Light Brings Salt
Volume 3, Issue 13 March 27, 2005
Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
The Significance of the Resurrection of Christ
by John F. Walvoord
All branches of
systematic theology have tended to underestimate the significance of the
resurrection of Christ. Orthodox scholars usually emphasize the apologetic
significance of the resurrection as an attestation to the deity of Christ and
the value of His substitutionary death. The resurrection of Christ is normally
held to be a proof of the future resurrection of the saints. Often neglected,
however, is the relation of the resurrection of Christ to His present work.
In liberal
theology, the resurrection of Christ is rejected as a nonessential, and the conclusion
is reached that Christ continues to exist after His death but
not in a body. Scriptures relating to the subject are spiritualized or
explained away. As James Orr noted a generation ago, the tendency now is to
deny the resurrection as impossible, and therefore untrue.
More important,
however, than the liberal view in contemporary theology, is the neo-orthodox
concept of the resurrection of Christ. Though the more conservative of
neo-orthodox scholars tend to recognize the resurrection of Christ as a
historic fact, they claim that in itself it does not have historic
significance. Emphasis is placed upon the experience of Christ in the believer
rather than in the fact of the empty tomb. The answer to all problems is found
in the complete revelation of the Scriptures themselves which, if accepted in
the normal meaning of words, establishes the orthodox position concerning the
resurrection as a proof of His person and His offices and at the same time
demonstrates that the resurrection of Christ is the key to all of His present
work as well as the consummation of the divine plan in the prophetic future.
For the present discussion, only the major facts will be itemized.
The resurrection a proof of the person of Christ. It is
significant that the meaning of the three official names of Christ, namely,
Lord Jesus Christ, is substantiated by His resurrection from the dead. The
title of “Lord,” usually regarded as a declaration of His deity and authority
over all creation is based on the assumption that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God. Though in His life He offered many substantiating evidences, the supreme
proof of His deity is the solid fact of His resurrection. It was this argument
which Peter used in his post
Pentecost sermon when he declared on the basis of the fact of His
resurrection that Jesus is “both Lord and Christ” (Acts
In the title
“Christ” as attributed to the Lord Jesus is embodied the hope of
“Jesus,” the third
title attributed to Christ, meaning “saves,” was His human name bestowed by the
angel. He was given this name because He would “save his people from their
sins” (Matt
One theologian,
Milligan, rightly notes that the Greek is literally “save me out of this
hour”. Milligan adds: “Our Lord prayed not merely that, if possible, He might
escape suffering, but that, if it was impossible for Him to escape it, He might
pass through it to a glorious deliverance,—that through death He might be
conducted to that life beyond death in which the purpose of His coming was to
be reached.” It is the uniform
presentation of Scripture that His resurrection is a necessary counterpart to
His work in death, and apart from His resurrection His death would have become
meaningless (John 11:25; Rom 5:10; 8:34 ; 10:9 ; Phil 2:9, 11; Heb 5:7). The
resurrection of Christ is, therefore, the proof of His person and of that which
His person affected, namely His work on the cross.
The resurrection a proof of His
offices. The three offices of Christ, that
of prophet, priest, and king are each related to His resurrection. The offices
of Christ are one of the major themes of the Old Testament as they relate to
Christ. Moses anticipated Christ’s office as a prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18.
The priestly office of Christ is prophesied in Psalm 110:4 and His kingly
office is in fulfillment of the promise to David in 2 Samuel
The prophetic
ministry of Christ, though largely fulfilled on earth prior to His death,
needed the authentication of His resurrection to give authority to what He had
already said as well as His continued ministry through the Spirit whom He would
send (John 16:12–14). If Christ had not been raised from the dead, He would
have been a false prophet and all of His ministry as recorded in the Gospels
would have been subject to question. In like manner, His post resurrection
ministry, bringing into climax much that He had taught before, would have been
impossible apart from His bodily resurrection. The resurrection, therefore, constitutes
a proof of the validity and authority of His prophetic office.
The resurrection of
Christ is clearly related to that of His continuance of a priest. This was
anticipated in Psalm 110 where Christ is declared to be a priest eternal in
character, “Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent; Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4). The concept of Christ as a priest
who continues to live forever is further substantiated in Hebrews
The third office, that of king, fulfilled especially the anticipation
of the Old Testament of a Son who would have the right to rule. Christ was not
only to rule over Israel, fulfilling the promise to David of a son who would
reign forever, but over the entire world as the one to whom God has given the
right to rule over the nations (Ps 2:8–9). Christ’s continuance on the throne
forever after His death, in fulfillment of the plan of God that He should reign over all nations as well as the nation of