The Resurrection

Feature 1 – April 2020 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Resurrection

During his second missionary journey (Acts 16–18) the apostle Paul was sent out of Berea for his safety. He traveled to Athens where he first went to the synagogue, according to his custom, and spoke from the Scriptures. After interacting with people on the streets and in the market, Paul was asked to address them publicly because they thought he was bringing a new religion, which was forbidden under Roman rule.

In his improvised speech to the philosophers and officials, the apostle presented the one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, who sustains all and leads humanity’s history. He is also the Savior-God who commands – then and now – that all people must repent, for He has appointed a Man to be the Judge of all. The undeniable fact that God has raised the Lord Jesus from among the dead is proof that this judgment will come.

Sadly, most people in Paul’s audience were not interested (Acts 17:22-34). What about you, dear reader, do you think that the issue of the resurrection is important?

A Few General Points
One of the first biblical references to the resurrection is in Job. Most likely written before any other Bible portion, it says, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25 ESV). Enoch’s prophecy about the Lord’s coming with His saints (Jude 1:14-15) implies the truth of the resurrection, and it was uttered even before the statement in Job but was only much later passed on to us by Jude.1

The word “resurrection” means “rising again,” and it implies a return to life from death, as is the case with the verb “stand ... at the last” in Job’s statement. Scripture links resurrection to a new order of life, beyond the control of death. It, therefore, is not just a miraculous return to this life, as described in the three resurrection stories in the Gospels. Shortly before His sufferings the Lord Jesus announced to His disciples this entirely new resurrection order (Mt. 16:16-18).

A few years later the apostle Paul explained that the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation on which the Church is being built. It implies all true believers are linked with the risen One, the Firstfruit of many more to follow (1 Cor. 15:23) through faith and a work of the Holy Spirit. Only God has the power to bring life where death reigns (Dt. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6), and He supplies new life to the believers and sustains them in it (Rom. 4:25, 5:14-21, 6:4).

The Old Testament describes events that show God’s resurrection power as He worked through His instruments, Elijah and Elisha. Three stories we find are: the widow’s son in Zarephath (1 Ki. 17:17-23), the son of the Shunammite (2 Ki. 4:18-37), and the dead man brought back to life when his body touched Elisha’s body in a grave (13:20-21). Sad to say, many people do not believe these reports about God’s power in sovereign grace.

Jesus’ Sufferings And His Resurrection
Many Scriptures describing the death of the Lord Jesus also report His resurrection from among the dead. The two facts are inseparable, as Peter said it was impossible for the Messiah to be held captive by the power of death (Acts 2:24). Let’s consider a passage in Psalms and one in Isaiah.

Psalm 22. Around 1,000 years before Peter spoke in Acts 2, David prophesied in fascinating detail about the sufferings and death of the coming Messiah. The psalmist concluded with the wonderful results, accompanied by outpourings of praise and worship.

The words of this psalm’s heading “Aijeleth Hashshahar” – meaning “doe of the morning” put it in the context of Jesus’ resurrection and suggest a genuine response to His total devotion. The female hind illustrates loyalty and eagerness at the very early dawn of the extraordinary day of Christ’s resurrection.

This reminds us of Mary of Magdala, who very early in the morning (Mk. 16:1-2; Jn. 20:1) came to the tomb where Jesus had been buried (19:38-42). Just before the fall of night on the day He died, she had seen the place where He was laid (Mk. 15:47). She then came back in the early morning on the first day of the week, together with a few women, to anoint Him, supposing that He was still dead. However, she had the privilege of being the very first human being 2 to meet the risen Lord (Jn. 20:11-16). He told Mary to go and tell “My brothers ... ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God’” (Jn. 20:17; see Heb. 2:11-12). His message proves the intimate and new relationship – which had not existed before – between the risen Lord and His disciples, including believers today. At the same time He indicated an important distinction that we need to respect, for we should not say, “Jesus is our brother” or something similar, since He is the unique Son of the Father (2 Jn. 1:3).

Psalm 22 concludes with seven widening circles of praise and blessing, starting with the risen Messiah and His assembly, and extending to the ends of the earth in the world to come (vv.21-31)

Isaiah 52:13–53:12. This other well-known passage about Messiah’s sufferings, death and resurrection consists of five amazing stanzas. We might call it “The Greatest Prophecy.”

The first stanza (52:13-15) reviews His amazing person, sufferings, resurrection, present exaltation and glory in the world to come. The second, third and fourth stanzas (53:1-9) describe His life of service and sufferings, as rejected by man, including the cross with its unfathomable sufferings. The last stanza (vv.10-12) sums up the wonderful results of His profound sufferings, linked with His resurrection and “the glories that would follow” (1 Pet. 1:11 NKJV) the lasting fruits of His labors. In other words, all these elements are like an unbreakable chain.

The Old Testament Believers And The Resurrection
From the beginning of history there were those who believed in a bodily resurrection. When sin entered this scene with Adam and Eve’s fall, resulting in death and separation from God, Adam’s faith was seen in his calling his wife “Eve,” which means “life” and “the mother of all living” (3:20). Already here we have a suggestion of resurrection life, even in a scene of death (Gen. 4–5).

The many heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 are prime examples of faith in God and in the resurrection. Consider Abraham, the father of all believers, who moved from the area of Babel and its idolatries all the way to the Promised Land. The patriarch understood what God had promised would ultimately take place in the world to come, after the resurrection.

When he and his wife Sarah finally had their promised son, Isaac, the Lord asked him to give his only-begotten son and heir as a burnt-offering sacrifice to God. Abraham was willing to do so because he trusted God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises. He understood that if he needed to sacrifice his son, then God was going to raise him up from the dead because God is faithful and will fulfill His promises (Heb. 11:17-19). The ram that Abraham saw in the thicket was sacrificed in Isaac’s place (Gen. 22:13), but for the Lord Jesus, the Son of the living God, there was no substitute (Rom. 8:32). In Scripture the ram speaks of devotion, just as we saw with the female hind.

Like Abraham, David believed God and lived in the sure hope of the resurrection, as he expressed in many psalms. David spoke of the coming Messiah as his descendant (Ps. 110:1), predicting His life, death, resurrection and coming public reign, as in many other psalms.

On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter briefly summarized the Messiah’s life, death and resurrection (Acts 2:22-24). He quoted Psalm 16:8-11 to prove it was the Lord Jesus Christ not David who died, was buried, rose again from among the dead and was exalted at God’s right hand, from where He sent the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:29-36).

There is an amazing progression and continuity of the divine plan, starting with the eternal purpose (Eph. 3:9,11) and going from the creation to the fullness of time, when the Word became flesh (Jn. 1:14; Gal. 4:4). It includes Christ’s perfect life, sacrifice, death, resurrection, ascension and present session at God’s right hand. The divine plan also involves His coming for the Church and the rapture of all believers, followed by His return from heaven together with us in view of His glorious reign, the final judgments and the eternal state.

The Gospels And The Acts
The Lord Jesus started His public ministry when He was about 30 years old. Through many signs and wonders He demonstrated that He was, indeed, the promised Messiah. However, the Jewish leaders claimed that He did those miracles through the power of Beelzebul, or Satan. They were guilty of blasphemy against the Spirit, having attributed to Satan what the Messiah accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 12:31). Furthermore, Jesus had complete power over death, which He demonstrated in three separate cases before He proved it in His own rising from among the dead (Jn. 20:1-29).

There is a remarkable progression in the three resurrection miracles the Lord Jesus performed:

1. Jairus’ daughter had just ‘fallen asleep’ when the Lord called her back to life (Lk. 8:49-56).

2. The young man at Nain, a widow’s only son, was being carried to his burial site, but Jesus stopped the procession, called the young man back to life and gave him to his mother (Lk. 7:11-15).3

3. The Lord Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb on the fourth day after he had died, and brought him back to life (Jn. 11:1-44).

The Jewish leaders taught that a person who died might come back to this life through a miracle, but when someone had been dead for more than three days, he had to wait until “the last day” (v.24). That is why in the case of Lazarus, the Lord was led by the Father to wait until the fourth day, so He could demonstrate who He really was. This amazing miracle showed that He is greater than the Old Testament prophets who had brought people back to life, for He is “the resurrection and the life” (v.25). This is one of the seven “I am” statements in John,4 since He is Jehovah, “God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5 ESV). Because of this extraordinary miracle, the Jews tried to kill Jesus and wanted to kill Lazarus also (Jn. 12:9-11). In the three cases just mentioned, those who were brought back to this life later died again, and they are still waiting for their resurrection when Christ will return (1 Th. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54).

Christians, however, are inseparably linked with the Lord Jesus, for we are seen as co-risen with Him who is “our life” (Col. 3:4 NKJV) and “the true God and eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:20). This gives the topic of the resurrection a special dimension for all true believers, indicated by what Peter said to the Lord, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). Christ is God and has such power that no enemy force will ever be able to eliminate His assembly,5 which He is building (v.18). Paul described this power as “the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the working of the might of His strength” (Eph 1:19 JND). In this Paul used five different words in relation to His resurrection power. How great He is!

Concerning the book of Acts, it would be worthwhile to study all its references to the resurrection of Jesus, for this is the foundation on which the Church is built. He continues to build 6 it, which implies the foundation has been laid in His death, resurrection, ascension and the mission of the Holy Spirit. That He is building indicates His present ongoing work during the age of grace, until it is finished (Eph. 2:20-22).

In the course of his first missionary journey together with Barnabas, Paul gave a message in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-41) and quoted Psalms 2 and 16, just as Peter had done at Pentecost in Jerusalem. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection at the end of time, whereas the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection at all, being under the influence of Greek philosophy (see Acts 17:32). Nevertheless, both Peter and Paul showed that it was God’s power that was demonstrated in raising the Messiah out of the realm of death. By raising the Lord Jesus, taking Him out of the domain of death and the grave, God showed His satisfaction of Messiah’s accomplished work on the cross. After 40 days He exalted Him at His right hand. Praise God!

Paul’s Salvation And His Ministry
During His earthly ministry many Jews rejected the Lord Jesus. After His resurrection and exaltation, He was especially opposed by Saul of Tarsus.7 This Jew persecuted his fellow-Jews who followed the Messiah. However, the glorified Jesus appeared suddenly to Saul on his way to Damascus, arrested or stopped him, and then commissioned him (Acts 9:3-6).

These dramatic events completely changed Saul, who became a fervent and devoted follower and servant of the Lord Jesus. The issue of Jesus and especially His resurrection became heart and center of the apostle’s life and ministry. “I ... count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:8-12 NKJV).

When we study Paul’s writings and sermons we notice how the issue of Jesus and the resurrection became the cornerstone. In other words, take away this essential matter and you lose everything. That is why Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth: “I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures ... Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:3-4,20).

Paul, shortly before he was executed, wrote to his co-worker Timothy: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8-10). We learn many things from these verses, including the impact of the Lord’s coming into this world as He overcame the power of death, brought life instead, and immortality as a result of His resurrection. He communicated these blessings through the gospel.

The Resurrection Or The Second Death?
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (Jn. 5:24). The Lord Jesus made this amazing statement while on earth, speaking as “the Son of God [who] has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:20).

What He said while on earth is still true today, through a work of the Holy Spirit, and that is why the Lord added, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (Jn. 5:25). The moment a sinner hears and believes the gospel (v.24), it is through faith and hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:9-10,17). The Lord will also enable such believers to hear His voice when He comes again in true resurrection power, and that will be a physical resurrection (read 1 Cor. 15:50-55; 1 Th. 4:15-17).

The Lord links this with the authority and power the Father has given Him, including that of judgment. Just as the Father had given Him the power to lay down His life as a sacrifice and to take it again through resurrection (Jn. 10:14-18), so He uses this power for the benefit of believers and in judging unbelievers. “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (5:26-27).

There is no escape: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (vv.28-29). Here we learn the solemn truth that judgment is coming. Many believe that God will have mercy because of their supposed good deeds or that they will be purified in purgatory, which is not biblical. Simply, one who does not believe or obey His word will not see life (3:36). However, the person who believes the Son and what He says receives life at that very moment; he “has passed from death to life” (5:24).

What we considered brings us to the following solemn passage. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15). This passage confirms that the resurrection is in two main phases:

• First. The Lord Jesus Himself is the Firstfruit. All those connected with Him, including Paul (1 Cor. 15:5-8) and every true Christian, together with the believers of the Old Testament, will be called from the realm of death at the rapture and be changed (1 Th. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:50-52). This is called “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:5-6), which later will also include the believers that die between the rapture and Christ’s public reign over the earth (vv.3-4).

• Second. The unbelievers, who have not obeyed the Shepherd’s voice, belong to the category of “the second death” (vv.6,14) even though they will be taken out of the realm of death, the first death. They will stand with body-soul-spirit before the great white throne to be judged and condemned by the Lord, to be thrown in the lake of fire.

These phases show the difference between the resurrection out of, or from among, the dead, and the resurrection of the dead. Those in the first category are identified with the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Life, whereas those who remain in the realm of death during the 1,000 years of our Lord’s blessed reign will be judged, including the unbelievers who will rebel or disobey during that reign. They will all be thrown into the lake of fire!

These things imply a solemn warning not to refuse Him who calls. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:7-8).

ENDNOTES
1.The book from which Jude quoted does not belong to the God-breathed Scriptures. Only the words Jude used in his epistle are part of the inspired Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16).
2. If this gospel were a false report, its writer would never have introduced a woman in the lead story because in those days a woman’s testimony was not considered valid. This issue is one of the indirect proofs of the authenticity of the Gospels.
3. Luke’s reporting was done “in order” (1:3 KJV), namely according to the moral or spiritual order designed by the Holy Spirit, not necessarily chronological, even though that may sometimes be the case as well. Luke stated it as an “orderly account” (ESV).
4. The bread of life (Jn. 6:35,41,48,51); the light of the world (8:12); the door of the sheep (10:7,9); the good shepherd (10:11,14); the resurrection and the life (11:25); the way, the truth, and the life (14:6); the true vine (15:1).
5. This word ecclesia is often translated as “church,” but it indicates a company of those who have been called to go out of paganism or Judaism. God called Abram to go out (Gen. 12:1-3; Acts 7:2-3). The glorified Lord called Saul of Tarsus to go out (9:6; Phil. 3:7-11).
6. The gates of Hades, or the power of death and Satan, cannot prevail against His Assembly (Mt. 16:18). Christ’s power was shown in His own resurrection and the building of His Church. The believers who have passed away since Stephen (Acts 7:60) are still part of His Assembly, waiting for the Lord’s coming. In the meantime, they are in “Paradise,” in His presence (2 Cor. 12:4; Lk. 23:43; Phil. 1:23).
7. Saul had come from Cilicia, present-day Turkey, to be trained in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3, 26:5; Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3:5), but he was probably away during the public ministry of the Lord Jesus.

By Alfred Bouter