What Christ’s Resurrection Did!

For the apostle Paul, Christ’s resurrection was the essential truth, the hinge doctrine of the Christian faith. “And if Christ has not been raised,” he testified, “your faith is FUTILE, you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Strong words. Paul emphasized it twice: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (v. 14).

What was so important about Jesus coming back from the dead? There had been biblical resurrections before – the boy Elijah healed, the man in Elisha’s day, Lazarus of Bethany being raised by Jesus. What made the resurrection of Jesus the sine qua non of the Gospel story? Consider four things:

  1. Jesus, the Second Adam, repaired and restored the failure of the First Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). As in Adam all were led into sin, so in Christ has all humanity now been made accepted in the Beloved Son (Ephesians 1:6). By living a sinful life as perfect man and perfect God, Jesus drew all men to Himself and the Father – the curse has been lifted, we all have access to God.
  2. The Resurrection of Jesus through the Holy Spirit confirmed and certified all the promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). Through that one act the promises made to the Fathers – once held in trust, we could say – have now been fully activated. That promise includes our own eventual rising from the dead at the Resurrection of the Just when our spirits will once again be united with our bodies.
  3. Jesus’ Resurrection made possible his Ascension to the Father. This is the event described in Hebrews 9:16 whereby the Son entered the heaven of heavens with his own blood to make full atonement for our sins. Where would we be without that act of intercession?
  4. Jesus’ Resurrection gives us a living High Priest, one always on the job interceding for us daily in heaven and shielding us from the accusations of the Devil when we stumble (Romans 8:34). Surely this by itself is cause for great rejoicing and thanksgiving.