The Man-Savior’s resurrection was also His victory over death, Satan, Hades, and the grave (Acts 2:24). Satan, death, Hades, and the grave form a group. The Man-Savior was not only vindicated by God and was proved to be a success in His achievements, but He was victorious over death, Satan, Hades, and the grave, all of which are a great concern and trouble to us. The Man-Savior overcame death and destroyed Satan (Heb. 2:14). The keys of death and of Hades are now in His hand (Rev. 1:18), and He is victorious over the grave.
Second Timothy 1:10 says that Christ “nullified death, and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel.” Christ nullified death, making it of none effect, through His Devil-destroying death (Heb. 2:14) and death-swallowing resurrection (1 Cor. 15:52-54). In the gospel the revelation is brought to us that Christ has nullified death and has brought us eternal, indestructible life.
Christ was manifested to nullify death and to bring in eternal, indestructible life. He not only defeated death—He nullified it. Through His resurrection, death has become of none effect; death has lost its power, even its taste. Christ could nullify death because He destroyed the Devil, the one who has the power of death. Of course, by overcoming Satan and nullifying death, the Lord Jesus also defeated Hades and the grave. Therefore, Christ’s resurrection declares that He is victorious over death, Satan, Hades, and the grave. No longer are these a problem. Therefore, Christ’s resurrection was not only God’s vindication and the Lord’s success, but also His victory over death, Satan, Hades, and the grave. Christ through His resurrection has made this troublesome group of none effect.
Furthermore, the Man-Savior’s resurrection was His glorification (John 13:31-32; 17:1; Luke 24:26). Because this matter is difficult to understand and define, it is helpful to use the illustration of a grain of wheat (John 12:24). There is life in a grain of wheat. When the grain is sown into the earth, it “dies.” But at the same time it grows. If a grain of wheat is not sown into the ground, it will neither die nor grow. But a seed that is put into the ground is eventually glorified through its growth.
The principle is the same with other kinds of seeds, for example, a carnation seed. Like a grain of wheat, a carnation seed dies in the soil. But eventually it grows, rises out of the earth, and blossoms. The blossoming of a carnation flower is its glorification. Therefore, a carnation seed is fully glorified in the blossoming of a carnation flower.
According to His own word in John 12:24, the Lord Jesus was a grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died. But as He was in the ground dying, He was also growing. Eventually, in resurrection He “blossomed” and brought forth many grains. These grains are His glorification.
Wheat growing in a field is the glorification of all the grains of wheat sown into that field. Ears of ripe wheat have been described as “golden ears of grain.” The time is coming when in the universe there will be a “field” full of golden ears of grain. Then God will be able to say, “Satan, look at this field. This is the glorification of My Son, Jesus Christ.” Even today in the proper church life we may have a miniature of this glorification.
As a grain of wheat the Lord Jesus had a human “shell.” For Him to be glorified (John 12:23) required that His divine life be released from within the shell of His humanity to produce many believers in resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3). Through His death on the cross the shell of His humanity was broken.