Morning, May 10, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead.” — 1 Corinthians 15:20

The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ has been raised from the dead;” for, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in his resurrection, since he was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” It would not be unreasonable to doubt his deity if he had not risen. Furthermore, Christ’s sovereignty depends upon his resurrection, “for this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” Again, our justification, that special blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ’s triumphant victory over death and the grave; for He “was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” And even more, our very regeneration is connected with his resurrection, for we are “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here, for, “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” If Christ is not risen, then we shall not rise; but if he is risen then they who are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their body shall surely behold their God. Thus, the silver thread of resurrection runs through all the believer’s blessings, from his regeneration onwards to his eternal glory, and binds them together. This will be important then, this glorious fact in the believer’s view, and how greatly will he rejoice that beyond a doubt it is established, that “now Christ has been raised from the dead!”

“The promise is fulfill’d,

Redemption’s work is done,

Justice with mercy’s reconciled,

For God has raised his Son.”