Jesus Died and He Rose Again
By Michael Barber
Dr. Michael Barber, St. Paul Heart Senior Fellow, is Acquaintance Professor of Scripture and Theology at the Augustine Constitute. He has served every bit Dean of the School of Theology at John Paul the Great University in San Diego, where he created and ran a graduate program in Biblical Theology. Dr. Barber holds the Ph.D. in Scripture from Fuller Seminary and earlier studied with Dr. Scott Hahn at Franciscan University. He is the writer ofComing Soon: Unlocking the Volume of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today.
Christ is risen, Alleluia!
Merely why did he rise from the expressionless?
Hither I want to ask the question and bear on on an aspect of the resurrection that is often overlooked, namely, how it relates to our salvation.
Most people know that Jesus died for their sins. Just, every bit nosotros shall come across, co-ordinate to the New Attestation Jesus also rose for our salvation. This aspect of the biblical message is ofttimes neglected. The emphasis on ordinarily on the cross. In fact, the resurrection for many people doesn't figure into their agreement of salvation very much. For most the resurrection is little more than "confirmation".
Withal a close look at Scripture reveals that the Resurrection is more than than that! As Paul makes information technology clear, if Jesus didn't ascent from the dead "your faith would exist in vain" (1 Cor xv:fourteen).
The piece of work of conservancy did not end at the cross. The Resurrection is function of Christ's piece of work of salvation. Let me explain why.
Five Reasons for the Resurrection in Scripture
In fact, Aquinas lists v reasons for the resurrection (Summa Theologica, III, q. 53, art. 1). Being a biblical theologian, Thomas' answers are thoroughly scriptural. Indeed, Thomas highlights reasons Jesus rose from the expressionless—reasons given in Scripture—that are often disregarded.
1.The Resurrection displays God's Justice. God, Thomas explains, exalts those who humble themselves for God'south sake. He cites Luke 1:52: "He hath put downwardly the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble." He writes, "Consequently, because Christ humbled Himself even to the death of the Cross, from beloved and obedience to God, information technology behooved Him to exist uplifted by God to a glorious resurrection."
two.Jesus was raised for our instruction in the faith. He explains, "our conventionalities in Christ's Godhead is confirmed past His rise again, because, co-ordinate to two Cor. 13:4, 'although He was crucified through weakness, however He liveth past the ability of God.' And therefore it is written (1 Corinthians 15:14): 'If Christ be not risen once again, and then is our preaching vain, and your faith is likewise vain.'" He as well cites Psalm 30, a psalm linked with the Passion of Jesus in the New Testament (e.g., Luke 23:46). He points out that the psalmist writes, "What profit is there in my blood?" and asks God what good can come of his seeing "corruption"—the implication for the psalmist is "none". Why? Seeing the psalm as a prophecy of Christ, Thomas concludes that is was necessary for Christ to rise so that he could preach.
iii. The Resurrection was necessary "for the raising of our promise", i.e., of our own resurrection. He writes, ". . . since through seeing Christ, who is our head, rise again, we hope that we besides shall rise again." He turns to 1 Corinthians 15:12: "At present if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how do some among y'all say, that in that location is no resurrection of the expressionless?" He as well cites Job 19:25, 27 this manner: "'I know,' that is with certainty of faith, 'that my Redeemer,' i.e. Christ, 'liveth,' having risen from the dead; 'and' therefore 'in the last 24-hour interval I shall rise out of the earth . . . this my hope is laid up in my bosom.'"
4.The Resurrection transforms the way we alive our lives. Thomas cites Romans 6: "Every bit Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Begetter, so we also may walk in newness of life . . . Christ rising from the expressionless dieth now no more than; so do you also reckon that you are dead to sin, but alive to God."
5. The Resurrection completes the work of our conservancy. Thomas explains, "because, only equally for this reason did He endure evil things in dying that He might deliver us from evil, so was He glorified in ascent again in order to advance united states of america towards practiced things. Here Thomas cites an often disregarded passage, Romans 4:25: "He was delivered upwardly for our sins, and rose over again for our justification."
This terminal element is often completed neglected. Preachers will often explain that Jesus "died for our sins". Simply, according to Scripture, the resurrection is every bit as of import to salvation. Again, to quote Paul, "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor 15:14).
Just how is Christ'south resurrection related to our salvation?
Resurrection and Justification
Catholics and Protestants talk by each other on a regular ground. Believe me, I know—I've spent much of my academic career studying every bit a Catholic at non-Catholic institutions. I've washed and then as an undergraduate and then every bit a Ph.D. pupil.
Why do Catholics and Protestants talk past each other? I believe one of the main reasons is that Catholics and Protestants take differing views on the office of the resurrection. To Catholic theologians, the traditional Reformed approach to conservancy which especially focuses on Christ's expiry as a "substitution" for our death (penal commutation theory), doesn't seem to exit much room for the Resurrection in the work of redemption. Indeed, the famous Protestant theologian Karl Barth seemed to limit the significance of the Resurrection to a "verdict" affirming Christ's work.
In fact, Catholic theology—particularly, soteriology, that is, the theology of Christ's work of conservancy—has e'er stressed the part of the Resurrection. Allow's render to Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas writes:
"Two things concur in the justification of souls, namely, forgiveness of sin and newness of life through grace. Consequently, as to efficacy, which comes of the Divine power, the Passion likewise as the Resurrection of Christ is the cause of justification every bit to both the above. But every bit to exemplarity, properly speaking Christ'southward Passion and decease are the cause of the forgiveness of guilt, past which forgiveness nosotros dice unto sin: whereas Christ's Resurrection is the cause of newness of life, which comes through grace or justice: consequently, the Campaigner says (Romans 4:25) that 'He was delivered up,' i.due east. to expiry, 'for our sins,' i.east. to take them away, 'and rose again for our justification.' Only Christ's Passion was as well a meritorious crusade. . ." (Summa Theologiae 3, q. 56, fine art. 2, ad 4; emphasis added).
This two-fold description of the piece of work of salvation is also plant in what I consider to be the greatest contemporary theological treatise, the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"The Paschal mystery has two aspects: [1] by his death, Christ liberates united states of america from sin; [ii] past his Resurrection, he opens for united states the way to a new life. This new life is to a higher place all justification that reinstates us in God'south grace, 'so that equally Christ was raised from the expressionless by the glory of the Male parent, nosotros likewise might walk in newness of life' [citing Rom vi:iv; cf. 4:25]. Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace [citing Eph 2:4-v; 1 Pet i:3]. It brings near filial adoption and so that men become Christ's brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples later on his Resurrection: "Get and tell my brethren" [Mt 28:10; Jn 20:17.]. We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, considering that adoptive filiation gains us a existent share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection" [no. 654; emphasis added].
One of my favorite books on the Resurrection is probably written by the belatedly 20th century Catholic theologian, F. X. Durrwell, entitled appropriately enough, The Resurrection. Durrwell was a brilliant theologian whose approach to theology was thoroughly biblical; his piece of work is far too often overlooked. He does a great job emphasizing the office the office of the resurrection in salvation. The following is from his volume (pages 28-29, 31, 32).
There'southward then much more I'd like to say, merely for now, Durrwell volition have to suffice. . .
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St. Paul does in fact elsewhere attribute our justification to Christ'due south death (Rom v:9 [cited in a higher place]) every bit well as to his resurrection. Indeed, there seems a striking change of position: in Rom iv. 25, justification is the outcome peculiar to the Resurrection lone; nevertheless it likewise appears to be the outcome of both the expiry and resurrection.
Merely the Pauline theory of justification withstands any accuse of incoherence, for our contact with Christ's death, as well as our contact with his resurrection is effected by our wedlock with Christ in glory, and but through this union do nosotros receive the benefit of his death, the remission of sins.
St. Paul, in fact, teaches that although the death has expiated our sins, our justification, which consists in the remission of our sins and the new life, is given to united states of america in the risen Christ. Man dies to sin and rises again to life in Christ (death, Col. 2. 11ff.; life, Rom vi. eleven; eight. 2; I Cor xv. 22); God'due south justice, which is implanted in us past this death and this life, is given us in Christ. (2 Cor. v. 21.; Gal. ii. 17.) Here only are nosotros redeemed (Rom iii. 24; 1 Cor i. 30; Col. i. 24); here onyl is our conservancy. (2 Tim. ii. x). Only in this living environs can the justice of God be communicated and grow. And it is the Christ of glory who is meant whenever this phrase is used to express the mystical reality of man's living matrimony with his Savior. "The Christ of the formula in Christo Jesu is always Christ glorified… not the historical [earthly] Christ" [citing Sanday]....
St. Paul goes even further. The phrase "in Christ" was used to bespeak our risen Savior as the principle of our justification. In another phrase, equally honey to him, he identifies the human activity whereby nosotros are justified with the bodily human activity by which Christ is glorified; we are divinely brought to life by the Father'due south deed in resurrecting Christ: "Even when we were expressionless in sins, he hath quickened us together in Christ… and hath raised united states of america up with him." (Eph. two. 5-6; Col. ii. 12ff.; iii. i). The Male parent has given us life past raising up Christ, nosotros are included in the one life-giving act which was performed for our Lord.
This brings up another question. How can all men at all times be taken upward in the single act of the resurrection which brought Christ back to life at a given date in the past? Once more the question is hard, but the statement is perfectly clear.
At the same moment every bit justice is given to united states of america in the act by which the Father raises up the Son, our sins are also remitted. The texts I have quoted brand this clear: while we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life together with Christ. . .
. . . The action whereby the body of the mortal Christ is transformed in augurates the Male parent's action of justification; divine life comes to mortal human being; the justice of God, which is a living and life-giving holiness, takes possession of him. It is the Father who raises up Christ (Rom. eight. 11; i Cor. six. 14:ii; 2 Cor. four. 25; xiii. four; Eph. i. 19; Col. two. 12) and who justifies united states of america. (Rom. iii. 26, 30; viii. thirty; Gal. three. 8.) It is in Christ, and through the act of raising him upwards, that he justifies us. The resurrection of our Lord is the first of the Begetter's life-giving works in a new world, the first and the only one, for all the others are achieved in it: "He hath quickened us together with Christ. (Eph. two. 5).
The death and resurrection of Jesus are both working towards our conservancy. Each plays a dissimilar part in it. If Christ is dead, we who are united to Christ are likewise dead. This decease signifies the end of our life according to the flesh.
Source: https://stpaulcenter.com/jesus-didnt-just-die-for-our-salvation-why-he-rose-from-the-dead/
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