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On the cross Christ said, “It is finished,” indicating that the work of the cross was complete. Why then could we still not be saved if He had not resurrected?
When Christ said, “It is finished,” on the cross, it meant that redemption was finished; it did not mean that salvation was finished. Redemption, the objective aspect, was accomplished by Christ. Salvation, the subjective aspect, is accomplished only when we are personally saved. Our joining to Christ in the subjective aspect involves a union with Christ’s resurrection. Therefore, if He had not resurrected, we could not be saved.
Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.” Notice that this verse speaks of being freed from two laws, the law of sin and the law of death. The death of Christ dealt with sin; whereas, the resurrection of Christ dealt with death. Christ did away with sin through His death and nullified death through His resurrection. Christ’s death only solved the problem of sin. Christ’s resurrection solved the problem of death. We are not only sinful people but also dead people. The Lord died on the cross to save us from being in the position of sinners, and He resurrected to save us from being in the position of dead men.
If the Lord had not died on the cross, we would be both sinful and dead. If the Lord had only died without being resurrected, we would no longer be sinners, but we would still remain dead men. Resurrection destroys the power of death. Death satisfies God; it takes care of the objective need and deals with the law. Resurrection satisfies us; it takes care of the subjective need and gives life to us. If we only preach Christ’s death, without preaching His resurrection, we are preaching only one half of the gospel. In reading the book of Acts, we see that the apostles paid a great deal of attention to the Lord’s resurrection.
The blood is spoken of more than four hundred times in the Bible. The blood was brought before God to satisfy God. However, this happened after resurrection (Heb. 9:12). While the Lord’s death must be heeded, it cannot be separated from resurrection. Death was followed by resurrection. Without resurrection there can be no salvation, because we are regenerated by God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3).
The Bible is full of the truth of resurrection. The New Testament and the Old Testament are filled with resurrection. Abraham offered up Isaac because he believed in resurrection. The Israelites’ crossing of the Jordan River and the budding of Aaron’s rod typify resurrection. First Corinthians 15:3 and 4 say, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;…He has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Scriptures in this verse refer to the Old Testament. This shows that both the death and resurrection of Christ are according to the Old Testament.
We praise and thank God that His Son not only died for us but was also resurrected for us. He dealt not only with the law of sin but also with the law of death. He saves us not only from being in the position of sinners but also from being in the position of dead men.
