February 2007 - Volume 2, Issue 9

In this issue...
-- The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 1)
-- Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
-- Dr. Whitcomb's articles now appearing on SharperIron.org
-- 100,000... and counting!

The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 1)
By Dr. John C. Whitcomb

The Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the triune God, who became the God-man by virtue of His virgin conception and incarnation, is the only human being in the universe who possesses a glorified body.

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was one of the most spectacular sign-miracles the Lord Jesus performed at His first coming. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Jews were astounded by what Jesus did that day in Bethany near Jerusalem. John tells us that "many of the Jews which . . .had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him" (John 11:45). In fact, "much people of the Jews knew that He was there (in Bethany): and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead" (John 12:9).

But the leaders of Israel were terrified: "Then gathered the chief priests (i.e., the Sadducees) and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation" ( John 11:47-48). So they not only "took counsel together for to put Him to death" (John 11:53), but "the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus" (John 12:10-11).

What a statement of the spiritual blindness of sinful man! No one even questioned that Lazarus had actually died, or that he was now actually alive. Why did not the leaders of Israel investigate the source of Jesus' power and ponder His claims? The answer is infinitely tragic: "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

Thus, "though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him" (John 12:37). However spectacular the raising of Lazarus really was, it could not compare to the glory of Christ's resurrection. Lazarus was brought back to mortal life. He still possessed a sin nature, and died a second time. This was true of all those who had been raised from the dead by Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24), Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37), and the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:5), and those who would be similarly be brought back from death by Peter (Acts 9:36-42) and Paul (Acts 20:7-12).

Observe carefully what happened when Lazarus was raised. First, the giant stone that blocked the entrance to his tomb had to be moved away so he could come out. Second, his grave clothes had to be removed so he could walk (John 11:39-44). This was not necessary for Jesus. The great stone that blocked the entrance of His tomb had been "taken away" (John 20:1), not to allow Him to come out, but to allow Peter and John to enter in (John 20:3-8).

Likewise, the grave clothes that had been wrapped around His body were not removed by human hands. The apostle Peter entered the tomb first, "and seeth the linen cloths lie, and the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself." Then the apostle John "went in also... and he saw, and believed" (John 20:6-8).

What does all of this mean? The conclusion is obvious: Jesus arose with a special kind of body, a glorified body, which could pass through grave clothes without disturbing their position, and pass through a large stone without moving it. This is what John "saw" and this is what he "believed" (John 20:8). How can we be sure of this? The answer: that same evening, "when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and . . . showed unto them His hands and His side" (John 20:19-20). In His glorified state, He could pass right through a door without opening it! Neither tightly wrapped grave clothes, nor a huge stone, nor a closed door, could block His movements.

Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the realm of the dead to a new, glorious form of human existence. He was "the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). In terms of His deity, He is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). When He ascended to heaven, He did not leave His human nature behind, for "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). He will be God and man (two distinct natures) in one Person - forever!

To Be Continued...

Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
Pray for Dr. Whitcomb as he speaks in a variety of settings in the coming days. Your fellowship and partnership in prayer play a very vital role in allowing this ministry to go forward and have a great impact among God's people.

On Thursday, April 12, Dr. Whitcomb will speak at a "Day Away" event of the Valley Grace Brethren Church of Hagerstown, Md., which will be held at the Rhodes Grove Camp of Chambersburg, Penn. For more information, call Pastor Ray Barger at 301-582-1645, or visit www.rhodesgrove.com.

On Sunday, April 15, Dr. Whitcomb will preach at the Valley Grace Brethren Church of Hagerstown, Md. For more information, call Pastor Dan Pritchett at 301-582-0155, or visit www.valleygrace.net.

From Friday, April 20, to Sunday, April 22, Dr. Whitcomb will teach at the Fellowship Baptist Church of South Bend, Ind. For more information, call Pastor Virgil Wesco at 574-234-1127, or visit www.fellowshipbaptistsb.org.

From Monday, April 23, to Thursday, April 26, Dr. Whitcomb will speak at the National Bible Conference of the Middletown Bible Church in Middletown, Conn. For more information, call Pastor George Zeller at 860-346-0907, or visit www.middletownbiblechurch.org.

On Sunday, April 29, Dr. Whitcomb will preach at the Grace Brethren Church - Midwest Fellowship Conference in Mishawaka, Ind. For more information, call Pastor Davy Troxel at 574-256-0225.

For additional details about these events, please visit our web pages at www.whitcombministries.org and www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb.

(*Answers in Genesis-sponsored event. For more information on these conferences, visit www.answersingenesis.org/events.)

Dr. Whitcomb's articles now appearing on SharperIron.org
The Biblical articles written by Dr. John Whitcomb for these Monographs are now being run on the fundamentalist website SharperIron.org as a regular column.

We highly value the opportunity to partner with our friends at SharperIron, and encourage you to make use of the important information that they provide each and every day.

Also, we invite you to continue reading Dr. Whitcomb's thought provoking Monograph articles, whether on SharperIron, in the archives on our website, or by receiving a free subscription of your own via e-mail.

Also, remember that the Monograph is available in both English and Spanish, and be sure to share it with a friend.

100,000... and counting!
Last time we told you that we expected shortly to surpass the mark of 100,000 sermons listened to or downloaded via the Whitcomb Ministries pages on SermonAudio.com.

This goal was met early in 2007! How we thank God for each one who is blessed and equipped to serve the Lord by utilizing these messages on the Internet.

A completely updated schedule of our upcoming broadcasts is available on our website, www.whitcombministries.org, under "God's Gracious Workings, News and Notes." Please watch this space regularly, as it is updated often.