The Christ Of Resurrection

April 2025 — Grace & Truth Magazine


The Christ Of The Resurrection

Among what people consider to be the many religions in the world, only Christianity is based on a relationship with a risen Savior! With this in mind, let us take note of what Luke recorded in Acts 1:1-3. The passage says ( NKJV ), “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Look at the phrase in verse 3: “He also presented Himself alive after His suffering.” In your mind, underline the thought: “He presented Himself!”

In John 10:18 the Lord Jesus said regarding His life, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Did you notice that the Lord had power to take up His life again?

We read much about resurrection when we come to 1 Corinthians 15. Near the beginning of the chapter we see something that is paramount to Christianity: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (vv.3-4). Without the resurrection, the work of salvation is not complete. If we preach the gospel and leave Christ on the cross, the gospel is not complete! If we preach the gospel and leave Christ in the tomb, the gospel is not complete! “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” He is the resurrected Christ!

We may then wonder what kind of Christ we have; what is this resurrected One like? Let’s look at how the disciples saw this blessed Man after He rose victoriously from among the dead.

The Living Christ!
In Revelation 1:18 the apostle John recorded what the Lord said: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” He is no longer suffering on the cross, and He is not in the grave. His head that once was marred with a crown of thorns and beaten is now glowing in the glory of His person, radiant with immortal life. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a living Christ!

The Victorious Christ!
At the cross, Satan had done his worst. Man had done what he could to hold Him captive in the grave. But, as Robert Lowry (1826–1899) wrote in his hymn, Low In The Grave He Lay:

“Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph over His foes; He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

The Lord Jesus passed out of the tomb without rolling the huge stone away, yet the stone was rolled away to prove He was not there. His disciples found an empty tomb. He is risen! Now He waits: “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Heb. 10:12-13). He is the victorious Christ!

The Caring Christ!
The Lord Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in John 20. Her heart was broken. When asked by the angels, “Why are you weeping?” she answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him” (v.13). Then she turned and saw the Lord, but she supposed He was the gardener. When replying to His question as to why she was crying, her heart’s affection was obvious, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (v.15). In a tender and caring tone, our Lord replied, “Mary!” (v.16). The Good Shepherd truly calls His sheep by name (10:2-3)! This kind of touching scene was repeated over and over during the 40 days after His resurrection. Think of the two on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35, and of how He appeared to His disciples in John 21. He showed Himself to them as the caring Christ.

The Mighty Christ!
The One who said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18) is the very One about whom Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost, when he declared, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). As the Lamb, He will hold the book of judgment and open its seals (Rev. 5:8). About this One, Paul told the saints at Ephesus, “After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus … [I] do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:15-23). This same One is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20-21).

The Loving Christ!
We saw His love in John 20 as He appeared to Mary. We see it again as we read about how He restored backslidden Peter in John 21. Verses 15-19 say, “When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.’ This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’” The Lord is the loving Christ.

The Physical Christ!
The Lord has a physical, glorified body; He is not a ghost. Shortly after He arose He told His own who were present in the upper room, “Behold 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 see I have” (Lk. 24:39). “While they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’” (v.41). While reading this verse, we recall Thomas’ unbelief as recorded in John 20, after the Lord appeared to the disciples when Thomas was absent: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (v.25). Eight days later, the Lord appeared to His disciples including Thomas and said to him, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (v.27). To each of us, He has said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v.29). He is the physical Christ whom we too will see.

The Ever-present Christ!
In the so-called Great Commission, the Lord Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18-20). Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of His presence, “for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” He, the Risen One, is the ever-present Christ.

Think of it, beloved. The Lord Jesus Christ is not a dead Savior. He is a living, victorious, caring, mighty, loving, physical and ever-present Christ! He is my Christ; is He your Christ? If He is, we together can then echo the words repeated in the hymn, Man Of Sorrows! What A Name, written by Philip P. Bliss (1838–1876): “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

By Timothy P. Hadley