0422. Paul's Second Message

Paul’s Second Message

"Opening and alleging that Christ must needs * * have risen from the dead" (Act_17:3).

The Apostle Paul spoke three Sabbath Days in the Jewish synagogue in Thessalonica. Perhaps he used the theme of the resurrection on the second of those Sabbaths. At least, he gave a clear and definite testimony to the fact that the Christ Whom he preached was not dead, but risen indeed.

The fact of the resurrection is not a theme to be relegated to a once-a-year message on the reputed Easter Morn. It is the vital message for every hour.

It was the Holy Spirit, through Paul, who wrote, "We preach Christ Who died, yea, rather Who is risen again."

1. The resurrection of Christ was the supreme proof of His Deity. Upon His resurrection Christ Himself had staked every claim He had set forth, as being the Son of God. When asked for a sign He had said, "There shall no sign be given you, but the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

If the stone had not been rolled away, and if Christ had not come forth, then every vestige of Christ’s claim to Deity had vanished. But, on the other hand when the stone did roll back, and Jesus Christ came forth with a resurrection body, He was forever proclaimed "the Son of God with power."

Christ had said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days." These words He used beforehand to set forth His inherent power of life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was just as impossible to man as the task of rebuilding in three days, the Temple of Solomon, which had taken the Jews forty years to construct.

2. The resurrection of Christ was the assurance that Christ would, beyond any doubt, set up His millennial reign on the Davidic throne, judging the world in righteousness. If God was able to bring Jesus Christ from the dead; He is able to bring Him the second time into the earth and establish His reign.

Of course, Christ is coming again; of course, He will take His throne–this He must do, or else He did not rise from the dead.

3. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was positive assurance of the resurrection of all those who sleep in Jesus. For if Christ is not raised, then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished, and we are, indeed, of all men the most to be pitied.

But Christ did rise, and so we preach that Christ died and rose again and that therefore, "them also who sleep in Jesus, will God bring with Him."

Glorious anticipation–Christ shall come and the dead shall be raised and we shall all be changed and together we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air–all because our Lord rose from the dead.

Thus we can assure our hearts that Paul found a glorious message to preach at Thessalonica concerning the risen Lord.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR