| The Apostles' Creed, Part 12: "The third day he arose again from the dead" |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, January 02 2012 00:00 |
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Paul set forth the essentials of the gospel in 1 Cor. 15:3-5, that Christ died, was buried, and rose again, all in accordance with the Scriptures. The resurrection of Christ is understood by all believers as an essential tenet of the faith. When we ask people why the resurrection is important, most will comment that it demonstrated Jesus’ power over death and provides assurance of our own resurrection. Thus, because the resurrection was an historical event witnessed by over 500 people, with more evidence and detail than for any other event of the ancient world, the resurrection provides, may we say, proof of life after death? If not proof, then it provides a very, very high degree of probability. No one has been able to disprove the resurrection, though many theories have been advanced. All these theories have been proven illogical, impossible, unreasonable, or not in line at all with the testimony we have. So when people say that it demonstrates Jesus’ power over death and gives a basis for belief in our own resurrection from the dead, then they are indeed correct. (We shall return to this topic in discussing our belief in our own resurrection later.) However, there is more to the resurrection that we need to notice. Paul’s statement in Romans 1:4 that Jesus “…through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead…” God declared by raising Jesus from the dead that He was indeed His Son. But why? For what reason? This man had just suffered an unjust death, claiming that it was designed to pay for the sins of His people. It was atonement for sin; it was propitiation (a sacrifice that not only paid for the guilt of a sinner but rendered him acceptable to the God he had offended by his sin). Had God not accepted that sacrifice, had it not been sufficient, had there been any flaw in Jesus that would have rendered his sacrifice invalid, God would not have raised Him as a declaration of His Sonship. It was a clear sign to all the world for all time that the sacrifice of Christ was accepted by God. God’s holy justice was satisfied. The work of redemption was once and for all finished! |
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