From beginning to end, the Bible speaks about Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead! The prophet Isaiah had already foreseen this ca. 700 years before it actually happened: “... when his life is made an offering for sin, ... He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands.” (Isaiah 53,10)
Not long before he dies, Jesus himself speaks about his upcoming resurrection: “When we get to Jerusalem," he said, "the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, whipped, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” (Matthew 20,18-19)
In his 'Pentecost message' the apostle Peter proclaims what happened to Jesus Christ after his agonising death: “God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip.” (Acts 2,24)
And what happened to him after his astonishing resurrection? Like many authors of the Bible, the apostle Paul exults this moment in his letter to the Ephesian Christians: “(God the Father) raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ...” (Ephesians 1,20-22).
In his letter to the Christians in Philippi, the apostle Paul wrote about Christ’s humble incarnation and sacrificial death (Philippians 2:6-8. See also Med. 4 & 5).
He continues by telling us how God the Father gloriously rewarded his Son’s obedience: “Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2,9-11).
So what are the practical consequences of Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection and majestic enthronement in heaven? Let's look into this theme in the coming weeks.
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
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