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.Where is the proof? John 20:14-17 is of no help.It teaches that Mary did recognize Jesus calling him Rabboni but only AFTER she turned around and was facing him.With such an important mission in mind would Mary carefully scrutinize someone she imagined was a gardener? The clothing of the times was more than adequate to conceal much of our Lord's identity and there was no reason to pay a gardener any mind.This is the type of proof the Watchtower offers as food.Does this verse in any way teach that Jesus had materialized (?) a different form as Stafford is teaching?John 20:17 Jesus saith to her, `Be not touching me, for I have not yet ascended unto my Father; and be going on to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and to your God.'While our Lord did not permit Mary to touch him, he did permit his disciples to touch him that same day and there is no question that his body, yes this body of flesh Mary witnessed was identical to the body crucified when he met with them.So why would our Lord say this to her? Would it not make more sense to think that Jesus was extending a kindness to Mary by preventing her from breaking the Law? The problem was that He had not yet ascended to His Father which means the Law was still in force in her case.There were Laws about dead people and how they were to be handled.And Jesus was dead for over two days.Such Laws would have to be satisfied first before this legal restriction could be removed.It does not matter how this was done.It could be as simple as verification by more than one witness as in the case of Lazarus where such a restriction did not apply? What we do know is: Nu 19:11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.There are many verses like this with several possible answers that would account for this comment and this restriction was soon lifted when others saw Him alive.Never in scripture do we find a single reference where Jesus “materialized” in human form.What we do know is that he could conceal his identity from others or reveal himself to them even before his death.This is how Jesus avoided being killed by angry crowds.Luke 4:29 "And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way."Therefore he could appear suddenly simply by opening the eyes of his disciples which facts ARE documented in scripture.And these same disciples had abandoned him, some even denying him.Is it any wonder then that our Lord concealed himself from some of them for a brief period to prepare them for such a shock as his real flesh? How can anyone ignore the many times our Lord did not conceal himself during the 40 days Jesus walked the earth? Is such truth infallible or not?Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:Acts 10: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.John 20:20 and this having said, he shewed them his hands and side; the disciples, therefore, rejoiced, having seen the Lord.The speculation of Greg Stafford taken from Watchtower literature is nothing more than an attempt to conceal such truth to support the anti-christian doctrine they offer to the world.Jehovah's witnesses DefendedAnother occasion where Jesus was not recognized by his disciples is recorded in Luke 24:13-35.Consider verses 13-16: "But, look! on that very day two of them were journeying to a village about seven miles distant from.Jerusalem and named Emmaus, and they were conversing with each other over all these things that had come about
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