UNIT V - Jesus Christ Savior of the World
True Man - True God - The Doctrine of the Two Natures
in Christ
Messianic Prophecy
Christ's State of Humiliation
Conceived by the Holy Ghost - Born of the Virgin Mary
Suffered Under Pontius Pilate
Crucified, Dead, and Buried
Archaeology Sheds New Light on the Trial and
Execution of Jesus
Christ's State of Exaltation
He Descended Into Hell
The Third Day He Rose Again From the Dead
The Physical Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Keystone of
the Christian Faith
He Ascended into Heaven and Sitteth on the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty
From Thence He Shall Come to Judge the Quick and the Dead
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...The Word became flesh and lived for a time among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-5, 14
"I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. All this he did that I should be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as He is risen from the death and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true." Martin Luther, Small Catechism, 1529
THE DOCTRINE OF THE TWO NATURES IN CHRIST
In the person of Jesus Christ God and man become one. We use the word "incarnation" ("to become flesh" - John 1:14) to describe this reality. Jesus is true God, the second member of the Trinity, begotten of the Father from eternity. He is and has all that God is and has. He is immortal, eternal, almighty, all-knowing, and present everywhere; divine in every sense of that term. (cf. Matthew 9:6; 28:18,20; John 1:1-3; 20:28; 21:17; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5; Hebrews 1:3; 13:8; I John 5:20)
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus is true man, with a human body and soul. He is like us in every way except sin, voluntarily submitting to the restrictions and limitations of human existence. Jesus was born and He grew to manhood. He rejoiced and He wept. He hungered and He ate. He thirsted and He drank. He slept and He woke. He was anxious and He hoped. He knew pain, suffering and death; like us in every way except sin. (cf. Matthew 4:2; 26:38; Luke 24:39; John 11:35; 19:28; I Timothy 2:5)
"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death...For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted...For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Hebrews 2:14-15,17-18; 4:15
From the instant of His conception in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ is both true God and true man. This is not a matter of component parts. The two natures are inseparable from one another. Jesus is not part man and part God. He is the God/Man. This "personal union" of the divine and human in Christ is permanent.
To be our Lord and Savior Jesus must be both true God and true man. Both natures are essential for the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. As true man Jesus submitted to the Law for us and suffered and died in our place. As true God Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly and offered His innocent death as the sufficient ransom for the sins of mankind. He is true man and true God "for us men and for our salvation" (Nicene Creed, 325AD)
"The New Testament was in the Old concealed; The Old is in the New revealed." - St. Augustine
God progressively disclosed His plan of salvation through the prophets of the Old Testament. Although the prophets themselves often did not understand the promises they were called to deliver (I Peter 1:10-12), they provided a complete description of the coming Messiah (Hebrew title - "The Anointed One"; Greek equivalent - "Christ"). The life and ministry of Jesus matches that description in every detail. The writers of the New Testament cite 226 OT prophecies which were fulfilled in Christ. The following is a partial list of Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus.
Messiah will be a man, the seed of the woman, who will crush Satan and destroy him but at painful cost (Genesis 3:15 - Matthew 1:18; Hebrews 2:14;)
Messiah will be the Son of God (Psalm 2:7 - Luke 1:32-35)
Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:7; 22:18; - Galatians 3:16)
Messiah will be a descendant of Isaac (Genesis 21:12 - Hebrews 11:18)
Messiah will be from the royal tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10 - Hebrews 7:14)
Messiah will be a descendant of David (Psalm 132:11; Jeremiah 23:5 - Acts 13:23; Romans 1:3)
The time of the Messiah's coming and death (Daniel 9:24-27 - Luke 2:1)
Messiah will be born of a Virgin as Immanuel (God With Us) (Isaiah 7:14 - Matthew 1:18,22-23; Luke 2:7)
Messiah will be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2 - Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-6)
Messiah's birth will be announced by the appearance of a star (Numbers 24:17 -Matthew 2:1-11)
Great men shall come and bow to him (Psalm 72: 10-15 - Matthew 2:1-11)
Innocent children will die in an attempt to slay him (Jeremiah 31:15 - Matthew 2:16-18)
His coming will be proclaimed by the Forerunner (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 -Matthew 1-3; Luke 1:17
Messiah will be anointed with power by the Holy Spirit (Psalm 45:7; Isaiah 11:2 - Matthew 3:16-17; John 3:34; Acts 10:38)
Messiah will be a great prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 - Acts 3:20-22)
Messiah will come to deliver his people (Isaiah 61:1-3 - Luke 4:16-21,43)
Messiah will bring light to Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-3 - Matthew 4:12-16)
Messiah will cleanse the temple of God (Haggai 2:7-9; Malachi 3:1 - Luke 19:45; John 2:13-16
Messiah will live in poverty (Isaiah 53:2 - Mark 6:3; Luke 9:58)
Messiah will practice meekness and humility (Isaiah 42:1-2 - Philippians 2:7-9)
Messiah will demonstrate compassion (Isaiah 40:11; 42:3 - Matthew 12:15-20; Hebrews 4:15
Messiah will be without guile (Isaiah 53:9 - I Peter 2:22)
Messiah will have great zeal for the House of God (Psalm 69:9 - John 2:17)
Messiah will teach using parables (Psalm 78:2 - Matthew 13:34-35)
Messiah will validate his ministry with great miracles of healing (Isaiah 35:5-6 - Luke 7:18-23)
Messiah will be rejected by his brethren (Psalm 69:8; Isaiah 53:3 - John 1:11; 7:5)
Messiah will be hated by the Jews (Psalm 69:4; Isaiah 49:7 - John 15:24-25)
Messiah will be spurned by the rulers of Israel (Psalm 118:22 - John 15:48; Matthew 21:42)
Messiah will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Isaiah 8:14 - Romans 9:32; I Peter 2:8)
Messiah will be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14 - John 13:18-21)
Messiah will be forsaken by his disciples (Zechariah 13:7 - Matthew 26:31-56)
Messiah will be sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12 - Matthew 26:15)
The profit of betrayal will be used to buy a potter's field (Zechariah 11:13 - Matthew 27:7)
Messiah will endure all of his suffering patiently and silently (Isaiah 53:7 - Matthew 26:63; 27:12-14)
Messiah's face will be beaten (Micah 5:1 - Matthew 27:30)
Messiah will endure intense suffering (Psalm 22: 14-15 - Luke 22:42-44)
Messiah will be scourged and spit upon (Psalm 35: 15; Isaiah 1:6 - Mark 14:1)
Messiah's face will be disfigured almost beyond recognition (Isaiah 52: 14; 53:3 - John 19:1-5)
Messiah's death will serve as an atoning sacrifice to justify many (Isaiah 53:4-6; Daniel 9:26 - Matthew 20:28; 26:28
Jewish and Gentile rulers will conspire to kill him (Psalm 2:1-4 - Luke 23:12; Acts 4:27-28)
The hands and feet of the Messiah will be pierced in death (Psalm 22:16 - John 19:18; 20:25)
Messiah will be executed among thieves (Isaiah 53:12 - Mark 15:28)
Messiah will be given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21 - Matthew 27:34)
Messiah will be cruelly mocked by his enemies (Psalm 22:7; 35:15-21 - Matthew 27: 39-44)
Messiah will suffer alone; even the Father's presence will be withdrawn (Isaiah 63:1-3; Psalm 22:1 - Matthew 27:46)
His enemies will gamble to divide his clothes among themselves (Psalm 22:18 - Matthew 27:35)
Messiah will pray for those who murder him (Isaiah 53:12 - Luke 23:34)
Messiah's body will be pierced after his death (Zechariah 12:10 - John 19:34-37)
No bone of his body will be broken (Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20 - John 19:33-36)
Messiah will be buried among the wealthy (Isaiah 53:9 - Matthew 27: 57-60)
Messiah's body will not decay in the grave (Psalm 16:8-10 - Acts 2:31)
Messiah will rise from the dead on the third day (Psalm 16:8-10; Hosea 6:1-2 - Luke 24:6,31,34)
Messiah will ascend into the heavens (Psalm 68:18; 24:7-9 - Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9)
Philippians 2:6-8 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
During the days of Jesus' life on earth our Lord did not always or fully use the divine power and glory that were rightfully His as the eternal Son of God (State of Humiliation). This voluntary renunciation of His divine attributes made it possible for Christ to live as a human being and to suffer and die in our place upon the cross. Jesus' willingness to humble himself in this way was the result of His love for us. (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9) The Apostles Creed summarizes the State of Humiliation in this way: "He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried."
"CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"
Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ was conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary did not have sexual intercourse prior to the birth of Christ.
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel - which means, 'God with Us'." (Matthew 1:18-25; cf. Luke 1:26-38)
"But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)
The doctrine of the Virgin Birth of our Lord is of critical importance for two reasons:
1. The Virgin Birth proves that Jesus Christ is true God, "begotten of the Father from eternity" (Nicene Creed, 325 AD).
2. The Virgin Birth fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 - "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel."
Mary, the mother of God, is to be honored and respected as a humble believer who willingly submitted to the will of the heavenly Father. Gabriel's salutation to the maiden of Nazareth was fitting and proper: "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28) The consideration of Mary's example, along with those of other Biblical heroes and heroines of the faith, can be a source of great encouragement for believers today. Scripture does not directly address the question of Mary's "perpetual virginity" (cf. Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7) although the New Testament does refer to "brothers" and "sisters" of the Lord (cf. Matthew 13:55; 27:56; Mark 3:31; 6:3; I Corinthians 9:5; Galations 1:19) The Roman Catholic dogmas of the "Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (that Mary was conceived without the taint of original sin - 1854) and the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (that Mary did not experience physical death but was bodily assumed into heaven - 1950) are completely without Biblical support. The view of Mary as intercessor to whom the prayers of the faithful should be addressed infringes upon the role of Christ as sole Mediator and must therefore be rejected. "Even though she is worthy of the highest honors, she does not want to be put on the same level as Christ but to have her example considered and followed. The fact of the matter is that in popular estimation the blessed Virgin has completely replaced Christ. Men have invoked her, trusted in her, and sought through her to appease Christ, as though he were not a propitiator but only a terrible judge and avenger." (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, 1530)
"He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not...He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgement he was taken away." Isaiah 53:3,7-8
Throughout His earthly life Christ endured poverty, contempt, and persecution. Israel's rejection of its Messiah culminated in His arrest, interrogation, and trials before the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. The Biblical accounts of these events reveal an eyewitness familiarity with the intricacies Jewish internal politics and Roman judicial procedures. The sequence of events in the arrest and trials of Jesus may be summarized as follows:
1. Christ is seized by detachments of Temple guards and Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane. His disciples flee in panic.
2. Christ is taken for interrogation to the palace of Annas, a powerful leader of the Sadducees. Five of his sons and one grandson served in the office of High priest. A contemporary passage from the Talmud laments the corrupting influence of Annas and his family: "What a plague is the family of Annas; cursed be their hissing of vipers!...They are high priests themselves, their sons are treasurers, their son-in-laws are commanders, and their servants strike the people with staves." Annas fails in his attempt to secure incriminating information from Jesus.
3. Christ appears before an illegal midnight session of the Great Sanhedrin. The ruling Council of the Jews consisted of seventy-one members representing the two dominant factions, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Joseph ben Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas and current High Priest, presided. It is unclear how many members of the Council were actually present for this meeting. Twenty-three of the seventy-one were required for quorum. Caiaphas was unable to obtain the required testimony from at least two witnesses. He then demanded, "I charge you under oath by the living God; tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." The Lord responded, "Yes, it is as you say." (Matthew 26:63,64) The High Priest denounced this answer as blasphemy and the Council condemned Jesus. Following the decision, Jesus was beaten and abused by the Temple guards.
4. The night's proceedings had to be ratified by a legal meeting of the Sanhedrin. This second session was convened at dawn on Friday. The verdict was repeated and the sentence of death decreed. Jesus was taken to the Roman governor because the Jews no longer had the authority to implement the death penalty.
5. Jesus was arraigned before Pontius Pilate, Procurator of the Roman province of Judea. The charge has now shifted to treason and sedition. Pilate interviews Jesus and declares Him to be innocent. The Jewish leaders object vigorously. When Pilate hears that Christ is from Galilee he sends Him to King Herod Antipas who is in Jerusalem for the festival.
6. Herod questions Jesus without response. He and his officers mock and abuse the Lord but he declines to condemn Him and sends Him back to Pilate.
7. Pilate again contends that there is no basis for condemnation. Barabbas is released instead of Jesus in the Pascal Amnesty. Pilate has Jesus flogged and presented to the crowd which demands His death. Pilate then yields and sentences Jesus to be crucified. He is beaten once again and taken to the place of execution.
All four Gospels include accounts of the crucifixion, the climactic event of Jesus' role as the Suffering Servant. (Matthew 27:31-50; Mark 15:20-37; Luke 23:26-46; John 19:16-30) Death by crucifixion was a particularly gruesome and excruciating method of execution reserved for rebellious slaves and those found guilty of treason against Rome. Most Christians have little awareness of the agony which Christ endured to pay the awful price for our salvation. Study of extra-Biblical historical sources and recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the precise accuracy of the Gospel accounts. Popular misunderstandings of Christ's crucifixion are most often the result of artistic misrepresentation. The Romans typically proceeded in this way:
1. After sentence was pronounced the victim was stripped and scourged. The condemned man was bound to a pillar and beaten with an instrument called the "flagrum". The "flagrum" consisted of a short handle to which were attached several long, thick leather thongs. Near the end of the thongs small pieces of bone and balls of lead were attached, designed to flay the skin and tear away the muscle tissue beneath. Scourging cut into the muscle and tore loose ribbons of flesh causing extreme pain and blood loss. This preliminary activity was designed to intensify the agony of the crucifixion itself. Among the Jews no more than 40 stokes of the "flagrum" were allowed. The Romans had no such restrictions. Their only guideline was that the victim was not to be killed. That was a task reserved for the cross itself.
2. The cross itself consisted of two pieces. The "stipes crucis" or trunk of the cross was the vertical beam planted permanently in the ground at the place of execution. The vertical beam of the cross was typically between 6 and 7 feet in length. The horizontal beam of the cross was called the "patibulum". The"patibulum" was 5 to 6 feet long and weighed between 75 and 125 pounds. In some cases a horizontal wooden hook was attached to the front of the vertical beam about half way down. It was called the "sedile" or seat. The "sedile" was designed to pass between the thighs of the victim and help support the weight of the body at the perineum. It served to prolong the process of death and was often honed to a sharp edge so that it would cut into the victim's flesh as he rested upon it. Most Roman cities had a specific location designated for this purpose, placed in such a way that a maximum number of the populace would have the opportunity to witness Roman justice at work. In Rome, for example, the "Campus Esquilinus" was the traditional place of crucifixion. Its counterpart in Jerusalem, of course, was Golgatha, the place of the Skull.
3. When the scourging was complete, the victim who remained nude and without benefit of food or water was forced to carry his "patibulum" from the place of sentencing to the place of execution. The beam was placed on his lacerated shoulders and his outstretched arms were bound to it. Here we see a slight difference between the Gospel texts and normal Roman procedure. "After they had mocked him they put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him." (Matthew 27:31) The requirements of Jewish modesty were respected as Jesus was paraded through the streets lest the crowds be given an excuse for riot. But once the execution began, Roman custom again prevailed. "When they had crucified him they divided up his clothes by casting lots." (Matthew 27:35) Our Lord was not spared any of the humiliation which was normally so much a part of crucifixion. An orderly military procession was formed. First came the centurion in charge of the event carrying a wooden placard called the "titulus" on the end of a long pole. The "titulus" provided the name of the prisoner and the crime for which he had been condemned. In Christ's case, Pilate's sarcastic inscription read "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (INRI). Then came the prisoner himself, carrying the "Patibulum strapped across his shoulders, preceded and followed by the soldiers of the guard detail. Artists have typically depicted Jesus dragging the entire cross down the Via Dolorosa. The Gospels, however, use the word "carry" not "drag", reflecting actual Roman practice.
4. Upon arrival at the place of crucifixion, the prisoner was unbound and laid on the ground on his back with his shoulders resting on the "patibulum". He was then fastened to the beam by 5 to 7 inch nails driven through the bony structure of the wrist, severing the median nerve and causing excruciating pain. The prisoner was then brought to his feet and backed up to the vertical "stipes crucis". The "patibulum" would then be lifted into place in a precut notch in the top of the upright. His feet were raised off the ground and nailed to the upright beam through the bones of the heels. The centurion would lean the long pole carrying the "titulus" against the back of the cross so that the placard would appear above the head of the crucified.
5. Crucifixion was intended to cause a gradual, agonizing death. It often took days for the crucified to die. The actual cause of death was asphyxia caused by shock and suffocation. Suspended from the nails piercing his wrists, the crucified could only breathe by raising himself up and shifting his weight to the nails driven through his heels. After a brief interval the pain would become too intense and he would slump forward again. Shortly thereafter the symptoms of suffocation would recur and he would desperately raise up once more. As the victim slowly grew weaker, the intervals in this excruciating pattern would shorten until he could no longer relieve the pressure on his lungs. Death by suffocation was the inevitable result. If the Roman executioner had reason to shorten the process the shins of the crucified were smashed against the cross with an instrument called the "crurifragium" (the "crusher"). Once the bones of the lower legs had been shattered it was no longer possible for the crucified to raise himself up and death would come quickly. The Gospels tell us that this was the fate of the two thieves crucified with Christ (John 19:32).
6. The bodies of the crucified were usually allowed to remain on the cross until they collapsed from decay or were picked apart by scavengers. Thus the place of execution would be littered with the bones of those who had died before, adding to the horror of the scene. It may be that Golgatha (Place of the Skull) derived its name from the grisly practice. Scripture reports that Pilate gave permission for the burial of Christ. Roman regulations stipulated, however, that if the crucified was to be buried, the officer in charge was required to pierce the victim's heart with his spear to guarantee that the condemned was actually dead. The Romans wanted to be absolutely certain that no one escaped their justice. The Biblical record once again precisely mirrors actual Roman procedure. "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water." (John 19:34; cf. also I John 5:6-8)
ARCHAEOLOGY SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON THE TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF JESUS!
Within the last few decades, archaeological discoveries in Israel have significantly enhanced our understanding of the crucifixion process and our awareness of the accuracy of the Bible's account of the Lord's trial and execution. Neither of the dramatic discoveries listed here were the result of deliberate exploration. Instead, they took place by accident as modern building projects were undertaken in the area around Jerusalem.
The first physical evidence of a Roman crucifixion was uncovered near Jerusalem in 1968. An excavation crew laying the foundation for a new apartment complex at Giv'at ha Mivtar stumbled upon a cluster of burial caves. Workers found that the caves were part of a huge Jewish cemetery from the first century A.D. One of the caves contained an ossuary (a stone burial jar) which held the skeletal remains of a young man and a boy. The inscription on the jar read: "John" and "John the Son of the Hanged One." The adult was evidently the victim of crucifixion. At the time of his death he was between 24 and 28 years old, about 5 1/2 feet tall, and of slender build. His right and left heel bones were fastened together by a 5 1/2 inch iron nail. Fragments of acacia wood were found under the head of the nail and the nail's point was bent around the remains of a knot of olive wood. The bones of the victim's lower legs had been crushed after death. Scholars speculate that when the body was taken down from the cross they were unable to remove the nail holding the feet because it had bent into the knot. The feet were then severed and torn from the cross along with a chunk of wood. Scratches on the arm bones of the victim indicated that nails had been driven between the base of the radius and the ulna at the wrist. The angle of a fracture in the left calf further indicated that his knees had been folded together on one side. These remains have forced a revision of the traditional picture of the crucifixion. It would seem that the victim's feet were placed parallel to one another with both knees sharply bent in one direction. A small board was then placed over the victim's feet to prevent them from tearing loose as he hung upon the cross. The spike was driven through the wood, both heel bones, and on into the cross itself. The spine was sharply twisted at the waist to enable the upper body to be nailed to the patibulum through the wrists. A small wooden hook or seat ("sedile") was mounted on the cross upon which one of the victim's buttocks rested to carry part of the body's weight, and thus prolong the painful dying. This physical evidence serves to corroborate the Biblical text's description in every detail.
Only five or six of the hundreds of characters who walk through the pages of the New Testament have ever been attested in archaeological finds. A startling discovery took place in November of 1990 which added a most significant name to that select list. As a construction crew began excavations for a water park just south of Jerusalem's old city the diggers accidentally uncovered a first century burial cave. Archaeologists were quickly summoned and entered the cave to find six ossuaries. These carved stone boxes were used for the secondary burial of wealthy Jews during the first century. At the time of death, the body was anointed with spices and wrapped in a linen shroud. Much later, after the flesh had decomposed, the bones were collected and placed in an ossuary. If the deceased was particularly wealthy or important the ossuary was often decorated and inscribed. In this instance, five of the six ossuaries born inscriptions and carved decorations. The most intricately carved of the limestone boxes bore the familiar name of Joseph ben Caiaphas. Caiaphas, as any New Testament reader knows, was the High Priest of Israel who conspired to have Jesus arrested, conducted his trial and condemned the Savior to die for the crime of blasphemy. Inside the ossuary were the remains of a sixty year old man who had been buried with all of the pomp and dignity due the nation's High Priest. The brittle bones of the leader who had prophesied "that it would be better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish" (John 11:50) had now been uncovered to affirm the Word of the Messiah whom he had once denied and attempted to destroy. Once again, the dry dust of ancient history stirs to testify to the absolute reliability of the Word of God.
Philippians 2: 9-11 "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
After His death and burial, our Lord fully reassumed the glory and power that were rightfully His as the Son of God (State of Exaltation). Thus the God/Man, Jesus Christ now and forever makes full use of His divine majesty and power, being present everywhere and upholding and governing all things. The Apostles Creed summarizes the State of Exaltation in this way: "He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead."
"For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built." (I Peter 3: 18-20; cf. also Colossians 2:13-15; Ephesians 4:8-10)
Christ's descent into Hell was that act by which the God/man, Christ glorified, after His quickening in the tomb on the third day, appeared in the prison of the damned as a herald of their judgement and His victory. Christ has conquered Hell for us. He descended into Hell to proclaim His victory, that any lingering doubts we might have about the totality of that victory over the devil and his kingdom might be dispelled forever. Christ descended into Hell, triumphed over Satan and his hosts, took captivity captive, and like a triumphant general made a public show of the spoils of war and the vanquished enemies.
"We simply believe that after the burial the entire person, God and man, descended into hell, conquered the devil, destroyed hell's power, and took from the devil all his might. We are not to concern ourselves with exalted and acute speculation about how this occurred. With our reason and five senses this article cannot be comprehended any more than the preceding one, how Christ has been made to sit at the right hand and almighty power and majesty of God. We must only believe and cling to the Word. Then we shall retain the heart of this article and derive from it the comfort that neither hell nor the devil can take us or any believer in Christ captive or harm us." (The Formula of Concord, SD IX, 1577)
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born...If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." (I Corinthians 15:3-8,17-20)
THE PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
KEYSTONE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION PROVES:
1. That He is what He claimed to be, the Son of God!
"He was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the
dead." (Romans 1:4)
2. That God the Father accepted the sacrifice of His Son
as the Redeemer of the world!
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our
justification." (Romans 4:25)
3. That He will raise us from the dead to life everlasting
with Him!
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even though
he dies." (John 11:25)
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY
"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19)
"That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:19-23)
Christ has returned bodily to the glory of His Father to prepare a place for us in heaven (John 14:2-3). When Scripture tells us that God has "seated him at his right hand" (Ephesians 1:20), it offers us the assurance that Christ, the exalted God/man, now fully exercises His divine power and authority over all the universe. Christ carries out that responsibility as he (1) sends His people out into the world to proclaim the Good News of salvation to everyone by the power of the Holy Spirit (PROPHET); (2) intercedes for us before the throne of the heavenly Father (PRIEST); and, (3) rules and protects His church and governs over all the world for the benefit of His people (KING).
FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Matthew 25:31-32
"God has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man that He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20
Christ will come again with glory and with power to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 25:31,32). The day of the Lord's return is known only to God (Mark 13:32). On that great and terrible day, the justice and righteousness of God will be demonstrated before all of humanity, assembled before the Judgement Seat of Christ. Scripture urges us to be ready at all times for His coming (Matthew 24:44).