In Part 1 I offered the first two greatest events in the history of the world: the Creation of the world and the Incarnation of the Son of God. Today, the third greatest event:
3. Resurrection of Jesus from the dead
We have seen that God created the world ex nihilo, out of nothing; then He formed man from the dust of the ground and woman from the rib of the man. Man was created for fellowship with God but fell into sin and corruption and death; and to rescue His creation from sin and corruption God promised a Savior. This Savior is His own Son, who himself created the world and man in his image. In fulfillment of the promise, the Son of God was incarnate, made flesh, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary; he became man that he might give himself as a sacrifice for the undone race. He was crucified, died, and was buried, but on the third day he rose again from the dead! This is clearly one of the greatest events in the history of the world!!
Every Gospel tells us of the ministry of Jesus, ending with his crucifixion and resurrection. Here is the account of the resurrection in the Gospel According to Luke. I’ve highlighted the significant parts:
Luke 24
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
After this Peter runs to the tomb and finds it empty (11-12).
Jesus appears to two men walking to Emmaus who tell him the women found not his body (13-35).
Jesus appears to all the disciples (38-49)
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luke could not be clearer or more emphatic: Jesus was raised from the dead. His body. His flesh. Jesus was made flesh (incarnation), suffered and died on the cross, was buried, and this body was raised again. He doesn’t merely live on in our memory, or as a spirit, NO! he was raised from the dead! As Jesus himself said, I am the one who lives, and was dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.
Ignatius (AD 35-108), a disciple of the Apostle John, bishop of Antioch, and martyr said, “He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up Himself. For I know that after His resurrection also He was still possessed of flesh, and I believe that He is so now.”
I’m seeing a pattern here. At Creation, man was formed of the dust of the ground; woman was formed from one of his ribs; the essential nature of man is body and soul. At the Incarnation, the Son of God was made flesh. At the Resurrection, the very body of Jesus was raised up!
Why do I not list the cross as one of the three greatest events in the history of the world? It was indeed a great event; one that secures our salvation and restoration to God, and demonstrated God’s great love for us, but in a sense it is a dependent event. What? Yes. The Incarnation gives the cross value – it was the Son of God who was crucified. The Resurrection gives it power – he died to free us from sin and death; the resurrection demonstrates he won!
"At the cross Jesus cried, It is finished! Through the resurrection the Father cried, Amen!” ~ Terry Virgo
As I said at the beginning, there is a fourth event, a future event, that will change the world
4. Second Coming of Jesus
Acts 1:9-11
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
This same Jesus. He was made flesh, suffered and died in the flesh, rose in the flesh, and is coming again in the flesh.
His first coming was humble and lowly, his second coming will be with power and glory. He will appear in the sky and every eye will see him as he descends to the earth; his feet will touch the Mount of Olives; the dead will be raised; there will be the judgment; he will establish his kingdom on the earth; there will be a new heaven and a new earth. “Oh what a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see!”
And speaking of the resurrection of the dead, he will raise our bodies from the grave. The pattern will come full circle: made flesh at the beginning, the Word made flesh, his flesh raised from the dead, our flesh raised from the dead. As I wrote last year, redemption is physical!
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
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