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Laban had no idea of disproving that Jacob was "a spirit", he was claiming him as a
kinsman. So, with Abimelech in Judges 9: 2 and David in II Samuel 19: 12, 13;
I Chron. 11: 1. The eating of the fish and honeycomb was a sufficient proof that He was
bodily present, the "flesh and bone" would immediately help those who heard the words
realize that here stood, the "Kinsman-Redeemer" Whom Job said would stand upon the
earth in the latter days. We have no conception what the body of His glory will be like or
how it will be composed. Luke 24: does not answer that question, but it provides one
of the "infallible proofs" that brought about the mighty change in the attitude of the
apostles. The skepticism of Thomas was overruled to provide a crowning testimony, for
none exceeded his adoration, when he cried "My Lord and my God".
The testimony of John's Gospel to the Resurrection demands a study to itself, and we
submit that the following items point to a wonderful revelation of doctrine. We start off
by reminding ourselves that John's acknowledged purpose, and which led to the
selection of material that he made, was to lead the believer to "Life through His Name"
(John 20: 31). This life is vitally related to Christ as "The Son of God". Let us now go
back to the opening chapter.
John 1: 1-18 is in the nature of a prologue, and is divided into two parts:
John 1: 1-4.
The Word before time.
John 1: 5-18.
The Word made flesh, in time.
As the "Word" in the beginning, a Maker of all things, He had life in Himself, "In
Him was life". Inherent life is the sole prerogative of "God that made the world". "The
world was made by Him" (John 1: 10) and all things therein ("all things" were made by
Him), "seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with
hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, AS THOUGH HE NEEDED
ANYTHING, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17: 24, 25).
We then come to John 1: 14 and read:
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth . . . . . and of His
fullness have all we received" (John 1: 14-16).
Keeping these words in mind, let us turn to chapter 5: There the Son of God declared
that He could "do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do", and in verse 26,
we have a statement that makes us look back to chapter 1: 4 "In Him was life".
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. FOR as the Father hath
LIFE IN HIMSELF; so He hath given to the Son to have LIFE IN HIMSELF; and
hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man"
(John 5: 25, 26).
This life in Himself, as the Son of Man, is connected in the context with the
resurrection of the dead, the resurrection of life, of all that are in the graves. As the