“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

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I love this quote from J.I. Packer’s book, Concise Theology: “Jesus’ resurrection, which was a divine act involving all three Persons of the divine Godhead, was not just a resuscitation of the ruined physical frame that was taken down from the cross for burial. It was rather, a transformation of Jesus’ humanity that enabled Him to appear, vanish, and move unseen from one location to another.” Incredible, isn’t it?

Jesus’ resurrected body is more than just “healed up” after the torture of imprisonment, beatings, and the cross.  It is a complete transformation that goes well beyond the raising of the dead, like Jesus did for Lazarus.  After all, Lazarus was not raised from death to eternal life. He remained in his broken and earthly body.

We see Jesus moving among His followers just days after His resurrection in Luke 24. He appears to two such disciples walking on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus. They don’t recognize Him and He explains to them through Scripture that Christ had to endure these things to enter into glory. In His resurrected body, Jesus sat down to eat with them, and the image of Jesus taking the bread, blessing it, and breaking it opened their eyes and they recognized Him. He then vanished from their sight.

The resurrected Jesus is not a floating spirit or ghost. He is flesh and bone transformed to a never before seen form. He appears to the eleven disciples one last time before He ascends to His rightful position beside the Father. They are terrified at His appearance, believing Him to be a spirit. Jesus tells them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 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.” (Luke 24:38-39)

So why did Jesus ascend to heaven? As our verse today states, He is seated at the right hand of God. And Hebrews 1:3 explains it that “He sat down at the right hand of Majesty”.  The position is not one to rest, but to rule. Not inactivity, but one of authority. In this authoritative position, Jesus is perfectly situated to intercede for His followers and pour out His Spirit to enrich and equip His people (Act 2:33, Eph 4:8-12).

The death AND resurrection of Jesus are foundational beliefs in Christianity. They are distinct yet interwoven. Jesus’ death provides complete atonement and payment for the sins of the professing believer. Jesus’ distinct resurrection now opens the door to eternal life for the believer. Resurrection can only come because death occurred.

Don’t ignore the bloody and gruesome part of the Gospel as some do by ignoring the need for atonement of sin. By the same measure, don’t ignore the resurrection, thinking that Jesus can’t be active and engaged in your life.  These two parts of the Gospel reveal the truth that the believer shares intimately in the substitutionary death of Jesus to pay for our sins and the resurrected life He provides not only in eternity beyond the grave but in the new identity He provides now. We are new a creation in Christ, the old is no more: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthian 5:17).  Isn’t that Good News?!!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the plan of salvation to not only save me from the wretchedness of my sin but give me new life.  May your Holy Spirit remind me of this reality continually so that I can walk in gratefulness and purpose. Prepare me to share this Good News through speech and action. Give your church the fire needed to share this with the whole world. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen!