11. Christ's Burial And Resurrection
CHAPTER XI Christ’s Burial and Resurrection "He Was Buried" In the first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul gives us the definition of the Gospel that he preached. He says, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Here we must make a distinction between the condescension of our Lord and His humiliation. When the Son of God, the Lord of Glory, came to this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh, it was condescension on His part; when He, on the Cross, was made a curse for us, and finally His body was placed in the tomb, He had reached the lowest depths of humiliation.
"Our Redeemer stooped low indeed when He assumed our nature, but lower still when He submitted to be laid in the grave. This is the last degree of humiliation. All the glory of man is extinguished in the tomb. If we viewed his prosperity with an eye of indifference, we now pity him; if his splendor excited our envy, the feeling dies away and hostility relents, when he, who like a flourishing tree spreads his branches around, now lies prostrate in the dust? Who is this that occupies the sepulchre of Joseph? Is it a prophet or a king? No; it is one greater than all prophets and kings, the Son of the living God, the Lord of heaven and earth; but there is now nothing to distinguish Him from the meanest of the human race; the tongue which charmed thousands with its eloquence is mute, and the hand which controlled the powers of the visible and invisible world is unnerved. The shades of death have enveloped Him, and silence reigns in His lonely abode." (Dick) Not only was His body placed in the tomb, but He also descended into Hades. "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" (Ephesians 4:9). The significance of our Lord’s burial was typified by the scape goat, upon whose head the high priest laid his hands and confessed the sins of the people, thereby transferring their sins to the animal that afterwards was sent away into the wilderness. Concerning this we read, "And when he hath made an end of reconciling (making atonement) the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring in the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send Tiim away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness" (Leviticus 16:20-22). In the chorus of one of our great gospel hymns the truth is stated when we sing, "Living, He loved me; Dying, He saved me; Buried: He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming--oh, glorious day." The humiliation of Christ manifests the greatness of His love and the riches of His grace, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
It was for us, men, and for our salvation, that He became man, and abased Himself to the dust of the earth. He drew a veil over His glory, that He might remove our reproach. He groaned and died that we might be redeemed and rescued from our lost estate, and that He might one day take us to be with Himself.
Let us learn humility from His example. Pride should forever be renounced by those who are His. He says, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29). Paul writes, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Php 2:5-8).
"He Rose Again the Third Day"
It was when the apostles preached and taught the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they encountered their fiercest opposition. The importance of our Lord’s resurrection is definitely stated by the Apostle Paul when he writes, "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; and ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:12-20).
All four of the Gospels record the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was foretold by the Old Testament prophets, and also predicted by the Lord Himself. The Epistles explain it.
Biblical Reasons for the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ 1. He Was Raised Again from the Dead Because of Who He Was
He was the Son of God, the Lord of Glory. He was the "Lamb without blemish and without spot." He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." Therefore He was not subject to death, it had no claim upon Him. He died because He was made sin, and our sins were laid upon Him. His death accomplished everything necessary for our redemption; therefore death could no longer hold Him. This is what Peter speaks about on the Day of Pentecost when he says, "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" (Acts 2:24-27). Being the Messiah, His resurrection was necessary to vindicate His character from the charges His enemies had filed against Him. He was accused of being an imposter and a blasphemer. His resurrection proved that He was "the Son of God" (Romans 1:4).
2. He Was Raised Again from the Dead That Prophecy Might Be Fulfilled
God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8-17) is concerning the King and the Kingdom. It was confirmed with an oath (Psalms 89:3-4; Psalms 89:35-37), and secured for ever "an house," the Davidic family; a "throne," a symbol of royal authority; a "kingdom," a sphere of rule, and a "king." God said to David, "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." This refers primarily to Solomon and his kingdom, but its final fulfilment will be realized in and through the Messianic Kingdom.
David had prophesied concerning the resurrection of Christ (Psalms 16:9-10). Concerning this Peter says, "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (hades), neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" (Acts 2:30-32).
"Unto you (Israel) first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26).
3. He Was Raised Again from the Dead Because the Ground of the Sinner’s Justification Was Accomplished
God permitted His death, because He required His life as the sacrifice for the sins of the people; He restored it to show that the demands of infinite justice were for ever satisfied. Hence the Scriptures say, "And declared the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4); and that the God of peace brought Him again from the dead through the blood of the everlasting covenant. By this event, God acknowledged Him to be His Son, and gave a solemn assurance that the demands of infinite justice had for ever been satisfied. Paul asks, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).
4. He Was Raised Again from the Dead to Bestow Resurrection Life
He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). The Apostle Peter in his first epistle declares that the resurrection of our Lord is the means of the new birth. He says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). In his second sermon he speaks of our Lord’s resurrection in relation to the healing of the lame man. He says, "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:14-16). The Apostle Paul says, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:4).
We are joined to our risen and glorified Lord. It is through this union with Him that we have eternal life. "He is our life." We read, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20); "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4).
5. He Was Raised from the Dead to Impart Resurrection Power The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s standard of power today. Paul writes, "The eyes of your understanding (heart) being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:18-20).
Satan, who is next to God in power, did everything he possibly could to hinder the coming of our Lord into the world; when Christ came, he did his utmost to destroy Him and to keep Him from going to the cross. When the body of our Lord was placed in the tomb, it was officially sealed and soldiers were placed there to guard it, to make it absolutely sure that Christ would not be raised from the dead; but in spite of all Satan’s efforts to the contrary, God raised His Son, our Lord, from the dead.
Today, God exercises this power in our behalf; we are the special objects of His mighty power. It is through this power that we are to live and walk to His glory and honor. It is the power for service and fruitbearing. "Even so we should walk in the newness of life."
6. He Was Raised from the Dead to Be the Head Over All Things to the Church
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Christ is said to be the "head of the corner" (Acts 4:11); the head of the body (Ephesians 4:15); the head of every man (1 Corinthians 11:3) and the head of the church (Ephesians 5:25).
He is now the head over all things to the church as His body. In the future He will be the head of the church as the husband is the head of the wife.
7. He Was Raised from the Dead to Be the Firstfruits and the Pattern of the Saints of This Age
We are told, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christs at his coming" (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
Concerning Christ as the pattern, Paul writes, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Php 3:20-21). The Apostle John says, "But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). The Lord Jesus Christ was also raised from the dead to be related to the heavenly company of redeemed ones as: the last Adam, the federal head of the new creation (1 Corinthians 15:45); the Head of the body with its many members (Ephesians 5:30; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:15); the True Vine, in whom the saved ones are branches (John 16:1-16); the Foundation and Chief Cornerstone upon whom believers as living stones are "builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Corinthians 3:11); the great High Priest, under whose authority believers as priests minister (Hebrews 2:17; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9); the great Shepherd of the sheep (John 10:1-30; Hebrews 13:20); and finally, in the future the Bridegroom of the Church, which is now His body (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:1-3). The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ goes beyond all dispensational bounds and is eternal in its results. It is by the theologians classed as one of the major divine undertakings. It is the proof positive that all that was accomplished by the cross of Christ, to an infinite degree satisfied the eternal demands of divine justice. It is the pledge of our resurrection. His glorified body is the pattern of what our present bodies will be transformed unto.
"The resurrection of Christ vindicated His character from the aspersions of His enemies. It demonstrated, at the same time, that He had accomplished the work which His Father appointed Him to perform, and had obtained eternal redemption for His people. It gives an assurance to those who believe in Him, of a future triumph over death and the grave. He arose as their representative, and they shall also rise after His example, and through His merits and power." (Dick)
We conclude this chapter with the following words:--"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5).