Article 4: The Resurrection of Christ

Christ truly rose again from death, and took again His body with flesh, bones and all that belongs to the completeness of human nature. In this body he ascended into heaven, where He is now seated until the last day, when He will return to judge all humanity.

“…so highly comforting is this article to our consciences that it is the very lock and key of all our Christian religion and faith … it pleased our Saviour to not withdraw Himself straightaway from the bodily presence and sight of the disciples, but over a period of forty days, to declare himself to them by many and various, (and strong), arguments and evidences that He had conquered death and that He was truly risen again to life. He began, Luke tells us, at Moses and all the Prophets and expounded to them all the prophecies that were written in all the Scriptures about Him … He sent His angels to the tomb … He Himself appeared … He ate with them, and as He ate with them, He taught them of the everlasting Kingdom of God, and assured them of the truth of his resurrection.

Just as our Saviour was diligent - for our comfort and instruction - to declare His resurrection, so let us be as diligent in our belief and reception of it - for our comfort and instruction.

As He died not only for Himself, so He also rose not only for Himself. He died to put away sin, and rose that we might rise to righteousness. His death destroyed death, and overcame Satan who held the power of death. Death is swallowed up in Christ’s victory and hell is spoiled for ever. If death could not keep Christ under its dominion and power, then it is clear that the power of death has been overcome. And if death is conquered, it follows that sin (of which death was appointed as wages) must also be destroyed. If sin and death is vanquished, then is the devil’s tyranny vanquished … Thus His resurrection has wrought for us life and righteousness. He passed through death and hell, … so that by His strength we might do the same. He paid the ransom of sin that it should not be laid to our charge. He destroyed the devil and his tyranny, taking from him his captives. He has raised us and set us with Him among the citizens of heaven.

And from now on that is where our citizenship remains. We look to a Divine Saviour, who will change our bodies of sin and death so that they will become like His glorious body, and He will do it by the same power by which He Himself rose from the dead, and by which He will subdue all things to Himself.

Consider then, how we may throughout our life, declare our faith in this article, framing our life to it, rising daily from sin to righeousness and holiness of life. What a folly it would be, having been granted such righteousness to lose it again in our daily decisions… having been delivered from the sin of this world of death, to become entangled again in it … to turn back again from the holy commandment God has given us. If you delight in this article, then follow His example of resurrection! We have been buried with Christ in our baptism, let us die daily to sin, killing every evil desire and aspiration. As Christ was raised from the dead, let us rise to new life, and walk continuously in it. Live in Christ!

…taken from Cranmer’s Easter Sermon

An Homily of the Resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

For Easter Day.

Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 17

45.Q. HOW DOES CHRIST'S RESURRECTION BENEFIT US?

A.First,by his resurrection he has overcome death,so that he could make us share in the righteousness which he had obtained for us by his death. 1 Second,by his power we too are raised up to a new life. 2 Third,Christ's resurrection is to us a sure pledge of our glorious resurrection. 3

1.Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:16-20; 1 Pet 1:3-5.
2.Rom 6:5-11; Eph 2:4-6; Col 3:1-4.
3.Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:12-23; Phil 3:20, 21.

Westminster Larger Catechism

Q.52. How was Christ exalted in His resurrection?

Christ was exalted in His resurrection in that, not having seen corruption in death (in which it was not possible for Him to be held), and having the same body in which He suffered … really united with His soul, He rose from the dead on the third day by His own power, declaring Himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and to be Lord of both the living and the dead. All of this He did as a public person (i.e. a representative), as the Head of His Church, for their justification, their being brought to life through grace, for support against their enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.