The Resurrection of Christ

      God who is Life, and the source of all life, and the sustainer of all life, was well able to leave the prison house of death.  It was impossible for death to hold captive Life itself.  As it is true that when light is brought into a dark room, it is impossible for darkness to remain, so it is with the Light of Life.  When the light of God's eternal life comes into darkness or death, the darkness or death is dispelled and becomes powerless and nonexistent.   One of the things meant when the Bible declares that Christ took captivity captive is that Eternal life took eternal death captive and has the just right and just authority to set its captives free.

   Although there are many proofs that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh, one of the most conclusive proofs occurring in the Bible is His resurrection from the dead.  Holy Writ says of Jesus that He is, "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead."  Rom 1:4.  Here is another reason why it took God in the flesh to redeem lost mankind.  Because, if one of the holy angels, or any other holy being had died for mankind's sin, they would have had no power in themselves to rise from the dead.  Because they are but creations of God, given life by God, if that life should be taken away, they are powerless to do anything but remain in the prison house of death.  For they have no life in and of themselves.  But with "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us" Matt 1:23, is it a different matter altogether.  In John chapter 1 we understand that Christ was God; Christ was already present in the beginning, Christ is the Creator of all the universe, and in Him is life.  This is the one who was made flesh- the Originator of life.  The living Word testified when walking among men in John 5:26, "as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself."  No one gives life to God. All life comes from God who is the source.  Further, the living Word declares in John 10:18 "no man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again."  God is self sustained, and the sustainer of all.  He is life, this He clearly says in John 11:25 and 14:26.  So life, going into death, or light going into darkness, plainly means that death and darkness didn't have a chance.  No other being could accomplish this work but God in the flesh, thus it took God to die, and of Himself raise Himself from the dead.  The fact is, if it is life, no matter where you place it, life is still life.  So when He rose from the dead He proved He was verily God.

     Now, moving on, we understand the Bible teaches us that Christ "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."  Rom 4:25.  In plainer language Jesus paid the sin debt - death, however it was not because of sins He had done, but for our sins - the sin of all humanity.  When He rose He earned, proved, established and sealed His right to justify all who by faith believe on and in Him.  He earned the right to justify and forgive our sins, after all, we literally paid the price of death for our sins in Him.  He could after His death justify  forgive all who repent. They had paid the price - death in Him.  Thus he could justify them justly; which means pardon them for all sins and free them from all guilt and condemnation.  Moreover, because we literally died in him, we are literally raised in him.  Christ not only justified us by forgiving us of and freeing us from all sin, more than this He also has earned the right and blazed the way to grant us justification to eternal life.  Remember, when He rose we rose again in Him. 

     To this truth the Bible testifies.  Jesus came not only to be us, but to live for us and to show us how to live.  He further came to die for us, but in this dying for us it was His Divine purpose  to give us an absolutely new life.  Again Beloved to this truth the Bible testifies in Rom 7:4, it reveals this truth in the setting of a new marriage to Christ which takes place after we have died in Him.  Beloved, again it is more than a historical work that is finished.  Though it is a finished work, when we believe and receive this truth by faith, it in all cases produces a literal death in us, and a resurrection, that is the actual impartation and regeneration of a altogether new life in us.  Also in 1 Pet 3:21 God reveals that in all those who genuinely experience this spiritual resurrection in Christ will receive by faith,  "the answer of a good conscience toward God."  No more guilt, no more fear of pain, sickness, Satan or even death.  No more fear of being lost.  We live in the conscious assurance that our calling, acceptance, and salvation are sure in Christ.  Because He rose, we rose in Him.  Because He now lives, we now live in Him, and He in us.

     The same power that was at work in the creation of the world and mankind originally is the same power that is at work in the recreation of mankind.  Creative power, which is life, enabled Christ to rise from the dead.  It is this power that recreates us totally new, and gives to us the eternal life of God.  Phil 3:10 calls it, "the power of  His resurrection."  This is the power that produces a new being in whom dwells the righteousness and eternal life of God.  Christ was resurrected for us, and the necessary unfailing fruit of receiving this gospel reality by faith is an actual and literal resurrection in us.

     The Bible clearly declares in Rom 6:4,5,6,22, "We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence forth we should not serve sin.  But now being made free from sin and become servant to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."