Close your eyes for a minute. Where were you when you closed your eyes? Were you in your right big toe or in your left forearm? Even without sight you know where you are. You exist there and animate your body from there by the use of your brain. Remove both legs, both arms, one kidney, one lung, both eyes, your appendix, both ears, well you get the picture, and you still exist in your head. You are still there and have use of your brain to animate and control your body while in residence. Amazingly, if part of your brain is removed or destroyed you may begin to use other parts of your brain to accomplish what you formerly did with the now missing part. At death you go elsewhere and away from your body. You still exist. Death is a good thing if your brain and body are no longer useful. But you are confined to your body until you depart it at death.

It has long been my understanding that Jesus was God in Heaven, was God in a physical body while on earth and today He is in Heaven again in a body suitable for life in heaven as we will someday come to have at the resurrection. Although tempted as all men are tempted while on earth, He did not give in to temptation and sin BECAUSE He was God in a male body. Tempted, yet not sinning is part of what makes it clear that Jesus was God in a human, fleshly body.

I think if more people had a correct understanding of the body of flesh there would be less concern for the disposal of the body after death occurs. Although we identify a person by their body, that body which remains is not us. Although it was part of us. For that reason Carol and I wish to have our bodies, that we leave behind, cremated. After all, it is just a used body of decaying flesh that needs to be buried or disposed of in some appropriate manner. But in the case of Jesus, his body was not to see decay as He was raised in His body. Then later it was changed into the body suitable for Heaven. I suppose a bit of me wants to help God out a little by having an urn with my bodies ashes/bones remain. It would be cheaper if no urn and ashes were provided I think. But I trust that Jesus will bring me back with Him when He returns and put on me a new body some day regardless.

--William Terry Tribble