THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.
Many churches will hear on “Easter Sunday” what they have at no other times in the year, a sermon on the resurrection of Christ Jesus. The subject is then ignored till the yearly church day returns. And yet, there is no subject in connection with our Lord’s work more instructive to the Christian, more full of meaning, than that of the resurrection of our Lord. What, then, is the resurrection? What is its meaning? and what does it mean to us? I. What Is the Resurrection?
The word “resurrection” comes from the Latin resurgo—re, “again;” and surgo, “to rise;” to rise again. The Greek word from which “resurrection” is rendered is anastasis, defined as “standing up again.” When Christ was buried He was laid in Joseph’s new tomb. When He was raised from the dead, He stood forth a living Being. The body was put into the grave. The body came forth. “He is not here; for He is risen,” was the word of the angel to those who sought Him at the tomb. No body was left in the grave. It was “this same Jesus,” but when God called Him forth from the tomb, the body of His flesh was changed from mortal to immortal, even as He will transform His children when He calls them from the grave. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. II. What Does the Resurrection Mean?
It means righteousness and life. Of our Lord it is said: “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death; because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.” Acts 2:24. Why could not death hold Him? It had held in its icy embrace earth’s countless millions up to that time; why not this Man? To better understand the answer to this question, let us ask another, Why did He die? Why does any one die? Surely, it is not the normal condition of the race. God did not create man to die, or He never would have given him the tree of life. Death comes because of sin. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Eze. 18:4. “The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23. “Sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15. From this evidence it will be seen that death is no arbitrary punishment for sin; for God is not vindictive. It is the fruit of transgression. It must follow the perversion, the transgression, of God’s holy, righteous law, the normal law of man’s being, keeping which, he would exist forever. For “in the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” Prov. 12:28. This is the only power that keeps God’s throne; for “righteousness and justice” are its foundation. Ps. 97:2. It is the only thing that keeps God; for “Jehovah is righteous in all His ways.” Ps. 145:17. Were it possible for righteousness to depart from our God, the throne of universal dominion would crumble, and the universe fall to everlasting wreck. But, praise God, this can not be; for God is essential righteousness, and therefore with Him “is the fountain of life.” Ps. 36:9. And the only reason men die is because of departure from Him and His ways. But why did Christ, the sinless One, die?—He died for our sins. “Him [Christ] who knew no sin He [the Father] made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. This is the secret of His death, the object of “the unspeakable Gift.” All that crucified Him on the cruel cross, all that laid Him in the cold embrace of the grave—more friendly than His own temple—were the sins which the heart of Infinite Love bore, that man might be freed from sin. But having poured out His life on account of the sins of others, having given His life in the hopelessness of that awful moment of agony which wrung from His lips, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me,” man’s price was paid, and, knowing no sin in His own life or purpose, the grave could not hold Him, and He came forth a triumphant Conqueror simply, only, by the power of righteousness. God is righteous; and the resurrection of Jesus demonstrated (“declared,” “determined”) Him “to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Rom. 1:4. III. What Does the Resurrection Mean to Us?
It is of no interest at all, if we do not love life, life everlasting, fraught with joys unspeakable and full of glory. It is of no importance at all, if the theory based on Satan’s falsehood (Gen. 3:4) is true, that man is immortal, and can not die, and therefore needs no resurrection. But, reader, it is of transcendent importance, and ought to be of all-absorbing interest to every one who knows the truth of God’s Word, and desires a life that parallels the life of God. All is involved in it; and it will cost all to obtain the life. Here is the expression of one soul who had all of earth that was needed, everything in which man could boast, so far as reputation, prestige, ancestry, and prospect were concerned: “Howbeit what things were gains [plural] to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness [to the truth of which the Law bears witness, Rom. 3:22] which is from God by faith; that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:9-11. Is this same desire in your heart, dear soul? You may possess all, if you will count all things but loss,—yield all to Christ—and by faith lay hold of the righteousness which He brings to cover all your sin; by faith count yourself crucified with Him to all sin; by faith lay hold of the power of His resurrection,—power over sin and death, the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. For “if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Rom. 8:10. It is the resurrection life which Christ is waiting, longing to give to every soul,—life that will lift above sin, give power over every sinful habit, and enable the new man gladly, willingly, to obey God. And then, tho we may die before Christ shall come, the sleep will not be long. If true to Christ, we lay down in earth’s final resting-place clothed in His righteousness, sons of God through Jesus Christ. The grave can not hold us any more than it could Him; and by His grace and His power we come forth to endless immortality. And this is what the resurrection means to us both here and hereafter.