lord