RESURRECTION OF BOY JOSOE

“[1] FOLLOWING these words Borus and Kisjonah immediately climbed into the tomb and tried to lift the coffin but they were unable to move it, for it was extremely heavy having been made from solid cedar-wood with, in addition, a lot of heavy ornaments of iron, gold and silver. After repeated efforts Borus said: “Lord, the coffin is too heavy, we cannot master it at all. As far as I know this coffin was lowered with the help of machines and by natural means it will only be possible to lift it out again with machines.”
[2] Say I: “Then come out of the tomb. The two youths who are here shall lift it out!” – Borus and Kisjonah now quickly climb from the tomb and the two youths lift the coffin promptly and with such ease as if they were handling down feather.
[3] Bab, his wife and children open their eyes in surprise and he says, amazed at the strength of the two youths: “But what unbelievable power and strength they possess. These two tender boys, none of whom can be more than fifteen years old, played – like a big wind with a down feather – with this weight which had resisted the strength of two strong men. Ah, such a thing has never been heard of.”
[4] Say I: “Never mind, for you will now witness much greater things. But all of you remember this: You must not tell anyone of this, not even My disciples. For their time has not come for a long time yet, but once the time has come, they will get to know everything anyway. But now open the coffin so that we may see how far the boy is already decomposed.”
[5] The coffin was immediately opened and the boy who was completely decomposed except for the bigger bones was by the skilled hands of Borus freed from all the shrouds and swathes for all to inspect. The miserable looking skeleton was viewed by all with visible shuddering.
[6] And Faustus said: “Ecce homo! Look, that is a man, too. What fine lot for the voluptuous flesh of mankind. A horrible looking skull still covered with some stuck together hairs; a shrunk greenish-brown breast-skin, here and there broken by some half-decayed ribs, the black spine over which there are still hanging some traces of decayed intestine covered with mildew. Finally the feet – how horrible they look, full of decay and mildew. And our noses also feel that we are not in the shop of a balsam merchant, for the stench is worse than I would have expected. No, this is a form well suited to make a man’s existence as contemptible as possible, for in the end everyone of us has to expect this lot. This is the reason why I by far prefer cremation of the bodies to burial.”

[7] Say I: “But if the Son of man has the power to awaken and recall into life also such bodies as well as all those that since Adam are resting fully decomposed in the earth, does also then such a sight present a picture of horror? Can death still have
something frightening when a Master has raised himself above it? In order that all of you who are here may see that I, as a Son of man on this earth, have the perfect power to call back into life also such bodies and to reanimate them and make them immortal, this boy shall be a witness for you.”
[8] Hereupon I say to the boy: “Josoe, I tell you: Arise and live and witness that I have the power to raise from the dead also such dead as you.”
[9] At this moment there arose a strong draught, the mildew of decay vanished, soon the bones were once more covered by skin and within it the body began to swell to its full form, like a dough mixed with leaven, and in a few moments the boy arose fully alive from the open coffin, immediately recognized Jairus, Faustus and Cornelius whom he knew well from Nazareth and asked Jairus: “But dear uncle, how did I get into this coffin? What has happened to me? I was just now in a very dear company and do not know how I have so suddenly come here.”
[10] Says Jairus: “My dear Josoe, look at the One Who is standing beside you. He is a Lord over life and death. Your body was dead and has been lying here in this coffin already for a year and a half, and no power proceeding from men could have been able to restore your life for this earth. This One, Who does look like a man, but is much more than a man, has recalled you from death into life. Therefore, you should thank Him alone for this life which He has given you again.”
[11] The boy looked Me over from head to foot in surprise and said after a while, remembering more clearly: “He is the same who called me away from the wonderful company and said to me: Josoe, come, for you must be a witness for Me on earth that I have been given all the power in heaven and on earth.”
[12] And I willingly followed Him for I immediately felt that He had come from God and carried within Him the fullness of the divine power and authority over all things in heaven and on earth. For exactly as He is here I earlier saw Him in the spirit world where I surely was when I was call by Him to return to this world.
[13] Now it is becoming clear to me and I realize that I have already lived on this earth and then died. But what the dying was like I do not know. For I must only just have left this world – how and in what way I do not know – when I found myself already in a beautiful house in a very dear company where I was very happy. Now and then I also saw my parents and brothers and sisters and discussed with them divine matters which my very experienced companions showed and taught me. But this Holy I have not seen previously, except for a few moments before I returned to this world.”
[14] Here I said to the two youths: “Get him a garment and some bread and wine so that his flesh may be strengthened and he can go with us to Nazareth.” – As soon as I had bid the two to provide this, it was already there.” (The Great Gospel John Book 4, chap. 12)