By Cody Anderson
We have walked through the prophecies of Jesus’ birth, the narrative of His birth, and what that brought about for mankind. Now we look at the death and resurrection of the Son of God. These events reveal the essence of God’s character, His purpose for humanity, and His plan for redemption. These events not only move forward the narrative of peace, love, and hope, they also seal them for the believer.
The crucifixion of the Son of God is paradoxical. The One who is sinless and not deserving death, willingly endured such a humiliating and excruciating death for those who deserve it. This was not a tragic end to a feel-good story; it was the divine act of love for all mankind. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (ESV). This should have been easily understood by the Jewish people. According to the law they were given, they were to make animal sacrifices for the atonement of their sins. This was repeated every year and had been their custom for hundreds of years. When Jesus was placed on the cross and breathed His last, the One underserving of the death would fulfill the Law by being the perfect once and for all sacrifice. He’s death fulfilled the requirements of divine justice, bearing the weight of humanity’s sin, and satisfying God’s holiness. Now, man could be reconciled back to God. The cross was once an instrument of death; now it’s a symbol of redemption for those who believe. No sin is considered too great to be forgiven by such a gracious God.
While the depth of God’s love is revealed in the death of His Son, the resurrection demonstrates His sovereign power. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead, declares victory over death and sin. Jesus accurately predicting His resurrection on the third day reveals He was in control the whole time, death could not stop Him, and the grave could not hold Him. This clearly validated His identity as the Son of God. It gives way to a great hope for believers, for they too will experience resurrection and eternal life. John 11:25-26 proclaims, “Jesus said to [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die…’” (ESV).
The resurrection transforms the Christian understanding of life and death. Life is no longer defined simply by the time we are breathing. These earthly struggles are not all we have to hope for. Now we have a hope of eternal fellowship with our Creator God. Death has also been reconsidered. Once deemed the final enemy, it’s now seen as a defeated foe. For the believer, it is described as simply a falling asleep. Paul writes on the topic of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (ESV).
After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to a multitude of people multiple times. The resurrection is most evident in the life of the disciples. Once found disheartened, afraid, and scattered in the fear of persecution after His crucifixion, after the disciples encountered Jesus post-resurrection, they boldly proclaimed the gospel and welcomed persecution – even to their deaths. Their actions and accounts, along with over 500 eyewitnesses, leave us resolute in the proclamation of our living God.
The crucifixion and resurrections are a divine declaration of God’s love, power, and faithfulness to His people. The cross tells us we are loved beyond measure, while the empty tomb assures us that not even death can separate us from God’s love for us. Christmas is only celebrated because of what that baby would come to do through His life, death, and resurrection. Now I leave you with what Jesus asked Martha about the resurrection in the last part John 11:26, “…Do you believe this?” (ESV).
This article originally appeared in The Clarion Newspaper.
Corinth Baptist Church 