Jun 24
17
“It is Christ That Died, Yea Rather, That Is Risen Again!”
Romans 8:34
Our hearts rejoice and give thanks for the marvelous incarnation of Christ. When God assumes our nature, we have hope. God in human flesh assures me that God intends to be gracious to the fallen sons of Adam. Taking our nature into union with himself, the Son of God worked out a perfect righteousness for us.
But that is not enough. Our sin must be punished. A ransom must be paid. Therefore, our merciful Savior laid down his life in our place. Only he who is both God and man can be a suitable substitute for sinners. Man had sinned; and man must die. But a mere man could never satisfy infinite justice for us. Our Redeemer must be more than a man. He must be God. As a man, in our nature, Christ could die. As God, he could make infinite satisfaction to the infinite wrath and justice of God. The God-man drained the cup of divine wrath for us, making atonement for our sins.
But still his work is not done. He must rise from the dead. A buried Christ gives me no comfort. But when I know that One who bore my sins upon the tree has broken the walls of the grave, then I know that my sins are gone! The risen Christ has power to save! The risen Christ gives me such confidence that I can raise this bold challenge, “Who is he that condemneth?” Nobody can because Christ both died and rose again. Do you know this risen Christ?