The resurrection has been described as a historical event located in the past but more than just a historical miracle or a theological explanation and therefore be seen as a living reality for a Christian. The death on the cross was a remedial action by God Head or Trinity which was necessary to remedy man from the problem of man’s deficiency – man was not a man as God intended him to be. Adam and Eve was man’s representative on earth and God gave them the privilege of choosing between life and death in the Garden of Eden. God did this when He gave them the freedom to eat freely of the tree of life and experience the very life of God. Instead, Adam chose the necessary opposite of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God for-warmed him not to eat because the consequence of such action was spiritual death (Gen 2:17). This was never God’s intention for man. The choice before Adam would determine what spiritual source Adam (and all of whom he represented) would derive from – God or Satan.“The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence. Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.” “Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!” – Clarence W. Hall.
“No matter how devastating our struggles, disappointments, and troubles are, they are only temporary. No matter what happens to you, no matter the depth of tragedy or pain you face, no matter how death stalks you and your loved ones, the Resurrection promises you a future of immeasurable good.” “Few people seem to realize that the resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone to a worldview that provides the perspective to all of life.” – Josh McDowell.
The Gospel is God’s remedy for man’s disobedient choice and the deadly consequences which resulted. Jesus Christ, the Son of God became flesh (John 1:14) to become the alternative representative of man for humanity and died the dead man was supposed to die. He offered to submit to death though He was sinless (Heb 4:15). For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21 – ESV) and the Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person. But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit” (1Cor 15:45 NLT). “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”(Rom 5:10 ESV) and by his divine life overcome the power of death….Heb 2:14 …and avail life to humanity again.
How does the death and Resurrection of Jesus affect and benefit you? God, the Father was depicted to be angry because of man’s wrong choice that resulted to Spiritual death from sin and demanded a penalty of death to be paid for sin before He would forgive mankind. That was the only way for a just God would act justly. The price of man’s sin must be paid and no other person could justifiably pay the sin debt except one who was sinless. God, the Father was portrayed as an angry God who is mad with mankind. However, Joseph Spedaliere on The Living Reality of Christ in you wrote, “God is for us and not against us or angry with us, never has been and never will be! God is grace and love and His intent has always been to deal with the death consequences of “the one having the power of death” (Heb 2:14) by defeating Satan “once and for all: He entered the holy place for all having obtained eternal redemption Heb 9:2 on behalf of mankind.”
It was then necessary that for Christ to restore man to God’s original intent “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27 NIV). Little surprised Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20 NIV). In his letter to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain…having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (Phil. 1:21); the restoration of God’s life in man, that Christ takes our spiritual death condition and the sinful consequences thereof. It was impossible for Jesus to give us His life and identity for us, unless He took first our spiritual death and sinful identity and death with the death consequences – 1 Peter 3:8. God gave His life for us in order that He might live His life through us.
Christian A. Eberhart wrote in his commentary, “The Apostle Paul wrote these lines during his imprisonment in Rome, probably sometime between 61 and 63 C.E. This specific situation is important to understand our text. Most likely, Paul’s imprisonment was rather a situation of house arrest under military custody that would have allowed him certain privileges, for instance visits of Timothy with whom he penned this letter….. “Our periscope starts with the following sentences: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Philippians 1:21–23, NRSV). Our founding father of faith, Martin Luther so beautifully expressed, “He has made His righteousness my righteousness and my sin His sin. If He has made my sin to be His sin, then I do not have it, and I am free. If He has made His righteousness my righteousness, then I am righteous now with the same righteousness as He. My sin cannot devour Him, but it is engulfed in the unfathomable depths of His righteousness, for He himself is God, who is blessed forever.”
As I glanced through, Adventist.org had this interesting comment, “In Christ’s life of perfect obedience to God’s will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect atonement vindicates the righteousness of God’s law and the graciousness of His character; for it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness. The death of Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming.” (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 22:1; Isa. 53; John 3:16; 14:30; Rom. 1:4; 3:25; 4:25; 8:3, 4; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, 20-22; 2 Cor. 5:14).
- The implication of the fall of man means that Adam lost God’s indwelling life and presence.
- However, God’s redemption and restorative grace would not tolerate that one having the power of death (Heb 2:14) to hold man hostage for ever (2 Tim 2:26)
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV).
- While Satan proudly believed he would hold the power of death and kept man in bondage forever, Jesus willingly accept to die on behalf of man.
- Even though Jesus was still God but become man and humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death on the cross (Phil 2: 8). He made him who had not sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteous of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
- But God raised Jesus up again by putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for death to hold Him captive (Acts 2:24). The son of God appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).
On the cross Jesus exclaimed “It is finished.” He was obedient to the Father until death. It means the work of redemption is completed. “His obedient unto death allowed to His resurrection life to be the restorative reality for mankind. This was to satisfy God redemption plan whose ultimate purpose was to give us His life. In the resurrection of Jesus life, He overcome death, God overcome Satan. “The resurrection is the living reality where in the living Lord Jesus is presently indwelling Christians living and His resurrection life is a Christian behavior.
The benefits of Jesus resurrection:
- The resurrection provides man the opportunity to be restored with His life to all who are willing to receive it.
- We all died in Adam and are all made alive in Christ (1 Cor. 15:22, 45)
- The resurrection life is the Spirit of Christ who is eternal life that He avails us Rom 11:25; John 5:12; John 3:16.
- Mankind who believes in Christ Jesus is born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)
- Only when we are born from above that we receive the resurrection life of Jesus Christ being filled with God’s presence man cannot be man as God intended msn to be John 3:3, 7)
- We become His children when we receive (believes) Him (John 1:12-13; 5:24). If any man believes and receives the one who is the resurrection and the life he shall passed out of death unto life (1 john 3:14).
- Christianity is Christ living His resurrection life in and through us (1 Peter 1:30.
“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single greatest event in the history of the world. It is so foundational to Christianity that no one who denies it can be a true Christian…A person who believes in a Christ who was not raised believes in a powerless Christ, a dead Christ. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then no redemption was accomplished at the cross and “your faith is worthless,” Paul goes on to say; “you are still in your sins” (v. 17).” “If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, your faith in Him would be pointless and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of spiritual life.” – John MacArthur
“There is a resurrection after death. Let this never be forgotten. The life that we live here in the flesh is not all. The visible world around us is not the only world with which we have to do. All is not over when the last breath is drawn, and men and women are carried to their long home in the grave. The trumpet shall one day sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. All that are in the graves shall hear Christ’s voice and come forth–those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. This is one of the great foundation truths of the Christian religion. Let us cling to it firmly, and never let it go.” – J.C. Ryle.