We’ve been going through an old list of questions and answers contained in the Westminster Larger Catechism published in 1648. In particular we’ve been looking at how Christ was exalted by his resurrection. We’ve seen that Christ was exalted by moving from a dead state to a living state and by the fact that all three members of the trinity raised him. Now I want to show that Christ was exalted by his resurrection as it declared that he was the son of God.
Throughout his life Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. The angel who came to Mary promised that her son Jesus would be the Son of God: ‘The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God'” (Luke 1:35).
Demons regularly declared Jesus to be the Son of God: ‘Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”‘ (Mark 3:11).
Satan also acknowledges Christ’s claim to be the Son of God. When he tempted Christ we read: ‘The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”‘ (Matthew 4:3) and ‘”If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'” (Matthew 4:6).
Christ’s disciples declared that Jesus was the Son of God. After Jesus walked on water we read: ‘Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God'” (Matthew 14:33).
The soldier after he saw Jesus die declared that Jesus was the Son of God: ‘And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”‘ (Mark 15:39).
Jesus himself declared he was the Son God. At his trial, we read: ‘They [the Jewish leaders] all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am”‘ (Luke 22:70).
But how do you know that the words of Jesus, his disciples and even demons are true? How do you know that Jesus is the Son of God? It is by his resurrection. Christ’s resurrection exalts him and demonstrates that he really is the Son of God. When Paul tells us about Jesus in Romans 1, Paul says: ‘…who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans 1:4).
The resurrection of a dead person doesn’t happen every day, it is a very, very, very unusual occurrence. So when a resurrection does take place, it says something phenomenal about the person. And in the case of Jesus, it exalts him and confirms his claim to be the Son of God. And if he is the Son of God then we should believe in him and so we too can be raised.
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God because of his resurrection from the dead?
Joel Radford.
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