Lesson 17: Why Did Jesus Rise Again From the Dead? (part 2)

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:35-57- www.bible.com/bible/59/1cor.15.esv

We continue today with the contrast between King Saul and King David.

We also talked in a previous lesson about sins not being categorized and ranked before God (as we do today), but there were certain sins in the Old Testament which carried greater punishment than others. Saul's sin was not a capital offense as David's was. Saul's sin of offering a sacrifice for the people (a duty limited to the office of the priest) was not a sin punishable by death at the hand of human judgment (though God had done so with others in the past – see Numbers 16). David's two sins of adultery and murder were punishable by death, and consequently, a loss of his position as king. David, though he had the greater sin, because he repented received a threefold blessing in return – his forgiveness, his life, and his kingdom.

The point to all of this is God could have simply said, "You have been found innocent." Our sins would have been forgiven but it would not have changed our status or relationship with God. We would still have had no standing before Him. We would not have been able to come into His presence because, though our sin had been forgiven we were not set free, we were not yet a new creature. Justification is the act of God whereby He places onto the forgiven sinner the robe of righteousness belonging to Jesus Christ. We stand before God not only forgiven but declared righteous.


Let's draw one more parallel. In the Old Testament, the believer found forgiveness in the act of obedience in bringing a sacrifice of blood for their sin. Justification, for them, was their action, but it was not a permanent justification. In the New Testament, however, this justification has found an incredible new expression. What in the Old Testament was a quiet inner sense of satisfaction at having been obedient, in the New Testament finds a symphonic crescendo in Christ's resurrection guaranteeing justification forever.

This leads us to the second reason for Jesus' resurrection: victory. We find this best described in 1 Corinthians 15:12-58 (also see John 16:33, Romans 8:26-39, 2 Corinthians 2:14, and 1 John 4:4). If justification was the symphonic crescendo, these verses are the booming fireworks display which follows. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would have nothing on which to hang our faith. We would have nothing to prove to us our sins were truly forgiven. What greater proof could we possibly ever need than this impossible feat – Jesus, though He was dead, raised Himself back up to life. Impossible, but not for God!

We’ll see more in the next lesson.

*Dig deeper: What is said to be the benefit of victory in each of these passages?
1 Corinthians 15:12-58
John 16:33
Romans 8:26-39
2 Corinthians 2:14
1 John 4:4