The final word we will discuss in our series is resurrection. It is likely the one with which we are the most familiar. There is a lot we could say about it, but we will consider some highlights to show why this word is so important. As we will see, without this, none of the other words we have studied in this series would matter.
“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 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, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ…” (Romans 1:1-6).
The word translated as “resurrection” (anastasis) means a raising from the dead. It describes one being raised to new life. Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead, which gives us hope beyond this life.
Understanding the Concept
The text above contains Paul’s introduction to his letter to the saints in Rome, in which he provided a detailed explanation of the gospel. The resurrection was so fundamental to this that he mentioned it in his opening remarks. However, before we look at those verses more closely, let us see what the New Testament teaches about this topic.
First, we need to understand that many will ridicule the concept of the resurrection. The Sadducees were a group in first century “who [said] there is no resurrection” (Matthew 22:23). They attempted to demonstrate the absurdity of it by presenting a hypothetical scenario to Jesus about a woman who had married seven brothers, and asking, “in the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be?” (Matthew 23:28). However, their mistake occurred because they did “not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 23:29).* The Greek philosophers had a similar reaction when Paul taught about the resurrection. “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer…” (Acts 17:32). Paul later asked the question, “Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8). If God can create life, He can restore it. To deny the resurrection is to deny the existence and power of God, which is a foolish thing to do. The psalmist noted, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Later in the opening chapter of Romans, Paul explained that God provided evidence that was more than sufficient to prove His existence: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). If God exists, the resurrection is reasonable.
However, even though many refuse to consider this, the fact remains that Jesus was raised from the dead. When the women visited the grave of Jesus, an angel appeared to them and said, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying” (Matthew 28:5-6). On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared that he and the other apostles were “witnesses” of the fact that “this Jesus God raised up again” (Acts 2:32). They maintained this testimony throughout their lives, even in the face of severe persecution and death. No one would endure such suffering for something they knew to be a lie. The apostles kept proclaiming this message until their death; none recanted. Yet the apostles were not the only witnesses. Paul reminded the brethren in Corinth that Jesus appeared alive after His resurrection “to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now” (1 Corinthians 15:6). There was undeniable eyewitness testimony for the resurrection of Christ.
The resurrection is the foundation of the gospel message. Paul wrote, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He went on to explain that without the resurrection, we would have no hope: “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). However, if the resurrection is a reality, then we do have hope. Jesus claimed to be “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Through His resurrection we have “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we must live for Him. Paul made this point in his second letter to the church in Corinth: “And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Paul told the Romans that since “Christ was raised from the dead,” we are to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). As we live here, we are to keep our focus on spiritual things and our reward in heaven. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
Understanding This in Context
As we return to the opening verses of Romans, let us see what Paul tells them about the resurrection.
“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 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, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ…” (Romans 1:1-6).
He explained that he was “set apart for the gospel” (Romans 1:1). He taught about the resurrection because it is a vitally important element in the message of the gospel. The apostles were commissioned by Christ to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). The gospel was of primary importance. They could not teach any other message, and this message necessarily included the resurrection.
Also, the Old Testament pointed to this message. God “promised beforehand through His prophets…concerning His Son” (Romans 1:2-3). Paul explained to the Galatians that the old law was “our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). When Peter preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost, his message contained several references to Old Testament prophecies and how they were fulfilled in Christ. These prophecies included the fact that He would not be left in the grave (Acts 2:25-28; Psalm 16:8-11), that He would sit on the throne of David (Acts 2:30; Psalm 132:11), and that He would be victorious over His enemies and sit at the right hand of God (Acts 2:34-35; Psalm 110:1). None of this happened by accident. These prophecies show that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled God’s eternal plan.
Jesus’ resurrection proved He was the Son of God. This was “declared…with power” (Romans 1:4) because no one could reasonably deny the resurrection [we already noticed the overwhelming eyewitness testimony]. Yet if Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God were false, He would not have been raised from the dead. The resurrection proves His claims were true. Not only that, but His resurrection also proves that He is able to save us. Paul wrote, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). The significance of Christ being the “first fruits” is that there will be others to follow Him. If Jesus was raised from the dead, we can be as well. This is why the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), because it reveals the basis for our hope of eternal life.
Finally, the proper response to the message of the resurrection is “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). The nature of the gospel is such that it demands a change in us. As discussed in the previous article, we are “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1), but not by faith alone. James wrote, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). In order to be saved from our sins, we must obey the Lord. Paul explained later in his letter to the Romans, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). If Jesus was raised from the dead, we need to give our lives to Him and “observe all that [He] commanded” (Matthew 28:20).
Conclusion
As we have studied in this series, Jesus offered His life as a propitiation for us. His sacrifice on the cross was an act of mercy that delayed the wrath of God and allowed us to be reconciled to Him. We can be sanctified, forgiven of sins, and set apart for God’s purpose. And through His blood we can be justified, so that God will declare us to be right in His sight.
Yet without the resurrection, none of this would matter. We all face death, and that would be the end. But because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have hope. Therefore, let us display the “obedience of faith” by being born again and walking in newness of life.
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* For more about Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees about the resurrection, see the article, “He Is Not the God of the Dead but of the Living.”
