Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 1 · Section 2
SECT. II. Of the Reaſons of Chriſt's Reſurrection.
2. WHy he roſe, we have theſe Reaſons.—
1. That he might powerfully convince, or confound his adverſaries; they that crucified him were mightily afraid of his Reſurrection; they could tell Pilate, Sir, we remember this deceiver ſaid while he was yet alive, after three days I will riſe again; Mat. 27.63, 64.and therefore they deſire him of all loves to command the Sepulchre to be made ſure until the third day; if ever he riſe again whom they have killed, then they knew they were all ſhamed; then the laſt errour (as they ſaid) would be worſe than the firſt: All the world would look on them as a curſed generation, to kill the Meſſiah, to crucifie ſuch a one as after his death and burial ſhould riſe again; now then, that he might either convince them, or confound them, notwithſtanding their care, their watch, their Seal, their making all ſure as poſſibly they could; at the very ſame time he told them before, he broke open the gates of death, and made the gates of Braſs to flie aſunder.
2. That he might confirm the faith of all his followers. If Chriſt be not riſen, 1 Cor. 15.14.your Faith is vain, ſaith the Apoſtle. Chriſts reſurrection both confirms our faith, as to his perſon and to his office: for his perſon;Rom. 1.4. this ſpeaks him to be the eternal Son of God, by the reſurrection from the dead: and for his office; this ſpeaks him to be the promiſed Meſſiah, the great Prophet, the chief high Prieſt, the King and Saviour of his Church. When the Jews ſaw Chriſt purging the Temple, and Meſſiah-like reforming what he ſaw amiſs in the Houſe of God, What ſign (ſay they) ſheweſt thou unto us, Joh. 2.18, 19, 22.ſeeing thou doſt theſe things? And he ſaid unto them, deſtroy this Temple, and in three days I will raiſe it up.—When therefore he was riſen from the dead, his Diſciples remembred that he had ſaid this unto them, and they believed the Scripture, and the Word which Jeſus had ſaid: As the reſurrection of Chriſt argues his Mediatorſhip, ſo it confirms their faith? as it is ſaid, They believed the Scriptures, and they believed Jeſus Chriſt. And thus John writing of his reſurrection, tells us,John 20.31. Theſe things are written that ye might believe, and that believing, &c.
3. That it might clearly appear, that he had fully ſatisfied the juſtice of God for ſin: So it was, that God laid the forfeiture of the bond on Chriſt; he arreſted him, brought him to the Goal, the Grave, and there he was till the Debt was paid to the utmoſt farthing; and then, that it might clearly appear that the bond was cancelled, the Priſoner diſcharged, God's juſtice ſatisfied, he roſe again from the dead. Some make a queſtion when his Bond was cancelled? and they ſay, as the debt was paid, ſo the Bond was cancelled ere he ſtirred off the Croſs (only by the Croſs, I ſuppoſe they mean the utmoſt degree of Chriſts humiliation, viz. his being held in captivity and bondage under death) and ſo the hand-writing of the Law that was againſt us, was there delivered him; and there he blotted it out, cancelled it, took it out of the way, Col. 2.14.nailing it to his Croſs. Others think, that as to the full diſcharge of a debt, and freeing the debtor, two things are requiſite; firſt, the payment of the debt: ſecondly, the tearing, or cancelling of the bond; ſo the payment was wrought by Chriſt's death, and the cancelling of the Bond was at his reſurrection; I ſhall not diſprove either of theſe: I am ſure, this is without all controverſie, that Chriſt roſe, that it might fully appear that now the Bond was cancelled, and Gods Juſtice ſatisfied.
4. That he might overcome and conquer ſin, death, and devil; and hence the Apoſtle cryes victory upon the occaſion of Chriſt's reſurrection,1. Cor. 15.55. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? now was the day that he broke the priſon, and carryed the keys of death and hell at his own girdle; now was the day that he ſpoiled Principalities, and Powers, that he troad on the Serpents head; and all-to-bruiſed it, that he came upon him, took from him his armour wherein he truſted, and divided his ſpoyles; now was the day that the Jew loſt his rage, and death his ſting, and the grave his corruption, and Hell his purchaſe; now was the day of his victory over all his enemies; now was the day that the Phaenix ſprung up out of its own aſhes, that Jonas came ſafe out of the belly of the whale, that the Tabernacle of David that was fallen, was raiſed again, that the Son of righteouſneſs covered with a cloud appeared, and ſhone with greater luſtre than before; that Sampſon took the gates of the City, and carryed them away; He aroſe even upon that account.
1 Cor. 15.20.5. That he might become the firſt-fruits of them that ſlept. Chriſt is called the firſt-fruits in a double reſpect, 1. In reſpect of the day whereon he roſe; Paul was an excellent critick, the very feaſt carryed him to the word; as the day of his paſſion was the day of the paſſeover, and the Apoſtle thence could ſay, Chriſt is our paſſeover; 1 Cor. 15.7.1 Cor. 5.7. 1 Cor. 15.20. Lev. 22.10, 11. So the day of Chriſt's riſing was the day of the firſt-fruits, and the Apoſtle thence could ſay, Chriſt is our firſt-fruits. Concerning this feaſt of the firſt fruits we read Lev. 22.10, 11. It was their firſt harveſt of their baſeſt grain Barley, but the full harveſt of their beſt grain of Wheat, was not till pentecoſt. Now upon this day, the morrow after the Sabbath, the beginning of their firſt harveſt, when the ſheaf of their firſt-fruits was brought unto the Prieſt, and waved before the Lord, Chriſt aroſe from the dead, and in this reſpect Paul calls him the firſt fruits of them that ſleep, of all the Saints.1 Cor. 15.20. He aroſe firſt as on this day, for the full Harveſt is not till doomes-day, the general Reſurrection day. 2. he is called the firſt-fruits in reſpect of them whom he thereby ſanctified: for as an handful of the firſt-fruits ſanctified the whole Field of corn that was growing; ſo Jeſus Chriſt the firſt-fruits of the dead, ſanctifies all thoſe who are lying in the grave to riſe again by his Power, even when they are in the duſt of death.1 Cor. 15.17, 28. If Chriſt be not riſen, (ſaith the Apoſtle) ye are yet in your ſins.—But now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, and become the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep.
6. That being formerly abaſed as a ſervant, and crucified as a ſinner, he might thus be declared to be the Son of God; and exalted to be a Prince and Saviour of men; and ſo his name might be glorified of all the World. He was made of the Seed of David according to the fleſh, Rom. 1.3, 4.and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holineſs by the reſurrection from the dead. It was of neceſſary conſequence, that he that was ſo humbled, muſt be thus exalted; therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, Iſa. 53.12.and he ſhall divide the ſpoil with the ſtrong, becauſe he hath poured out his ſoul unto death, agreeable to which is that of Chriſt, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Chriſt to ſuffer, Luke. 24.46.and to riſe from the dead the third day. When Peter was Preaching Chriſt to the high Prieſt and councel that condemned him to death, he told them that the God of our Fathers hath raiſed up Jeſus, whom ye ſlew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour; Act. 5.30, 31. Phil. 2.8.9.and ſuitable to this is that of Paul, he humbled himſelf, and became obedient to the death, even to the death of the Croſs, wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. It was for his own glory, and his Fathers glory that he ſhould riſe again from the dead,1 Pet. 1.21. Phil. 2.11. God raiſed him up from the dead, and gave him glory; and he was therefore exalted, that every tongue ſhould confeſs that Jeſus Chriſt is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Of all the reaſons of Chriſt's reſurrection, we muſt look upon this as the main; for as he hath made all things for himſelf, ſo he hath done all things for his own glory;Rom. 6.4. Chriſt was raiſed up from the dead, (ſaith the Apoſtle) by the glory of the Father: By the glory, or to the glory, or for the glory of himſelf, and of his Father: