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Signs in John's Gospel - The Lamp Broadcast

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<strong>The</strong> Resurrection of Christ 199<br />

millionth of a second]).<br />

And, with His body no longer be<strong>in</strong>g on the <strong>in</strong>side of the<br />

graveclothes, the l<strong>in</strong>en wrapp<strong>in</strong>gs either ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed the shape<br />

and contour of the body or they simply collapsed (depend<strong>in</strong>g on<br />

the harden<strong>in</strong>g effect of the mixture of myrrh and aloes), apart<br />

from the body be<strong>in</strong>g on the <strong>in</strong>side; and the napk<strong>in</strong> which had<br />

been placed over His face fell <strong>in</strong> folds where His head had been.<br />

This is what Peter saw, and what John who was with him subsequently<br />

saw as well — the graveclothes “ly<strong>in</strong>g by themselves,”<br />

apart from the body be<strong>in</strong>g on the <strong>in</strong>side. This resulted <strong>in</strong> immediate<br />

“belief” on John’s part (John 20:8; cf. John 2:22); and it<br />

resulted <strong>in</strong> “wonder<strong>in</strong>g” on Peter’s part (Luke 24:12), someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />

which, comb<strong>in</strong>ed with subsequently spend<strong>in</strong>g forty days with the<br />

resurrected Christ, resulted <strong>in</strong> the unwaver<strong>in</strong>g faith/belief seen at<br />

Pentecost and beyond as Peter became the central figure <strong>in</strong> the<br />

proclamation of the message dur<strong>in</strong>g about the first five years of<br />

the existence of the Church (Acts 2ff).<br />

Christ’s Post-Resurrection M<strong>in</strong>istry<br />

Christ’s m<strong>in</strong>istry to Israel prior to His death, burial, and resurrection<br />

lasted for about three and one-half years. This was a<br />

m<strong>in</strong>istry which had begun while John the Baptist, the forerunner<br />

of Christ, was still proclaim<strong>in</strong>g to Israel:<br />

“Repent ye [a plural pronoun, referr<strong>in</strong>g to all Israel]: for the k<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />

of the heavens [the rule of the heavens over the earth] is at hand”<br />

(Matt. 3:2, 13ff; John 3:22-24).<br />

John’s m<strong>in</strong>istry was carried out <strong>in</strong> Judaea. And after John had<br />

been imprisoned, Jesus traveled to Galilee, which was north of<br />

Judaea and Samaria; and <strong>in</strong> Galilee He began to proclaim the<br />

message which had begun under John. And multitudes began<br />

to follow Him, both from Galilee where He was m<strong>in</strong>ister<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

from the southern region of Judaea (Matt. 4:12-25).<br />

To help <strong>in</strong> the proclamation of this message, Jesus, early <strong>in</strong> His<br />

m<strong>in</strong>istry, commissioned twelve disciples. <strong>The</strong>n, at a later time, He<br />

commissioned seventy others as well (Matt. 10:1-8; Luke 10:1-9).

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