THE BOTTOM LINE
Mark LaCour
". . . which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord . . . (Rom. 1:2-4).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the one single historical event that all of Christianity turns on -- and for good reason; two to be exact: First, Christ's bodily resurrection from the dead -- and it must be a physical body in order for it to be true (Jn. 20:12; 1 Cor. 15:3-8) -- is a testifying event. It validates that His every thought, word, and deed was acceptable to God the Father. It's one thing for the Apostles to preach that He's a lamb without blemish or defect and committed no sin (1 Pet. 1:19; 2:22), or his enemies to not be able to accuse him of sin (Jn. 8:46; 18:38), or even for Christ Himself to say ". . . I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (Jn. 8:29). But it's another thing altogether for God to authenticate it's true via the resurrection. The resurrection is reward/proof of Christ's authenticity in person and work. If death is the ultimate penalty for sin (1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 20:14), then life -- the opposite of death, is the ultimate verification.
Second, Christ's bodily resurrection from the dead is an authorizing event. He was "declared" the Son of God -- an achieved status that bestows all power and authority (Matt. 28:18). We enter heaven separate from our bodies when we die -- a testament to death's power. But He ascended bodily, having no separation (Acts 1:9-11). He has authority to destroy and nullify -- be it the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 12:10ff.), sin (Rom. 6:10), or the works of the law (Col. 2:13-14). He has authority to create, empower, and establish (Jn. 1:3-4 ; Heb. 1:2-4). His rule extends over the greatest and the least in nature, the course of human history, determining the eternal fates of all (2 Cor. 5:10), causing every knee to bow (Phil. 2:9-11) -- being the very God of heaven receiving all worship (Rev. 5:13-14). His inheritance empowers Him to have a people for Himself, perfectly identified with Him in all things.
Something to think about this Sunday -- a man is now at the center of the worship of the entire universe of all creation, testifying to every man's conscience through His resurrection -- God’s "road sign" in history for all to see and "kiss the Son" before it’s too late (Psa. 2:12). A far cry from Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies.
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