Day 4: The Resurrection: God’s Vindication

From God’s viewpoint the resurrection of Jesus was both logical and necessary. It was God’s vindication of the obedience and righteousness of His Son, Jesus.

Paul states this in the opening verses of Romans:

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God—the Gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and 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 1:1–4, NIV)

In the flesh Jesus was a descendant of David, but in His eternal nature He was the Son of God and our Lord. God declared that Jesus was His Son by raising Him from the dead. The resurrection is God’s great vindication of His Son. It is the public demonstration to the universe that Jesus—though He died a criminal’s death and was rejected by man—was indeed, and is, the Son of God and our Lord.

Jesus had been set aside by humanity as a criminal, but God, by the resurrection, endorsed His claim to be the Son of God. What should our response be? Here is a beautiful passage describing the response of the women who were the first witnesses of the resurrection:

“So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.” (Matthew 28:8–9)

What else can we do when we realise who He is and what He did? There is no other reasonable response but to do as those women did: fall at His feet and worship Him.