Larger Catechism – Day 26 of Lent
Question 52: How
was Christ exalted in his resurrection?
Answer: Christ’s exaltation in his resurrection began with his body not
decaying, since it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. On the
third day, he rose again from the dead by his own power and in the very same
body with all its essential qualities in which he had suffered (but it was not
subject to death and the other infirmities associated with this life), and it
was truly united to his soul. By his resurrection, he plainly declared himself
to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have conquered death
as well as him who holds the power of death, and to be Lord of the living and
dead. He did all this as a general representative of humanity and as head of
his church in order to justify believers, make them alive in his grace, support
them against their enemies, and assure them that they too will be resurrected
from the dead at the last day.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our
faith, our forgiveness, and our hope.
Do the math:
No bodily resurrection of Jesus =
Jesus is still dead
No bodily
resurrection of Jesus = we are false witnesses
No bodily
resurrection of Jesus = we will not be raised to new life in Christ
No bodily
resurrection of Jesus = Jesus’ body rotted and decayed back to dust
No bodily
resurrection of Jesus = no victory over Satan
No bodily
resurrection of Jesus = we have no hope
I knew several pastors in our former denomination that did not
believe that Jesus had a bodily resurrection on Easter morning. These pastors believed that he had a
spiritual resurrection. I have often
wondered what they preached about on Easter Sunday. Do they preach about Jesus’ body still being
dead? Where did the body go? Why didn’t the Jewish and Roman leaders
produce the body and put an end to this upstart branch of Judaism?
I put my faith and trust in the biblical accounts of the bodily
resurrection and the first century followers of Christ who were so positive of
Jesus’ bodily resurrection that they were willing to endure ridicule,
persecution, torture, imprisonment and death.
You might be wondering, “Why does he keep referring to the ‘bodily
resurrection’ of Jesus. Quite simply, if
Jesus did not come back to life he did not have a resurrection from the dead!
God used the Apostle Paul to communicate to us the importance of
Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 we find
these words:
“But if it is preached that
Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no
resurrection of the dead? If
there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And
if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then
found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he
raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are
not raised. For if the
dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been
raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have
fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If
only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be
pitied. But Christ has
indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen
asleep.”
Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!!
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