Christ’s resurrection was His birth as God’s firstborn Son. Acts 13:33 reveals that to the man Jesus resurrection was a birth. He was begotten by God in His resurrection to be the firstborn Son of God among many brothers (Rom. 8:29). He was the only begotten Son of God from eternity (John 1:18; 3:16). After incarnation and through resurrection He was begotten by God in His humanity to be God’s firstborn Son. This was prophesied in Psalm 2:7: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Acts 13:33, which quotes from Psalm 2:7, indicates that Christ was begotten as the Son of God on the day of His resurrection. He needed to be begotten by resurrection because He had put on humanity. As to His divinity there was no need for Him to be begotten as the Son of God. But as to His humanity there was the need for this. On the day of Christ’s resurrection His human nature was uplifted and transfigured into a glorious substance. This was the begetting in power by resurrection. This begetting was also His designation. In this way Jesus was begotten to be the firstborn Son of God and designated the Son of God.
The word “Firstborn” in Romans 8:29 indicates that in addition to the firstborn Son of God there will be other sons. Hebrews 2:10 speaks of many sons, and Romans 8:29, of many brothers. In resurrection Christ came to His brothers, who compose His church, and declared the Father’s name to them (Heb. 2:12).
Through incarnation God’s only begotten Son put on humanity and became the God-man. Then in resurrection this God-man was born of God to be His Firstborn. Before incarnation God’s only begotten Son did not have human nature, only the divine nature. However, in resurrection God’s firstborn Son has a human nature as well as the divine nature.
As believers in Christ, we all are sons of God and brothers of the firstborn Son. Through regeneration we have the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Although we are human beings, we now have the divine nature. Although the Lord Jesus is divine, He also has the human nature. Both the Lord Jesus and we are the same in that both He and we have the human nature and the divine nature. In His resurrection the Lord was born of God to be His firstborn Son. His resurrection was the release of the divine life and nature, and through this release He was begotten as the firstborn Son of God.
As the Son of God, Christ has passed through two births. The first birth took place at His incarnation, and the second, in His resurrection. In the first birth He was born as a son of man. After living on earth for thirty-three and a half years, Christ was crucified. Then in the second birth in resurrection He was born as the firstborn Son of God.
Through the two births of Christ divinity has been brought into humanity, and humanity has been brought into divinity. By the incarnation of Christ God was brought into man. Prior to Christ’s incarnation, God was outside of man. However, through Christ’s incarnation God was brought into humanity. With the birth of Christ God was born into man. Therefore, by Christ’s first birth in incarnation God was brought into man and became one with man. Then through Christ’s second birth in resurrection man was brought into God and became one with God.
On the day of His resurrection Christ came back to the disciples with a resurrected body, coming into the room where the disciples were with the doors shut (John 20:19). Since the doors were shut, how could He enter the room with a body of flesh and bones? Our limited mentality cannot comprehend this, but it is a fact, and we must receive it according to the divine revelation.
Christ in resurrection is a resurrected man with a spiritual body of flesh and bones. We cannot understand how a body of flesh and bones can be spiritual, but with the resurrected Christ flesh and bones have become spiritual. This means that He has a spiritual body, yet the body is physical.
Luke 24:36 and 37 say, “As they were speaking these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace to you! But they were startled and became frightened and thought they beheld a spirit.” The disciples were troubled by the Lord’s appearing. They could not understand how He could suddenly appear in the room. The door was closed, and no one opened it. Nevertheless, the Lord appeared with a physical body.
The Lord said to the disciples, “Why are you troubled, and why are reasonings arising in your heart? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you behold Me having” (vv. 38-39). Then He showed them His hands and feet (v. 40). Here we see Christ’s resurrected body, which is spiritual (1 Cor. 15:44).
The Lord’s appearing was very mysterious. He came into the room as the Spirit, yet with a physical, touchable body. The prints of the nails could still be seen. The place in His side that had been pierced with a spear could still be seen and touched. Not only was the Lord’s body visible and touchable, but He was able to eat food: “While they still did not believe for joy and were marveling, He said to them, Do you have anything to eat here? And they handed Him part of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate before them” (Luke 24:41-43). We do not understand how the Lord Jesus as One with a spiritual body was still able to eat material food.
In 1 Corinthians 15:44 Paul speaks concerning the resurrection body: “It is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a soulish body, there is also a spiritual body.” A soulish body is a natural body animated by the soul, a body in which the soul predominates. A spiritual body is a resurrected body saturated by the spirit, a body in which the spirit predominates. After His resurrection Christ had such a spiritual body, yet it was a body with flesh and bones.
In Philippians 3:21 Paul speaks of Christ’s body of glory. Christ’s body of glory is His resurrected body, saturated with God’s glory (Luke 24:26) and transcendent over corruption and death (Rom. 6:9).