The Resurrection of Christ—

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. - Acts 25:19

    an affirmed fact

    Festus summed up the dispute between the apostle Paul and his Jewish accusers in one issue. The whole controversy was about 'one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive'. The object of this chapter is just that: to affirm that Christ Jesus is alive. The incarnation of Christ is a source of great comfort and joy to every believer. How blessed it is for us to know that God assumed our nature! God inhuman flesh is able to redeem us, understands and sympathizes with us and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Matt. 1:21,23; Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15).

    The righteous life of Christ as a man is the righteousness he wrought out for his people. His life of obedience is a moral example of faith, love, holiness and devotion which every believer strives to follow (John 13:15; Eph. 4:32-5:1; 1 Peter 2:21). But it is much more than a moral example! Christ's righteous obedience to God as our representative and substitute is that 'holiness without which no man shall see the Lord' (Heb. 12:14). His righteous obedience is the robe of pure white, the garment of salvation in which every believer is clothed. It is the righteousness performed by Christ which God imputes to his elect in justification, by which we are made righteous, perfectly holy and accepted with the holy Lord God (Jer. 23:6; Rom. 5:18-21; 10:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:21).

    The blood of Christ is our redemption. His death as our vicarious, sin-atoning, substitutionary sacrifice is the basis of our hope before God. He paid our debt, satisfied divine justice and put away the sins of God's elect. He obtained eternal redemption for us! 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law' (Gal. 3:13). He did not try to redeem us; he redeemed us! He died; therefore we shall never die (Rom. 3:24-26; 8:1,33-39; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:12; 1Peter 1:18-20; 2:24; 3:18).

    We rejoice in, and give thanks to, God for the accomplishments of our dear Saviour. He came into the world as a man for us. He lived in righteousness for us. He died on the cursed tree for us. But had he not risen from the grave, ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, his obedience, life and death would have been as meaningless and useless to us as that of any other man. The fact is, the whole truth of God, the whole gospel, the whole of our faith, the whole of our salvation and the whole glory of the triune God stand or fall with the resurrection of Christ (1Cor. 15:14-18). Therefore it is needful that the fact of it be established clearly in every believer's heart and mind.

    1. The fact stated

    The Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, died upon a Roman cross 2,000 years ago. He died at the hands of wicked men by the will of God as a substitute for sinners (Isa. 53:9-12; Acts 2:23). Having died, he was taken down from the cross, wrapped in grave-clothes and buried in a borrowed tomb. That tomb was covered with a large rock, sealed by the Roman government and guarded by two experienced soldiers (Matt. 27:57-66). But on the morning of the third day, he arose from the dead.

    Christ really did die upon the cross. When the soldiers came to break his legs, to finish him off, they realized that he was already dead and did not bother. Yet with malicious spite, one of them thrust a spear through his heart (John 19:31-37).

    That very same Jesus who died arose from the dead (1 Cor.15:3-4; Rom. 14:9). Yes, our Lord's resurrection was a literal, physical, bodily resurrection. It was not the resurrection of his divine nature. His divine nature could not, and did not, die! It was not the resurrection of his human soul. The soul of man is immortal! His soul, like that of every believer, departed immediately to paradise upon the death of his body (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:1-9). It was his physical body that was raised from the dead (John 2:19-21; Luke 24:39-40; John 20:25,27). Though now immortal and glorified, our Lord's human body in heaven is the same in appearance, size, form and substance as it was when he walked upon the earth. He is a real man, even today!

    2. The fact affirmed

    The fact of our Lord's resurrection is so clearly and undeniably affirmed that it cannot be denied by any honest person. Those who are determined in their obstinate rebellion against God may sup press the truth and loudly denounce it; but they know in their hearts that it is so, even as the heathen know in their hearts that the wrath of God is upon them (Rom. 1:18). But the clear affirmations of Christ's resurrection are given for the comfort and edification of God's saints.

    First, the Old Testament prophets declared that Messiah would be one who would arise from the dead (Isa. 53:10-12). It was clearly revealed in the Old Testament that Christ would both die to redeem and rise again to rule over all things to save his elect. Compare scripture with scripture and you will see that the New Testament is the fulfilment and explanation of the Old (Ps. 2:7 with Heb. 1:5; Ps. 16:10 with Acts 2:27-31; Ps. 68:18 with Eph. 4:8; Ps. 110:1 with Heb. 1:13;Ps. 110:4with Heb. 7:17;Isa. 26: 19with Matt. 27 :52-53; Hosea 6:2 with Eph. 2:6 and Col. 3:1).

    Second, in addition to the many direct prophecies, there were many types and pictures of our Lord's resurrection in the Old Testament: Adam awakening out of a deep sleep to behold and receive the bride formed from his side (Gen. 2:21-23); Isaac's resurrection from the sacrificial altar three days after the sentence of death was passed upon him (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:17-19); the bush that was burned with fire but was not consumed, out of which God spoke to Moses (Exod. 3:2-6); Aaron's rod that budded and blossomed with life (Num. 17:5-9); the living bird that was set free after it was dipped in the blood of the bird that was slain for the purification of the leper (Lev. 14:6); the scapegoat that was set free after the other goat was slain for atonement (Lev. 16:8-10, 15-17,20-22); the deliverance of Jonah from the belly of the whale after three days (Matt. 12:40).

    Third, the witnesses of our Lord's resurrection are of such number and credibility that no court in the world could deny their testimony. He was seen by angels (Matt. 28:2,5-6; Luke 24:5-6; John 20: 12). Holy women saw the risen Christ and declared it (Matt. 28:9; Mark 16:4,9 Luke 24:2-9; John 20: 11-18). The soldiers who guarded the tomb themselves testified of the resurrection (Matt. 28:4,11-15). More than 500 disciples saw the risen Christ at one time (1 Cor. 15:6). The risen Saviour was seen by Peter, then by the rest of the apostles and last of all by Paul, both before and after he was converted (1Cor. 15:5-8; Acts 22: 17-18; 26:16,19). These men were witnesses chosen by God for the purpose of declaring the resurrection to men (Acts 10:34-43). All who reject their testimony wilfully shut their eyes to the best-attested fact in history.

    Fourth, the Holy Spirit is himself the witness of Christ's resurrection (Acts 5:30-32; Heb. 2:4). God the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost and wrought miracles in the apostolic age as a confirmation of the fact that Christ, having accomplished the redemption of his people, is risen and exalted.

    3. The fact explained

    The fact of our Lord's resurrection is vital. Without it, there is no salvation for any sinner. But since Christ is risen from the dead, exalted to the throne of God and makes intercession for his people, three things are guaranteed by it:

    1. The redemption of God's elect. Justice being satisfied, our sins have been purged from the record of heaven, and sin can never be imputed to a believer (Heb. 9:12;Rom.4:8; 1John 2:2).

    2. The regeneration of God's elect (Eph. 2:5-6; 1 Peter 1:3). All for whom atonement was made and who were raised with Christ representatively will be raised by his Spirit from death to life in the new birth.

    3. The resurrection of God's elect (l Cor.15:20,23; 1Thess. 4:13-18). Every believer, every chosen, redeemed, regenerate soul, will be completely conformed to the image of Christ, body, soul and spirit, in resurrection glory (Rom. 8:28-30).