After having studied Matthew’s narrative of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, we again returned to this same Resurrection passage to better understand the theological implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We noted that Matthew 1-27 describes the period of Jesus’ humiliation, and that Matthew 28 begins the everlasting period of Jesus’ exaltation. The instances of Jesus’ exaltation are as follows: Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Jesus’ ascension to heaven, Jesus’ session at the right hand of God, and Jesus’ second coming to judge the world on the last day.
Given the assertion that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the cardinal doctrine of our Christian religion, we first considered the abject foolishness and utter meaninglessness of the Christian faith IF Jesus had died and stayed dead. Understanding that Christians profess Jesus as Lord AND that God has raised Him from the dead, we then examined the attestation of Jesus’ resurrection: the high number of people that Scripture records who visibly saw and interacted with the resurrected Christ … in His physical (and now glorious body).
Considering the theological significance of the Resurrection, we observed how the Resurrection proved Jesus’ own Messianic and divine claims, how it served as a certainty that God HAD accepted His sacrifice and HAD declared Jesus to be both Lord and Christ, and how there is consequently no condemnation for those who are in Christ because Christ has been raised! We then asked the question, “Why was it necessary and significant for Christ to be physically resurrected?” The answer was 3-fold: to fulfill prophecy, to fulfill types, and as a means of completely fulfilling the office of Mediator.
In the next question, “What spiritual benefits derive from the resurrection of Christ?”, we closely examined 2 key theological concepts that are brought to perfection in the Resurrection: justification and sanctification. We defined justification as God’s forensic, legal declaration of the righteousness of a sinner. Because of what Christ accomplished in both His death AND resurrection, “It will be counted (or imputed) to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:24-25). We then defined (definitive) sanctification as that basic and radical change that takes place in a sinner’s moral and ethical condition when he is united to Christ in effectual calling and regeneration. Paul describes this radical change when he wrote, ” And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Looking at the key passage of Romans 6:1-11, we saw that Jesus died to the power and dominion of sin and death and broke its bonds to set us free! And how were those bonds broken? Through His resurrection! The end result is that those united to Christ in His death and resurrection become DEAD to the power and dominion of sin!
Finally, we considered the Christian’s hope in the Resurrection, exploring how Jesus’ resurrection functions instrumentally for the resurrection of the body of believers. Those who are united to Christ will as a fruit and a consequence of His resurrection be changed from corruptible into the incorruptible, from dishonor into glory, and from weakness into power! We concluded with a multi-pronged application that answered the question, “What should be your response to the Resurrection?” The final point of application was that we ought to remember that the Resurrection should drive us to a life of faithful ministry: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:56-58). We preach Christ risen from the dead!!
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