We have been pursuing the question: if Jesus had never intended to rise from the grave, how would that impact our comfort, our faith, our hopes, and our joy in our salvation?
If Christ had not planned to rise again, we would never be able to preach a resurrection gospel to poor sinners.
Think of it: without a resurrection, Paul's exposition of the gospel would simply be, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried."
If Jesus had not planned to rise again, we could never cry out to lost souls to trust in Jesus because He rose again from the dead!
How many gospel messages would have been stripped of their power and proclamation, had this been our unhappy lot.
Most of them do not rely upon theological explanations of how Christ's death saves us, but rather upon the power of His resurrection, and the assurance that our Risen Lord Jesus can and will save whoever trusts in Him!
Jesus told His disciples that He suffered, died, and rose again, as the Scriptures foretold, and that therefore, we are all to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name.
In Peter's powerful Pentecost sermon, he builds his entire case upon Christ's rising again, after wicked men had crucified Him. He recalls the promise made to David and to Messiah, that Christ would not see corruption.
God raised Jesus up and exalted Him to the highest, regardless of man's rebellion, and the only choice they had was to trust in Him.
This sermon could never be preached had Jesus not intended to rise from the grave. There would have been no vindication of Christ, or proof that He ought to be obeyed and believed, or that He has the power to save His people. |
