The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 91

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'The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Resurrection of Christ.

Irs Comrort.

Why is the resurrection of Christ so comforting
to us? Because, in the first place, it is conclusive
evidence that Christ is the Son of God and that His
doctrine is the truth. Paul expressly says: ‘‘He is
declared to be the Son of God with power, accord-
ing to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from
the dead,’’ Rom.1,4. Christ, by His own almighty
power, raised Himself from the dead, and so proved
that He was the very God Himself. ‘‘I am the Res-
urrection and the Life’’—these words of Jesus were
more gloriously proved by His own resurrection
than by the raising of Lazarus from the dead. By
His resurrection He proved Himself to be the Mes-
siah of whom David had prophesied: ‘‘Thou wilt
not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption,’
Ps. 16, 10. To the Jews He had said, ‘‘Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,”
John 2, 19, and in His resurrection these words were
fulfilled. He had given them the sign of Jonah,
telling them that He would lie in the bosom of the
earth three days, as Jonah had been buried three
days in the whale’s belly. His resurrection was
a fulfillment of this sign and impressed the seal of
truth upon His words.

If Christ had not raised Himself from the dead’
we never could have believed Him to be the Son of
God and the Saviour of the world, for then the propb-
ecies concerning the Messiah would not have been
fulfilled in Him, and His own words would have
stamped Him a liar and deceiver. But now that
He rose from the dead, we can no longer doubt that
He is God’s Son and our Redeemer, and that His
doctrine is the truth.

Christ’s resurrection, furthermore, ‘proves that
God the Father has accepted the sacrifice of His
Son for the reconciliation of the world. ‘‘Christ
was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again
for our justification,’? Rom. 4, 25. Christ was our
Substitute, having taken our sins upon Himself and
having died for us on the cursed wood of the cross.
He bears all the punishment of our sins. Will God
accept His sacrifice as a perfect atonement for our
transgressions? Will the death of Christ redeem
allmen? Will His blood be sufficient to wash away
our sins and to reconcile us to God? Will the ran-
som which Christ brings be sufficient to redeem us
from the slavery of sin and the devil? —Christ had
indeed exclaimed upon the cross, ‘‘It is finished,”
namely, the work of redemption; but was it true?
—The resurrection of Christ answers, Yes. Itisa
- conclusive proof that our sins are fully atoned for,

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that God is reconciled, that death, devil, and hell
are conquered. Our debt is paid, and Christ’s res-
urrection is the receipt written in God’s own hand.
If Christ were not raised, our faith would indeed be
vain, we would yet be in our sins; but since He is
raised our faith has a firm foundation, for He who
died for our sins has now been raised for our justi-
fication.

God having accepted Christ’s death as the atone-
ment for our sins, it is as though we all had died.
‘‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die,’’ this threat
must stand; butin Christ we have all died. Christ’s
resurrection is therefore the seal of our reconciliation
and justification. Now no law can condemn us, no
devil accuse us, no death frighten us. Christ is free,
and we are free in Him; Christ lives; and we live
with Him.

Finally, the resurrection of Christ assures us
that all believers shall rise unto life eternal. Christ
and His believers are one; He is the Head, they
are the members. But now Christ says, “‘I live, ye
shall live also,”? John 14, 19. As sure as Christ
lives, so sure will we also live. Christ is risen as
the first-fruits of them that are asleep. We shall
all follow Him. As we all must die in Adam, we
shall in Christ all rise to life eternal. Temporal
death will be the entrance into eternal life for us
that believe. As the angel speaking of Christ told
the women, ‘‘He is not here; He is risen,”’ so will
it be said of us, ‘‘They are not in the grave; they
are risen.’’

Yes, we shall certainly rise and enter into Christ’s
kingdom of glory, where we shall serve Him in ever-
lasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness ;
for He has said, ‘‘Where I am, there shall also my
servant be,’’ John 12, 26. A little while, and we
shall see our Saviour from face to face; a little
while, and believing will be changed into seeing.

F.J.L.

Faith in the Christmas Tidings.

“The Christmas tidings,’’ says Luther, “require
faith which accepts them as‘true, and firmly holds
against all doubts, that the Saviour is surely born.
This faith quiets the heart, so that thou wilt not
charge God with falsehood through thy unbelief,
as they do who refuse to believe and thus lose their
Saviour. Where this faith is wanting, Christ, as
the Son of God, is denied by those who will not
confess their sins! nor acknowledge Him as their :
Saviour, as well as by those who feel their condem- me
nation and confess their guilt, but do not faithfully x
receive the consolation that Christ is their Saviour.” _ re