The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is fabulously rich in meaning, for which reason it occupied a central place in the apostolic preaching. We can see this richness in the way it points both back and ahead, and also in what is says to all with ears to hear.

The resurrection looks back to Christ’s righteous life and atoning death on the Cross, through which, by his active and passive obedience, He fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Law in behalf of His people, and so secured, once and for all for all who believe, the forgiveness of their sins, the imputation of His righteousness, and God’s gift of eternal life.

It looks ahead to what His life and death purchased: the effusion of divine life out of heaven and into the fallen world-system, an effusion that began on the Day of Pentecost and has continued to the present, as sinners hear the Gospel, believe its message, call upon Christ for salvation, and welcome the Living One into their hearts as Lord.

It also looks ahead to the resurrection of the dead on the Day of Christ, when He comes again to raise the dead, judge the world in righteousness, turn the unrepentant and unbelieving into Gehenna, and create glorious new heavens and a new earth, the eternal home of the triune God, all the holy angels, and all the saints.

The Resurrection also speaks, saying that the curse which fell upon man and nature at Adam’s fall, and also the curse which falls upon all who break God’s holy Law, have both been broken, once and for all, for all who believe.

And it further says that the ruler of the present fallen world-system—who is Satan and his evil angels—has been cast out of his former place of authority, and is henceforth giving place to the world’s rightful Ruler: the High King of Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, more and more, rules in more and more hearts, and who will cast out all evil, once and for all, at His return in glory.

“Father, may You enable us so to look and so to hear that we may rise to the newness of life that is found in Your risen Son, in whose name I pray.” Amen.