Scriptures: Ezekiel 37:11-14, John 11, Hosea 6:1-2, Leviticus 23:10-11, Daniel 12:1-3
The most important “I am” statement of Jesus is found in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus is both the source of the life we live in this world and the resurrection to the new life to come. In him is life. Martha and Mary, good friends of Jesus, were grieving over the death of their brother, Lazarus. They had sent word to Jesus when he was sick, but Jesus purposely delayed going to see him, saying, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). What we experience as trials are often opportunities for God to reveal our next breakthrough of revelation of who he is to us. Why did Jesus need to be glorified by raising Lazarus from the dead? To fulfill prophecy and reveal that he is both the Son of Man and God.
In Ezekiel 37, God shows the prophet Ezekiel a valley of dry bones representing the nation of Israel and instructs Ezekiel, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live’” (Ezekiel 37:9). God specifically calls Ezekiel “son of man” because he is prophetically doing what the coming Son of Man, Jesus, would someday do. God showed Ezekiel that he would restore the nation of Israel after their captivity, but there is more to this mystery.
“Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them’” (Ezekiel 37:12-13). Raising the dead was part of Jesus’ ministry as the embodiment of the resurrection and the life. But opening a grave after 4 days was a sign that he is the God of Ezekiel 37 who opens graves and brings us up from them. For God had said, “Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them” (v. 13). When Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave, he is revealing, “I am the Lord,” the God of Ezekiel 37.
The prophet Hosea was given another piece to this puzzle. “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence” (Hosea 6:1-2). Jesus was sent to fulfill this prophecy as the Lord who heals and binds up wounds. After two days in the grave Jesus was revived and on the third day he was restored to life, but his restoration would be our restoration, “that we may live in his presence.” Matthew 27:52-53 reveals that not only was Jesus resurrected on the third day, but he resurrected the bodies of many who had died. “The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Jesus’ resurrection is the first fruits of those who rise from the dead, in fulfillment of the Festival of First Fruits which took place on the day after the Sabbath of Passover, the first day of the week (Sunday) when Jesus was resurrected. This festival is explained in Leviticus 23:10-11. “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.” As the first grain to be harvested was being waved before the Lord during the First Fruits offering on Sunday, the first fruits of the resurrection ascended to the Father as Jesus led a triumphal procession of resurrected saints.
Why does the resurrection of Jesus matter? Before Jesus died, he told his disciples that he would be killed and raised to life on the third day (Matthew 17:23). If Jesus was not resurrected, then nothing he promised can be fulfilled because he promised that all who believe in him would have eternal life. How can a dead man give life? However, because he conquered death and was resurrected, we have life on the other side of death with God forever. As we read in Hosea, Jesus revives us “that we may live in his presence.” We know that when we die our spirit goes to be with Jesus because he told the thief on the cross next to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
If our spirit goes to be with the Lord, why then do we need the resurrection of the body? This is why we’ve been studying the old covenant. God promised Israel the resurrection of the dead because it is during the time of the resurrection when Jesus reigns over the earth for a thousand years and fulfills every promise to Israel and to us. The resurrection is part of God’s plan to redeem fallen creation. God wants to see his original, perfect plan for Israel and creation be redeemed and restored. God promised the Jewish people a Messiah who would rule over the earth from a regathered Israel. In the parables of the talents and bags of silver, Jesus promised us that those who obey him and steward well what they have been given in this life will be given more and reign with him when he returns to set up his kingdom.
The Apostle John saw the resurrection of the dead in Revelation 20:4-6. “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” We need a physical body to live on the earth, so our physical bodies will be resurrected in a glorious form like that of Jesus’ resurrected body.
As the first fruits of the resurrection, we see from Jesus’ new body that he could eat, but he could also walk through walls and ascend to heaven! His glorious body was often unrecognizable, yet Jesus’ hands still bore the scars of his crucifixion. Our bodies will be a glorified version of what we have now but will never experience sickness or decay. Daniel 12 reveals that our resurrected bodies will be filled with light. “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). Just like Jesus’ body shone at his transfiguration in Mark 9:2, giving the three disciples with him a glimpse of his glory, at the resurrection we will be transfigured and shine like Jesus!
Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, the first day of creation, because his resurrection marks a new beginning for humanity. All who believe in Christ live in the present reality of the resurrection. The old life has gone and the new has come. We’re not saved to escape to heaven when we die. We’re saved so God can bring his kingdom down both in the future and now, through those who live in his spiritual kingdom. God’s plan is to redeem all of creation, beginning with the salvation of souls and extending to the redemption of bodies. God breathes his Spirit in us so he can bring redemption to the world through us as we advance his kingdom. Through us, God continues to heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead. Those who are filled with resurrection life are commissioned by Jesus to freely give what we have freely received. In so doing, the kingdom of heaven breaks through the veil into this world, resurrecting all that is dead and releasing the life of Jesus.
Response:
Jesus, you are the source of my life. Resurrect in me everything that is eternal. Fill me with life and make me shine like you. May your kingdom come and will be done in my life as it is in heaven.
(Pictured above is an empty tomb, called the Garden Tomb, in Jerusalem.)
