March 2007 - Volume 2, Issue 10

In this issue...
-- The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 2)
-- Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
-- Training the next generation

The Resurrection Body of Christ the Lord (Part 2)
By Dr. John C. Whitcomb

We have already contemplated the stupendous miracle of the incarnation of God's Son by virgin conception. By this absolutely unique act, He became the "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

This is the only way He could give "Himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:6). Only by becoming a 100 percent member of the human race could he be our representative, our substitute, our kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew - goel) on the cross. "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation (i.e., expiation, the full removal of sin) for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).

During the 33 years our Lord walked on the earth, no one really doubted that He was a genuine human being. The overwhelming question was His deity. Even the apostles struggled with this issue from time to time (i.e., John 16:29-33). His enemies hurled this accusation at Him as they prepared to stone Him: "Thou, being a man, makest thyself God" (John 10:33).

But the major question that Christians must now resolve concerning Him is this: does our Lord Jesus Christ possess a genuine human body today, and even forever? When He rose from the dead on the third day, was he still fully human as well as fully divine? Or did He simply appear to be human, just as He did on various occasions in the Old Testament?

Beginning at the Garden of Eden, our Lord, as the second person of the triune Godhead, appeared as a human being. Adam "heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden," and heard Him ask, "Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:8, 9).

On another occasion, Abraham saw "three men" near his tent in Mamre. One of them was the pre-incarnate Christ, who not only looked fully human, but ate a meal prepared by Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:1-8).

But these were theophanies (God-appearances), not incarnations! Amazingly, during one unforgettable night, our Lord not only looked human, but even felt human - Jacob could testify to this after wrestling with Him by the River Jabbok for hours, until he finally surrendered to his gracious and sovereign Lord (see Genesis 32:24-32 and Hosea 12:4).

And, are we aware of the fact that even angels could appear like men? The most spectacular example of this occurred when two angels sat down with the pre-incarnate Christ to share a meal while Abraham stood by and watched (Genesis 18:1-8; cf. Hebrews 13:2). A little later, these angels appeared to Lot in the gate of Sodom and accepted his urgent invitation to spend the night in his home (Genesis 19:1-3). Others in Sodom also saw them and assumed that they were real men (Genesis 19:4-5). But these angels, who temporarily looked and acted like human beings, were not genuine members of the human race, and therefore were not men.

In like manner, in His Old Testament theophanies, the Son of God did not become a genuine, full participant in Adam's race. Thus, He did not fully identify genetically (in DNA coding) with Adam and Eve. Furthermore, as we shall see, without the distinctive physical features of a human person, no one would have been able to recognize His face, eyes, or voice, from previous appearances.

By contrast, note how carefully the inspired text of the New Testament illumines the recognizable continuity of His resurrection body with His previous, non-glorified body.

First, on the morning of His resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and said to her, "Mary!" She immediately recognized His voice, and replied (in Hebrew): "Rabboni" (John 20:16). This is significant. His human voice had not changed. Therefore, His glorified body was identical, to this extent, with the body He possessed until His death.

Second, He appeared to the eleven apostles later that day, pointed to the nail prints in His hands and feet, and explained that "a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:39). It was not just the possession of a human body. It was the same body He had before He died! Not just His voice, but also His entire body maintained total identification with the human nature of the Jesus of Nazareth who was conceived in the body of Mary, born in Bethlehem, and grew to full manhood and ministry for a third of a century.

To Be Continued...

Hear Dr. Whitcomb speak this month
Dr. Whitcomb is in the midst of a very busy spring. Please pray for him in his many responsibilities as he travels to speak, and his many duties as he leads Whitcomb Ministries and also serves as a creation speaker for Answers in Genesis.

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.

On Saturday, May 5, and Sunday, May 6, Dr. Whitcomb will speak at the Westview Baptist Church/Community Bible Church of Summerville in North Charleston, S.C. For more information, call Pastor Al Edgington at 317-414-0171.

From Monday, May 14, to Friday, May 18, Dr. Whitcomb will teach at the Word of Life Bible Institute - Canadian Extension, in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. For more information, call Dr. Doug Reider at 519-376-3516, or visit www.wol.org.

On Saturday, May 26, Dr. Whitcomb will participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum in Hebron, Ky. For more information, visit www.answersingenesis.org.

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.)

Training the next generation
As a seminary professor since 1951, one of the Scripture verses that has characterized the life and ministry of Dr. John C. Whitcomb has been 2 Timothy 2:2:

"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (NKJV)

At a time when many would be looking to retire, Dr. Whitcomb is instead finding ways to multiply the ministry that God has entrusted to him. In fact, now that he is no longer teaching at just one seminary full-time, he has the opportunity to teach in many schools, and continues to impact the next generation of ministerial students and Bible teachers.

Here is a list (in alphabetical order, by first name) of the seminaries, colleges and Bible institutes that Dr. Whitcomb has spoken or taught in, or is scheduled to appear at, during the 2006-07 school year:

* Capital Bible Seminary, Lanham, Md.
* Central Baptist Seminary, Plymouth, Minn.
* Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, Allen Park, Mich.
* Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, Ankeny, Iowa
* New Tribes Bible Institute, Waukesha, Wis.
* Shasta Bible College and Graduate School, Redding, Cal.
* Tyndale Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Tex.
* Word of Life Bible Institute, Hudson, Fla.
* Word of Life Bible Institute, Schroon Lake, N.Y.
* Word of Life Bible Institute, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Whitcomb has also lectured at many other schools in years past. If you would like to invite him to your school, church or other event, please get in touch with us using the contact information on our website.

Also, remember that many of these sessions have been recorded for use at www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb.