The Gospel's Power & Message

by Paul David Washer

In the words of John Flavel: But let me tell you, the whole world is not a theatre large enough to show the glory of Christ upon, or unfold the one half of the unsearchable riches that lie hid in Him. These things will be far better understood, and spoken of in heaven, by the noon-day divinity, in which the immediately illuminated assembly do there preach his praises, than by such a stammering tongue, and scribbling pen as mine, which doth but mar them. Alas! I write his praises but by moon-light; I cannot praise him so much as by halves. Indeed, no tongue but his own (as Nazianzen said of Bazil) is sufficient to undertake that task. What shall I say of Christ? The excelling glory of that object dazzles all apprehension, swallows up all expression. When we have borrowed metaphors from every creature that hast any excellency of lovely property in it, till we have stripped the whole of creation bare of all its ornament, and clothed Christ with all that glory; when we have even worn out our tongues, in ascribing praises to him, alas! We have done nothing, when all is done.41

The great doctrines of Christianity have always been under attack from all sides, and the resurrection is no exception. However, the uniqueness of our age is that the most dangerous attacks now come from those who claim to be thoroughly Christian and even evangelical. They do not deny the resurrection outright, and they may even strongly affirm it for themselves. But they do not require such conviction of others, nor do they hold it to be an essential doctrine for entrance into Christianity. They have chosen a false form of tolerance over truth and a twisted compassion for humanity over the fear of God and fidelity to the Scriptures. Like Judas, they kiss the Savior under the pretense of homage, and yet they betray Him.3

Christ’s resurrection was unique in that He was raised from the dead never to die again.

Thomas Schreiner writes: “To say that Jesus was raised because of our justification is to say that His resurrection authenticates and confirms that our justification has been secured. The resurrection of Christ constitutes evidence that His work on our behalf has been completed.”39

Isaac was unbound and given back to his father. Joseph was freed from prison and exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. Christ was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God. He was raised because He is the Son of God, and His Father had accepted His death as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The death of Christ once and for all resolves the matter of the believer’s past, present, and future sins. For this reason, we should not think of Christ as standing or prostrating Himself before the Father, begging forgiveness for the ongoing sins of His people. His session at the right hand of God is the great and eternal memorial that atonement has been made.82 It is the enduring monument that shall not be forgotten.

we must remember that we are not pleading with men to make Jesus Lord of their lives. Instead, we are pleading with them to acknowledge and submit to the Lord that God has made!29