Of the resurrection of christ
from the dead
John Gill
Having gone through Christ's
state of humiliation, I pass on to his state of exaltation; which immediately
took place on the ending of the former: these two are closely
connected by the apostle, #Php 2:6-10 for having fully described the
humiliation of Christ; he adds, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
him", &c. see #Ac 2:33 5:31. The several steps and instances of his
exaltation are, his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at
the right hand of God, and his second coming to judge the world at the last
day. I shall begin with the first of these; for the first
step of Christ's exaltation is, his resurrection from the dead; "God
raised him from the dead and gave him glory", #1Pe 1:21. This is one of
the principal articles of the Christian faith; a very important one, and on
which the truth of the whole gospel depends, #1Co 15:4,14.
1. First, I
shall consider the prophecies and types of Christ's resurrection from the dead,
and how they have been fulfilled.
1a. First. Scripture
prophecies; and the apostle Paul takes notice of several of them in one
discourse of his, in #Ac 13:33-35.
1a1. A
passage in #Ps 2:7. "Thou art my Son, this day have I
begotten
thee"; which was not said to David; nor could it be
said to any
other man, since it never was said to any of the
angels, #Heb
1:5 yet not so to be understood of Christ, as
if
his resurrection was the cause of his being, or of his
being called
the Son of God; since, before that, his divine
Sonship was
witnessed to by his Father, by angels, by men,
good and bad,
yea, owned by devils; and was the charge
brought against
him, for which the Jews said he ought to
die,
#Joh 19:7. But the sense is, that by his resurrection
from the
dead, he would be declared, as he was, to be the
Son of God
with power; and the truth of his divine Sonship
confirmed
thereby; and so this prophecy fulfilled; see
#Ro 1:4.
1a2. Another
prophecy of Christ's resurrection is in #Ps 16:10
which is
produced both by the apostle Peter, and by the
apostle Paul,
as foretelling the resurrection of Christ,
#Ac 2:31
13:35-37 for as it is a proof that his dead body
would
be laid in a grave, and lie buried there for a time, as
has been
observed in the preceding chapter, so that it would not
be left
there, not so long as to be corrupted, but would be
raised from
thence.
1a3.
Another scripture quoted by the apostle Paul, #Ac 13:34 as
referring to
the resurrection of Christ, and as a proof of
it, is in
#Isa 55:3 "I will give you the sure mercies of
David";
by David is meant Christ, as he often is in
prophecy,
#Jer 30:9 Eze 34:23,24 37:24,25 Ho 3:5 and by
his
mercies, the blessings of the covenant of grace, which
are with him;
so called, because they flow from the grace
and mercy of
God; and which being put into his hands, are
sure to all
the elect through him; and particularly through
his
resurrection from the dead; for had he died, and not
rose
again from the dead, the blessings of the covenant
would not
have been ratified and confirmed; the impetration
of them is
owing to his death; but the application of them
to his resurrection
from the dead; which, therefore, was
necessary to
make them sure. Besides these,
1a4. There is
another passage, foretelling the resurrection of
Christ, in
#Isa 26:19. "Thy dead men shall live, together
with my dead
body shall they arise"; which is an answer to
the complaint
of the prophet, concerning the sad estate of
his
people, #Isa 26:14, &c. and are not spoken by him, but
by the
Messiah to him, the Lord Jehovah, in whom is
everlasting
strength, the desire of his people, the ordainer
of peace for
them, and the worker of their works in them;
and who is
acknowledged by them as being Lord of them,
#Isa
26:4,8,9,12,13 and who assures the prophet, that
whereas he
should arise from the dead, others should rise with
him, as a
pledge of the resurrection of his people at the last
day; and
which was fulfilled at the resurrection of Christ,
when the
graves were opened, and many of the saints arose
from
the dead, #Mt 27:52,53 or if the words are to be
rendered,
"As my dead body"; or, "as sure as my dead body
shall they
arise": either way they predict the resurrection
of Christ, of
Christ's dead body; which is both the
exemplar,
earnest, and pledge of the resurrection of the
1a5. Another
prophecy of the resurrection of Christ, and of its
being on the
third day, is, as is generally understood, in
#Ho 6:2
"after two days will he revive us", &c. which words
are
thought to be spoken of the Messiah, whose coming is
prophesied of
in the following verse; and though they are
expressed in
the plural number, this may be no objection to
the
application of them to Christ, and his resurrection;
since he rose
again, not as a single Person, but as a public
Head,
representing all his people, who are therefore said to
be raised up
together with him, #Eph 2:6 Col 3:1.
1b. Secondly,
Scripture types; some of which are,
1b1.
Types of the thing itself in general; or at least thought to
be so; as the
first Adam's awaking out of a deep sleep, when
the woman was
presented to him, formed of one of his ribs;
the
deliverance of Isaac, when his father received him in a
figure as
from the dead; the bush Moses saw burning with
fire,
and not consumed; the budding and blossoming of
Aaron's dry rod;
the living bird let fly, after it had been
dipped in the
blood of the slain bird, used in the
purification
of the leper; and the scapegoat, let go into
the
wilderness, when the other taken with it was slain.
1b2. Others
are types of the time of it in particular; as well as
of the thing
itself; as the rescue of Isaac from the jaws of
death, on the
third day, from the time Abraham had the order
to sacrifice
him, and from which time he was looked upon by
him
as a dead man; to which others add the preferment of
Joseph in
Pharaoh's court, on the third year from his being
cast into
prison by Potiphar; putting a year for a day, as
sometimes a
day is for a year; but the principal type of
all,
respecting this matter, is that of the deliverance of
Jonah
from the whale's belly when he had been three days in
it, at least
part of three natural days, and which our Lord
himself makes
mention of as such, #Mt 12:40.
2. Secondly, As it was
foretold that Christ should rise from it, and that on the third day; accordingly he did; of which there were many witnesses
and full evidence. As,
2a. The testimony of angels.
Matthew speaks of but one angel, that descended and rolled away the stone from
the sepulchre; but Luke makes mention of two men in shining garments, that is,
angels, who appeared in such a form; and John calls them angels,
and represents them as sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet,
where the body of Jesus had lain; and who told the women that came to the
sepulchre, that Christ was not there, but risen; and so as angels were the
first that brought the tidings of Christ's incarnation and birth to the
shepherds, they were the first that made the report of his resurrection to the
women, #Mt 28:2,5,6 Lu 24:5,6 Joh 20:12. Who,
2b. Were good and sufficient
witnesses of what they saw and heard; they were present when the body of Christ
was laid in the sepulchre; they saw where it was laid, and how it was laid;
they went home to prepare spices, and when the sabbath was
over, came with them to the sepulchre, to anoint the body with them; where, to
their great surprise, they saw the stone was rolled away from it; they entered
into it, and found the body was gone; they saw the angels, who assured them
that Christ was risen; and as they were returning to the disciples with the
news, Christ himself met them, whom they knew and worshipped, and held by the
feet: so that they had all the evidence of his being risen
they could well have, and of his being risen in a real body; which was not only
visible to them, but palpable by them, #Mr 16:4 Lu 24:2,3 #Mt 28:9.
2c. Even the soldiers that
guarded the sepulchre were witnesses of Christ's resurrection;
they saw the angel roll away the stone, they were terrified with the sight, and
with the earthquake they felt; they left their station, and went to the chief
priests, and reported what was done, that Christ was risen from the dead; as
appears by the method the priests took to stifle the matter, by bribing them
with money, to contradict what they had said, and give out that the disciples
came by night, and took the body away, while they slept;
which is so far from invalidating their first report, that it serves but to
corroborate it, that they spoke the truth at first, but a lie at last; since,
if asleep, how could they know and attest the coming of the disciples to the
grave, and taking the body from thence? #Mt 28:4,11-15.
2d. After
this, Christ was seen of many men, even of many hundreds; first he was seen of
Cephas, or Peter; then of the twelve disciples; after that of above five
hundred brethren at once; next of James, then again of all the apostles; and,
last of all, he was seen of the apostle Paul, both at his conversion, and
afterwards in the temple; see #1Co 15:5-8 Ac 26:16,19 22:17,18. Now the
apostles were witnesses chosen before of God for this
purpose, #Ac 10:41 and are to be credited; for-
2d1. They
were such who knew Christ full well, who had been some
years his
disciples and followers, had attended his
ministry, had
seen his miracles, and had been his constant
companions
in his lifetime; and after he was risen from the
dead, had eat
and drank with him; and had not only a glance
or two of
him; but he was seen by them at certain times for
the space of
forty days; and showed himself alive to them by
infallible
proofs, #Ac 1:3 10:41.
2d2. They
were men not over credulous, nay, slow of heart to
believe, as
our Lord upbraids them; and even with respect to
this matter;
though the women that had been at the sepulchre
gave such a plain
account of things, with such striking
circumstances;
yet "their words seemed to them as idle
tales, and
they believed them not"; nay, when Christ had
appeared to
all the disciples but one; and they were fully
convinced of
the truth and reality of his resurrection, and
reported this
to Thomas, who was not with them; yet so
incredulous
was he, and would not receive their united
report, that
he declared he would not believe that Christ
was risen,
unless he saw the print of the nails in his
hands, and
put his finger into it, and thrust his hand into
his side; all
which he was indulged with by Christ and then,
and
not before, declared his faith in it. Now had they been
a credulous
sort of men, easy of belief, ready to receive
anything that
was told, their testimony might have been
objected to;
but they were all the reverse; see #Lu 24:11
#Joh
20:25,27.
2d3. The
disciples were men of holy lives and conversation, of
strict
probity, honesty, and integrity; never charged with
any vice or
immorality: it may be said of them what the
apostle Paul
says of himself, that "in simplicity and godly
sincerity
they had their conversation in the world": and
the testimony
of such persons merits regard in any affair.
2d4. They
could have no sinister end, or any worldly advantage in
view, in
contriving and telling such a story; they could
expect
no other but to be mocked and hated, reproached and
persecuted,
by all sorts of men, by Jews and Gentiles; as in
fact they were,
#Ac 4:1-3 17:18 nay, not only they risked
their credit
and reputation, but life itself; and exposed
themselves to
the severest sufferings, and most cruel death;
see
#1Co 15:30,32 nay, even risked the salvation of their
immortal
souls; for how could such men but expect the wrath
of God,
eternal damnation, that could frame and propagate
such a
falsehood, if it was one?
2e. The
resurrection of Christ is not only confirmed by the above witnesses, but the
Holy Ghost himself is a witness of it, by the miracles which were wrought under
his influence, in confirmation of it; the apostles, with great power, that is,
with miracles, signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds, "gave witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ"; see #Ac 4:32 5:30-32.
2f. It is as certain, and of
it there is full evidence, that Christ rose again from the dead on the third
day, according to scripture prophecies and types. It was on the first day of
the week Christ rose from the dead. All the evangelists agree that it was on
that day the women came to the sepulchre with their spices, and found things as
they were; which showed that Christ was risen, #Mt 28:1 Mr
16:1,2 Lu 24:1 Joh 20:1 which laid the foundation for the observation of that
day to be kept by Christians in a religious manner, #Ac 20:7 1Co 16:1,2 and it
was early in the morning on that day, about the break of it, towards sunrising;
a fit time, very suitable to the Sun of righteousness, who arises on his people
with healing in his wings; and this day was the third day
from his death. On the evening of the sixth day, on which he died, he was
buried, and he rested in the grave on the seventh day, the Jewish sabbath; and
fulfilled thereby that type of him, and put an end to it; which made way for
the first day, as a day of religious worship, which immediately succeeded it,
as none so proper as the next day: so that a time, or day of worship, was not in the least intermitted, nor ever since was one
wanted; and on the first day, which was the third from his death, he rose from
the dead, and so fulfilled the type of Jonah; who, it is reasonable to suppose,
lay no longer in the belly of the whale than our Lord did in the earth; namely,
one whole natural day, and parts of others; the Jews having no other name for a
natural day than a night and a day; which the Greeks call a
night day; and a part being put for the whole, both might be said to lie three
days and three nights; that is, three natural days; the one in the whale's
belly; the other in the heart of the earth: they lying there some part of two
natural days, whether the night or day part of them, and one whole natural day,
#Mt 12:40.
3.
Thirdly, The manner of Christ's rising from the dead comes next to be
considered.
3a. It was in his body; not in
his divine nature; which, as it was not capable of suffering and dying, so not
the subject of the resurrection; nor his human soul; for that
died not with the body; but went to heaven, to paradise, on its separation from
it; but in his body: as he was put to death in the flesh, so he was raised from
the dead in it; it was the body only that died, and that only was raised again:
when Christ said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up", the evangelist observes, that "he spoke of the temple of his
body", #Joh 2:19,21.
3b. It was the same body that
was raised that died, and was laid in the grave; it was a real body, consisting
of flesh, blood, and bones; and was not only to be seen, but to be handled; and
it was the same identical body, as appears from the print of the nails in his
hands, and the mark in his side made by the spear, #Lu 24:39,40 Joh 20:25,27.
3c. It was raised immortal,
clear of all former infirmities, as weariness, hunger, thirst, &c. it was,
before, mortal, as the event showed; Christ was crucified through weakness: but
was raised powerful, immortal, and incorruptible, never to die more; nor shall death have any more dominion over him; he lives for
evermore, and has the keys of hell and death, the government of the grave, and
can open it at his pleasure, and let out the inhabitants of it free, #Ro 6:9 Re
1:18.
3d. It was raised very
glorious; of which his transfiguration upon the mountain, before
his decease, was an emblem and pledge: and though he might not appear in so
much glory immediately after his resurrection, and during his stay with his
disciples, before his ascension, they not being able to bear the lustre of his
countenance, it really had; yet now, being crowned with glory and honour, his
body is a "glorious" one, according to which the bodies of the saints
will be fashioned, at the resurrection of the just, #Php
3:21.
3e. Yet it has the same
essential parts and properties of a body it ever had; not only being flesh and
blood, which a spirit has not, but circumscribed by space; not everywhere, but
limited to some certain place; it is received up into heaven, and there it is retained, and will be retained, until the
restitution of all things.
3f. And lastly, The
resurrection of Christ was attended with wonderful events; as with an
earthquake, which made it grand and solemn, and alarmed the watch to be
attentive to it, and be witnesses of it; and was expressive of the mighty power
of God, by which it was performed; and it was followed with
a resurrection of many of the saints, showing the efficacy of it; and as a
pledge, earnest, and confirmation of the future resurrection of all the
righteous at the last day, #Mt 28:2 27:52,53.
4. Fourthly, The causes of the
resurrection of Christ from the dead deserve notice; it is
frequently ascribed to God, without any distinction of persons; it being a
divine work, which none but God could do, and is a work of the exceeding
greatness of his power, #Eph 1:19 Ac 2:24,32 3:13,15 4:10 5:30 yet being a work
"ad extra", all the three divine persons were concerned in it. It is
sometimes ascribed to God the Father, as in #Eph 1:17-20 again in #Ac 13:30,33
which words are said to the Son by God the Father, who
raised him from the dead; see also #1Pe 1:3. At other times it is ascribed to
the Son himself: he declared beforehand, that when the temple of his body was
destroyed, he would raise it up again; and that, as he had power to lay down
his life, he had power to take it up again, which he did; and was thereby
declared to be the Son of God with power, #Joh 2:19,21 10:18 Ro 1:4 see also
#1Pe 3:18. The Spirit, the third Person, had also a concern
in it; for the declaration of Christ's Sonship with power was "according
to the Spirit of holiness", or the Holy Spirit, "by the resurrection
from the dead"; that is, by raising Christ from the dead; and as God, by
his Spirit, will raise the members of Christ at the last day, so by the same
Spirit, he raised Christ, their, Head, on whose resurrection theirs depends, which is intimated by the apostle, #Ro 8:11.
5. Fifthly, The effects of
Christ's resurrection from the dead, or the ends which were to be, and have
been, or will be, answered by it.
5a. First,
With respect to God, the chief end of all, was his glory; for "Christ was
raised from the dead by", some read it, to "the glory of the
Father", #Ro 6:4 that is, "to the glory of God the Father", as
in #Php 2:11 to the glory of his perfections; as particularly, his
"truth" and "faithfulness", in fulfilling types, promises,
and prophecies concerning this matter; for what the apostles and ministers of
the New Testament say of it, is no other than what Moses
and the prophets did say should come to pass; namely, "that Christ should
suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead",
#Ac 26:22,23 and since God spoke of it by them, the veracity of God required it
should be done, and that is glorified by it. Also the "power" of God;
to raise one from the dead, is the work of almighty power; as is both the resurrection of Christ, and of the saints; "God
hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power":
and the exceeding greatness of his power was exerted in a most glorious manner
in the resurrection of Christ, #1Co 6:14 Eph 1:19,20. Moreover, the
"justice" of God is glorified in it; when Christ had done his work as
a Surety, it was but just and equitable that he should be discharged,
be loosed from the cords of death, and be detained no longer a prisoner in the
grave; and that he should be honourably and legally acquitted; as he was when a
messenger was dispatched from heaven to roll away the stone of the sepulchre,
and set him free; and being thus raised from the dead, he was justified in the
Spirit; and hereby the justice of God was glorified, as also his wisdom, grace,
and goodness; which appeared in forming the scheme of
salvation, and in the kind designs of God to his people; all which would have
been defeated, if Christ had not been raised from the dead.
5b. Secondly, With respect to
Christ.
5b1. Hereby
is given further proof of his proper Deity, and
divine
Sonship; by this it appears, that he is the Lord God
Almighty, who
could and did raise himself from the dead!
this declares
him to be the Son of God with power: shows
that
he is the Lord of all, both of the dead and of the
living; that
he has the keys of hell and death, and can and
will unlock
the graves of his people, and set them free, as
he has
himself, #Ro 1:4 14:9 Re 1:18.
5b2.
By this it is a clear case, that Christ has done his work as
the Surety of
his people; that he has paid all their debts,
finished
transgression, made an end of sin, made
reconciliation
for iniquity, and brought in everlasting
righteousness;
that he has fulfilled the law, satisfied
justice,
and obtained eternal redemption, having given a
sufficient
price for it; and, in short, has done everything
he agreed to
do, to the full satisfaction of his divine
Father; and
therefore he is raised from the dead, received
into glory,
and set down at the right hand of God, having
answered
all his suretyship engagements.
5b3. This
shows that he has got the victory over death and the
grave; that
he has not only destroyed him that had the power
of death, the
devil, but has abolished death itself, the
last
enemy, and has brought life and immortality to light;
that he has
done what he resolved to do; "O death, I will be
thy plague! O
grave, I will be thy destruction!" so that the
believer, in
a view of interest in a risen Saviour, who has
conquered
death and the grave, may triumph, and say, "O
death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
#2Ti 1:10 Ho
13:14 1Co 15:55.
5b4. It was
necessary that Christ should rise from the dead, in
order to
enter into the glory promised him, and he prayed
for:
the prophets not only spoke of the sufferings of
Christ, but
of the glory that should follow; which could not
be enjoyed by
him, unless after he had suffered death, he
was raised
again; wherefore God raised him from the dead,
and gave him
the promised glory, #1Pe 1:11,21.
5c. Thirdly, With respect to
his people; the power of Christ's resurrection is great; the effects of it are
many, #Php 3:10.
5c1. The
blessings of the covenant of grace in general are
enjoyed
by the saints in virtue of it; for though
reconciliation,
and other blessings of grace, are by the
death of
Christ; yet the application and enjoyment of them
are through
his interceding life, in consequence of his
resurrection
from the dead; to which life the whole of
salvation
is ascribed, #Ro 5:10 Heb 7:25.
5c2.
Justification, in particular, is observed as one special end
and effect of
Christ's resurrection; "he was delivered for
our offences,
and was raised again for our justification";
and
the triumph of faith, in the view of that blessing of
grace, is
rather, and more principally founded on Christ's
resurrection,
than on his sufferings and death, #Ro 4:25
#Ro 8:33,34.
5c3.
Regeneration is another effect of Christ's resurrection; as
the elect of
God were "quickened with him", and in him, as
their head
and representative, when he was quickened and
raised from
the dead; hence said to be "raised up together",
#Eph 2:5,6 so
they are quickened in regeneration, in
consequence
and virtue of his resurrection, to which it is
ascribed,
#1Pe 1:3.
5c4. The
resurrection of the saints at the last day is the fruit
and effect of
Christ's resurrection, and which is ensured by
it.
Christ's glorious body is the exemplar, according to
which the bodies
of the saints will then be formed; and his
resurrection
is the earnest and pledge of theirs; he is "the
firstfruits
of them that slept", that is, of the dead: the
firstfruits
are the sample, and what ensure a following
harvest;
so the resurrection of Christ is the sample, and
gives
assurance of the resurrection of the saints in time to
come: so that
Christ's resurrection being certain, the
resurrection
of the saints is also, #1Co 15:20,23 1Th 4:14.