'The Prince of Life'

But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Prince...: Or, author - Acts 3:14-15

    In this passage Peter is preaching to the Jews and their religious leaders in the temple. He who once quivered before a maid now speaks with boldness. He glories in the cross of Christ and plainly exposes the hideous sin of the people to whom he preaches, saying, 'Ye. . . killed the Prince of life!' Here the apostle gives an example to all who preach the gospel. The subject of our preaching must always be the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in preaching the cross we must expose the enmity of man's heart towards God, calling the wicked to repentance and faith.

    This text of Holy Scripture is full of gospel doctrine: 'Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.'

    1. The depravity of man

    The astonishing hideousness of human sin is glaringly evident in the murder of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jeremiah tells us, 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked' (Jer. 17:9). Paul declares, 'The carnal mind is enmity against God' (Rom. 8:7). But the infamous measure of human sin is discovered only in the crucifixion of God's dear Son by the hands of men, men who were only acting as representatives of all men. The cold-blooded murder of Jesus Christ is a glaring proof of man's hatred of God! That is the essence of the doctrine of total depravity.

    2. The holiness and justice of God

    When God made his own Son to be sin for us, he forsook the darling of heaven, poured out the vials of his unmitigated wrath upon him, punished him to the full satisfaction of his infinite justice and killed him! The death of Christ upon the cross declares that our God is a just God and a Saviour (Isa. 45:21), both just and the justifier of all who trust him (Rom. 3:24-26).

    3. The condescension of Christ

    Wonder of wonders! He who is the Prince of life stooped to die! He who is Lord of all humbled himself to die by the hands of wicked men. He who gives and sustains all life was killed by men who live upon his goodness. The nails in his hands and feet could never have held the Son of God to the cursed tree. It was his zeal for the glory of God and his love for his people that held him there (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Cor. 8:9). Because he saved others, he would not and could not save himself.

    4. The folly of rebellion

    All rebellion against the Lord Jesus Christ is madness (Ps. 2:1-12). It is true, these men killed the Prince of life. They rebelled against his claims. They would not have him to reign over them. So they killed him. But he is the Prince of life! Now that very Christ whom man has crucified is risen, exalted and given power over all flesh. One day, either in repentance or in judgement, every sinner will bow to him and acknowledge him as Lord (Isa. 45:22-25; Phil. 2:10-11).

    5. The glorious triumph of Christ

    He is 'the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead'! His own Godhead raised him. God the Father raised him. God the Spirit raised him. He resumed his life triumphantly. By his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power (Rom. 1:1-4). His resurrection declares that Satan is vanquished (John 12:31; Rev. 20: 1-3), the sins of God's elect have been put away (Col. 2:12-15), his people are justified (Rom. 4:25), God's justice is satisfied (Isa. 53:10-12) and all his redeemed will also be raised from the dead (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:23).

    6. The credibility of the gospel

    The credibility of the gospel is the fact that it is the revelation of God. Yet, so gracious is the Almighty that he gives men undeniable proof that the gospel of Christ (the message of his death, burial and resurrection as the sinners' substitute) is true. Peter says, with regard to these things, 'whereof we are witnesses'.

    There stood Peter and John, two evidently honest men. They had nothing to gain by their testimony, and much to lose. They might have called upon the other nine apostles. They might even have called upon more than 500 brethren who had seen the risen Lord at one time to confirm their testimony (1 Cor. 15:4-7). The witness of such men is unquestionably true. Jesus Christ the Lord overcame the powers of death. His body rose from the tomb three days after he died. His victorious resurrection is a matter of fact, as certain and credible as any fact recorded upon the pages of human history. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, though he died upon the cross, lives today as the Prince of life!

    7. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of life

    This is one of those famous titles by which the Son of God reveals himself to men. He will be gloriously known by this name in the day of his appearing, when he will raise the dead. But it is a title which rightfully belonged to him before he was crucified, for his murderers 'killed the Prince of life'. This title belonged to him even when he was in the tomb. Though his body was dead, Christ was still the Prince of life. Now that he is risen from the dead and ever lives to make intercession for us, the Lord Jesus fully possesses all that is implied in this title. He shares it with no one, and no one can take it away from him. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, is the Prince of life. What does this title imply?

    He is the Author of life. All life proceeds from Jesus Christ, God our Creator, by whom all things consist. This is especially true of spiritual, eternal life. The gift of life is entirely the prerogative of the Prince of life (John 5:21; 17:2; 1 John 5:11-12).

    Christ possesses life supremely. Life is in him emphatically and superlatively. He is the life (John 14:6; 1John 1:2). Apart from him there is no life. Christ is life self-existent, life essential and life eternal. Life dwells in him in all its fulness, force, perfection and independence (John 5:26). Everything else is passing away, but Jesus Christ lives and gives eternal life to all who trust him.

    He won for his people the right to live. Christ has 'abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel' (2 Tim. 1:10). He delivered us from death (spiritual and eternal) by his obedience to God as our substitute and the power of his grace. He delivered us from the fear of death (physical) by granting us faith in him (Heb. 2:14-15).

    Jesus Christ freely gives life to dead sinners (Ps. 68:18-20). While in this world, whenever our Saviour came into contact with death it fled from his presence. He always triumphed over it (Mark 5:35-42; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:43-44). The same is true today.

    Wherever the Prince of life comes in saving power, spiritual death flees (John 5:25). So it will be when he comes again (John 5:28-29). Christ marvellously sustains life. By the power of his grace (John 10:28-29), by keeping us in union with himself (John 15:5) and by feeding our souls upon the Bread of life (John 6:47-48,51,53-56), our Saviour keeps us in life!

    The Prince of life is the Ruler of life. Where Christ lives, he reigns! All true, spiritual life gladly yields obedience to him (Luke 14:33). He wears no empty titles. All to whom he gives life willingly bow to him as 'the Prince of life'.