In this message we shall continue to consider the objective aspect of the Man-Savior’s resurrection. We have seen that the Lord’s resurrection was God’s vindication and approval of the Man-Savior and His all-inclusive redemptive work. Now we need to see that Christ’s resurrection was also the Man-Savior’s success in all His achievements.
People often boast of their success. But no matter how successful a person may be in life, he loses everything when he dies. This means that death is the end of one’s success.
This certainly was the situation of the rich man in the parable in 12:16-21. This rich man said to himself, “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather there all my wheat and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take it easy, eat, drink, be merry” (vv. 18-19). However, God said to him, “Senseless one, this night they are requiring your soul from you. Now the things which you prepared, whose will they be?” (v. 20). This rich man was successful, but when he died, his success was gone.
The Man-Savior’s success in His achievements was proved by the fact that He rose from among the dead. On the one hand, the New Testament says that God raised Jesus up from the dead (Acts 3:15). On the other hand, the New Testament also tells us that Christ rose up Himself (Acts 10:41). Regarding the Lord as a man, the New Testament tells us that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 8:11). But considering Him as God, the New Testament declares that He Himself rose from the dead (Rom. 14:9). God raised up Christ as a proof of His vindication and approval of the Lord and His work. But as a proof of His success in His achievements, the Lord Jesus Himself rose from the dead.
In Acts 10:41 Peter says that the disciples ate and drank with Christ “after He rose from among the dead.” After the Lord’s crucifixion and burial, Peter and the other disciples were deeply disappointed. They may have said to one another, “What can we do? Now that the Lord has been crucified and has been buried, we cannot do anything. Everything is over.” The reason the disciples felt this way is that nothing nullifies a person’s success more than his burial. However, the Lord Jesus did not remain in the tomb. On the third day He rose up and appeared to the disciples.
When the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples as recorded in Luke 24, 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” (vv. 41-43). Here the Lord seemed to be saying, “I would like to eat with you. Do you have something to eat? I would also like to take care of your hunger.”
According to the New Testament, the Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples on the day of His resurrection to do two main things: first, to breathe the Spirit into the disciples (John 20:22); second, to eat with them (Luke 24:41-43). Unable to forget what happened on the day of resurrection, Peter told those in the house of Cornelius that the Lord Jesus rose up and that the disciples ate and drank with Him. They had a feast with the resurrected Man-Savior. The Lord’s resurrection was a strong evidence of His success. Because of this, there was no need for the disciples to be disappointed.
From chapter ten of John we see that actually the Lord Jesus was not killed; rather, He laid down His life. In John 10:15 He said, “I lay down My life on behalf of the sheep.” Then in John 10:17 and 18 He continued, “Therefore the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father.” When the Lord appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He may have said something like this: “My resurrection is the proof of My success. I was not killed—I laid down My life. If I were not willing to lay down My life, no one would be able to do anything to Me. I laid down My life according to My Father’s commandment, and after three days I took it again. The Father commanded Me to lay down My life for you, and I did this. Then He commanded Me to rise up, and I arose. Now as a proof of My success I am here with you.”
Indeed, the Lord Jesus was not killed; He laid down His life. Then He rose up and took His life again. Hence, His resurrection was the Man-Savior’s success in all His achievements. He did nothing in vain. Everything He did was sealed and confirmed by His resurrection. If the Lord had done so many things during His lifetime but did not rise up from the dead, His remaining in the tomb would have been a sign of failure. But His rising up is the evidence of His great success in whatever He did. God raised up Christ for vindication and approval. But the Lord Himself rose up as a sign of His success.