The Resurrection

Dear people of God,

This meditation is on the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour , Jesus Christ.

This meditation basically explains the following three aspects :

1. Spirit of Jesus given up to the Father

2. Power of Father when he raised Jesus from the dead

3. Why on a 'Third Day' was Christ risen


May God fill this meditation with the Power of His Spirit.

Here are three Scriptures from the gospels which confirm that Spirit of Jesus was given up to the Father when he breathed his last :

Scripture 1:

'' John 19 : 28 - 30 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, '' I am thirsty.'' A jar of vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, '' It is finished. ''
With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. ''

In this Scripture:

(a) ''Later, knowing that all was now completed'': These words confirm that the work
assigned to Jesus was c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-d.

(b) ''It is finished'' :

Below are the words of Jesus spoken earlier, about the work he ought to finish:

'' John 4 : 34 '' My food,'' said Jesus, '' is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. '' ''

'' John 5 : 36 I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing testifies that the Father has sent me. ''

So, when Jesus said, ''It is finished'' , it is a declaration that the work the Father has given to him to finish, is now completely done.

(c) ''With that he bowed his head and gave up his spirit'': This portion in this Scripture confirms that the spirit of Jesus was given up.

Scripture 2:

'' Luke 23 : 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice,'' Father, into your hands I commit

my spirit. '' When he had said this, he breathed his last.''

These are the very words of the Son of God confirming that He has committed his spirit into God's hands.

Scripture 3:

''John 12 : 30, 31 Jesus said, '' This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.'' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.''

'' When I am lifted up from the earth '': These words in this Scripture speak that Jesus' body was lifted up from the earth.

The following Scripture in 1 Corinthians explains us why Jesus was lifted up from the earth :

''1 Corinthians 15 : 42 - 49 So it will be with the resurrection of the dead.The body that is sown in perishable, it is raised imperishable ; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written : '' The first man Adam became a living being '' ; the last Adam a life - giving spirit.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. ''

So :
The first man was from the dust of the earth --> becomes a living being -->falls in sin-->brings death.

( Romans 5 : 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned - for before the law was given sin was in the world.)

Death gained dominion on the sons of God through sin.

Therefore,Son of God became that sin, by hanging on the tree.

( Romans 8 : 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering '' )

Since wages of sin is death, death came upon him.
( Romans 6 : 23 For the wages of sin is death )

And when Jesus breathed his last, he gave up his spirit to the Father.

With this, the tasks Jesus had to do as God's '' Christ '' were FINISHED.

Then on the third day the Power of God raises him from the dead, lifting him from the earth, to make him a life-giving spirit.

The second man was from heaven-->becomes a sin-->takes up death --->lifted up from the same earth, swallowing death --> becomes a life-giving spirit.

The first man Adam was made from the earth and he becomes a living being.

The Last Adam, Jesus, now through his death, was lifted up from the same earth, and he becomes a life-giving spirit.

'' Acts 13 : 34 - 37 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words ;
'' ' I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' So it is stated elsewhere : '' 'You will not let you Holy One see decay. ' '' For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. '' ''

Having learnt this, let us now read these Scriptures and learn about the Power of the Father that rose the Son from the dead :

''John 10:17,18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This Command I received from my Father.''

Son of God received the command from the Father to take up His life again.

And this Power of Christ (to take back life) , is God.
('' 1 Corinthians 11: 3 Head of Christ is God.'' )

And in this Power that God exerted in Christ, death was swallowed up, and Christ rose from the dead :

'' Ephesians 1 : 19 - 23

That power is like the working of his mighty strength , which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority , power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in everyway.''

'' 2 Corinthians 13 : 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. ''

So, from the above meditation :

Jesus came from heaven, becomes sin on the cross and dies, gives up his Spirit to the Father, Father exerted his power and raised him from the dead on the third day.
With the Power of the Father, Jesus took back his life and was lifted from the earth and has become a life -giving spirit.

'' 1 Corinthians 15 : 37, 38 What you sow does not come to life unless it dies, when you sow you do not plant the body that will be , but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. ''

As we read here, God determines the body to each seed.

This body of Jesus was sown in the natural.
God determined the body to this natural, perishable body that was sown.
So, when Jesus took back his life and rose again with the Power of God, God's power rose him back in the body as determined by God - that is, a glorious, imperishable, life-giving spirit body.

'' 1 Corinthians 15 : 42 - 44 The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ''

Having now understood this, as the Spirit of God helps us, let us understand the revelation - why on a '' third day '' was Jesus risen:

Let us go back to the creation times in Genesis, and understand the order of the things, when they were created in the wisdom and knowledge of God :

'' Genesis 1 : 3 - 31 ''

To make it simpler, I am listing down the things that were created along the 6 day duration, as quoted in the above portion of the Scriptures :

First day: Day and Night

Second day: Sky ; separated water from water

Third day: Seas; Land; Vegetation:seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.

So, the first ever fruits and seeds in the creation came into existence on the third day.

Fourth Day: Lights in the sky - sun and moon and the stars

Fifth Day: Water creatures; birds

Sixth Day: Living creatures on the land (wild animals and live stock ) ; and Adam and Eve.

** The first Adam was made on the sixth day of the creation - however this first Adam is not considered as the 'seed' of God **

From here, let us now turn to 1 Corinthians :

'' 1 Corinthians 15 : 20 - 23 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have been fallen asleep.
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own turn : Christ, the firstfruits; then when he comes, those who belong to him. ''

So, who is Christ ? - He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

He is the first fruits, who rose from the dead into a imperishable, spiritual, glorious body.

Now, at the time of creation when did the first fruits come into existence ? And when was the first seed made ?

'' Genesis 1 :11 - 13 Then God said, '' Let the land produce vegetation : seed - bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. '' And it was so. The Land produced vegetation : plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the third day.''

So, God appointed '' third day '' for creating first ever seeds and fruits.

This is the reason why Jesus was risen on the Third Day, because the power of God had risen him as the first fruits of those who fell asleep,and the Seed through whom we bear fruit to God.

'' Romans 7 : 4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.''

We now belong to another - the one who was raised from the dead, and through him we bear fruit to God.

He is the seed of Abraham, to whom the promise of God referred :

''Galatians 3: 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say '' and to seeds'', meaning many people, but '' and to your seed'', meaning one person, who is Christ.''

''Gal 3 : 18 - 19 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. What, then was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.''

Let us read the following Scriptures to understand how, those who keep their faith in Jesus, too will be transformed into the glorious imperishable bodies like Jesus, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown :

''Romans 8 : 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.''

'' 1 Corinthians 15 : 51 - 57 Listen, I tell you the mystery : We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable , and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable , and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true : '' Death has been swallowed up in victory. ''
''Where, O death , is your victory ?
Where, O death , is your sting ? ''
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is law. But thanks be to God ! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ''

''Mark 12 :24 - 27 Jesus replied : '' Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God ? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising -- have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ' I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ?He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. ''

Grain must be ground to make bread:

'' Isaiah 28 : 28 Grain must be ground to make bread;''

''John 12 : 23, 24 Jesus replied, '' The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.''

Perishable natural body of Jesus was crushed for us, and God made him the living bread, so that whoever eats this bread will live for ever.

''John 6 : 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.''

'' 1 Corinthians 11 : 23 - 26 The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, '' This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. '' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, '' This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. '' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. ''

'' 1 Corinthians 15 :20 - 28

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came from through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn : Christ, the firstfruits ; then when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign untill he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he '' has put everything under his feet'' . Now when it says that '' everything '' has been put under him, it is clear that these does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. ''

...To The One Who Was..Who Is...And Is To Come... All Glory, Honour, And Power Be Unto You, Forever And Ever, Amen.

God Bless.