Proofs Of The Promise Of Jesus' Bodily Resurrection

John 2:19, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

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.”

The foundational doctrine upon which Christianity is based is the physical bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the unsaved heathen world believes that a man named Jesus once lived and died on a cross, but very few people believe that He bodily raised up from the dead three days later.

Evidences of Christ's physical resurrection from the dead: 

1. Jesus Was Seen By Over 500 Witnesses At Once In His Resurrected Body (1st Corinthians 15:6)
2. Jesus Physically Appeared And Met With His Disciples In His Resurrected Body (John 20:19-26)
3. Jesus Physically Ate Food And Drank With His Disciples In His Resurrected Body (Luke 24:42-43)
4. Jesus Told Mary Not To Physically Touch His Body After His Resurrection (John 20:17)
5. Jesus Told His Disciple Thomas To Physically Touch His Scars And Thrust His Side (John 20:27-28)
6. Jesus Walked With And Expounded The Two Disciples On The Road To Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27)
7. Jesus Physically Ascended Into The Clouds In His Resurrected Body (Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51)
8. Jesus Appeared Physically To The Apostle John In The Book Of Revelation (Revelation 1:13-18)
9. Jesus Is Physically Seated On The Right-Hand Of The Father In Heaven (Colossians 3:1)
10. We Will Physically Meet The Lord In The Air At The Rapture (1st Thessalonians 4:17)
11. Every Eye Will Physically See Jesus Bodily At His Second Coming (Revelation 1:7)

I am sure there are more, but these are the evidences off the top of my head that I could think of, thus proving that Jesus Christ raised up from the dead as He foretold. Many religious groups deny Christ's physical resurrection.

For example: The deadly cult of the Jehovah's Witness teach that Jesus only raised up in spirit, but not bodily. For this reason, and many more, the Jehovah's Witnesses are a Satanic cult, which should be avoided at all cost. I am saddened and marvel how anybody could ever be sucked into such a bizarre, unbiblical and doctrinally offensive cult. But then I remember that to the unsaved person—who doesn't have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to teach and guide them (John 16:13)—the secularized teachings of a group like the JW's makes perfect sense to their human rational.

For example: JW's contend that it doesn't make sense why God would divide Himself into three persons, so they deny the fundamental Bible doctrine of THE GODHEAD (the triune nature of God). The Trinity may not make good math, but it makes good Bible! Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Jesus' Bodily Resurrection Teaches Immortality For The Whole Man In Both Body And Soul!!!

Beware of the Heresy of Modalism

Also, there is another deadly group creeping a heresy into many churches today called “MODALISM.” According to Modalism, Jesus does not have a body in Heaven. Modalism denies Jesus' bodily resurrection! We know Modalism is false, because the Bible plainly teaches that Jesus DOES have a body, and sits on a literal physical throne in Heaven, on the right-hand of the Father. Colossians 3:1, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” Jesus has a physical body up in Heaven, as do all the angels.

In every case in the Bible where angels appeared, they had physical bodies. When the angels met with Lot, they ate the feast that Lot prepared for them (Genesis 19:3). Heaven is a literal physical place. The angels are real, with bodies, and they eat in Heaven. Jesus has a physical body in Heaven, and He eats. The Lord promised His disciples though, that He would not drink of the vine again, until the Kingdom of God is come. Luke 22:18, “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Heaven is a real place!

Kindly, it surprised me when I learned in 2018 that missionary Garrett Kirchway—a former staff member at the Faithful Word Baptist Church, where God is doing a mighty work through Pastor Steven Anderson—that Kirchway denies the Trinity! Brother Anderson has rolled out the welcome mat for those who repent of their heresy and follow the Words of God:

“Anybody, who's been thrown out of the church, can come back whenever they want, to get right with God, renounce heresy, and embrace the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity.” —Pastor Steven Anderson, a helpful quote from the excellent sermon titled, “Unbiblical Reasons: Why We Accept People Who Are Thrown Out.”

Amen! The apostle Paul warned in Acts 20:29, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Wolves have always crept into the churches. Shockingly, they're coming from places like Bob Jones University, whose graduates are promoting dozens of different corrupt Bible versions, and are promoting the ungodly heresy of Lordship Salvation (which BJU alumni John MacArthur teaches). 

Beware of BJU and their wolf graduates in sheep's clothing! Just because someone has a degree from a Bible college does NOT mean you can trust them! I am so sick of this Lordship Salvation mess! So was Pastor Jack Hyles! I'm Sick Of This Lordship Salvation Mess! (MP3, Dr. Hyles rips against Lordship Salvation lie!). Thank God for faithful preachers like Dr. Jack Hyles!

I am certainly that Garrett Kirchway is 100% sincere in his belief that Jesus has no body in Heaven today, and that there is only God the Father sitting on His throne. But Garrett is very wrong! And may I say—wolves don't know that they are wolves! I also believe that Garrett was hurt when all this happened. As fast as he knew what hit him, he was on the outside of Faithful Word Baptist Church looking in.

Mr. Garrett refused to repent of his heretical position denying the Godhead. As far as I know he is totally finished in the ministry, and should be if he denies the Trinity. You're not serving God or people by teaching false doctrine! Jesus Christ raised up physically, appeared to over 500 saints and His disciples physically, ascended into Heaven physically, exists in Heaven physically today, He is coming back for the saints at the Rapture physically, and seven years later Christ will appear physically for all the world to see.

Kindly, I know for a fact that Garrett is not born-again, because NO ONE who denies the Trinity is saved. Do you have to believe in the Trinity to be saved? No, but if at some point down the road someone takes a Holy Bible and teaches it to you, or you read it for yourself in the Scriptures, but you refuse to accept the plain sound teaching of the Word of God on the Godhead, it is solid proof that you have never been born-again. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and heed His words. John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:5, “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” I hear His Words, do you dear reader? HEAR YE HIM!

Beware of Wolves Creeping Into the Church

Galatians 2:4, “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.”

Our text verse from Galatians 2:4 plainly evidences that Satan continually tries to infiltrate, corrupt and conquer the churches. Although the Devil can never defeat THE CHURCH, he is highly successful at destroying local churches, by sneaking into them and secretly bringing in DAMNABLE HERESY. 2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” As you just read, the Devil sneaks DAMNABLE HERESIES into the churches.

The verse that I just quoted to you from Galatians 2:4 plainly evidences that Satan continually tries to infiltrate, corrupt and conquer the churches. Although the Devil can never defeat THE CHURCH, he is highly successful at destroying local churches, by sneaking into them and secretly bringing in DAMNABLE HERESY. 2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” As you just read, the Devil sneaks DAMNABLE HERESIES into the churches.

One third of clergy do not believe in the Resurrection

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent | July 31, 2002

A third of Church of England clergy doubt or disbelieve in the physical Resurrection and only half are convinced of the truth of the Virgin birth, according to a new survey. The poll of nearly 2,000 of the Church's 10,000 clergy also found that only half believe that faith in Christ is the only route to salvation. ...

SOURCE: One Third of clergy do not believe in the Resurrection

God never intended for the clergy to become a mere occupation, where unbiblical women preachers, and unqualified unsaved men could usurp leadership roles in people's lives in the churches. The foundational truth upon which Christianity is based is the physical bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Run away from anyone who denies this great truth! John 21:14, “This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.” John 20:30, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.” Jesus is precious!!!

The Deep Things Of God

1st Corinthians 2:10, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD.”

1st Corinthians 2:9 is quoted from Isaiah 64:6 in the Old Testament. The Bible teaches that God has things in store for every believer that eyes cannot see, nor can the ears hear. 1st Corinthians 2:10 tells us that these things are THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD, which are revealed unto us by the Holy Spirit of God.

The phrase “deep things” comes from the Greek word bathos and means “profundity,” that is, figuratively, “mystery.” The Bible is saying that God's Spirit reveals truths that are impossible for the carnal person to grasp and understand. God's Spirit gives wisdom, depth of understanding, and spiritual insight that cannot be obtained anywhere else. If a sinner rejects Jesus as the Christ, the only begotten Son of God, then they have also rejected the Holy Spirit and the deep things of God cannot be revealed unto them.

This is why unsaved people have all the wrong priorities and place so much emphasis upon shallow and meaningless things. Many people are infatuated with buying and owning gold, thinking that they are wise to invest in a precious metal (and it is from a carnal point of view). But the Bible says gold will one day perish and “That THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

How many people recognize that all of the problems, sufferings, and hardships in this life are of more value than gold? Incredibly few I assure you. It puts a whole new perspective on things as a Christian if you fully grasp THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. As much as I hate to say it... PRAISE GOD FOR ALL OF MY HEALTH PROBLEMS! They keep me praying... “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray” (James 5:13).

You can read all the books on earth, including the Bible; but you'll never discover the mysteries of God—yeah, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD—without the presence of the Author to teach you. God is the Author, the Penman. When people attempt to learn the Bible without the presence of the Author, false religious cults are formed.

The first step to understanding THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD is to receive Jesus Christ. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Ye must be born-again (John 3:5). No unsaved person will ever truly be able to grasp the richness, depth, and profoundness of God's truths.

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” What a precious PROMISE from God. The Lord will show us great and mighty things the Bible promises, if we'll call unto Him. The Bible has a built in dictionary that explains itself. This is the safest way to interpret the Bible.

We learn what God means in Jeremiah 33:3 in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” God rewards those who seek Him by revealing unto them profound truths that carnally-minded men cannot possibly grasp and understand, no matter how much they may desire or try to obtain. 2nd Timothy 3:7 affirms this truth, for these type of people are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” —Isaiah 64:4

So many wonderful and practical Scriptures come to mind. I love what Jacob said to the Lord in Genesis 32:10, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.” Those are my feelings precisely. I am not worthy of all that God has done for me, nor will I ever be. It is only because of God's grace that I am able to live the Christian life and face the dawn of each and every new day.

That is why we will cast our crowns at Jesus' feet at the Judgment Seat of Christ, that is, because 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. It is only by God's grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that we are able to serve God as the Bible teaches. Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Amen.