The Work of Christ

Jesus taught the law in the Sermon on the Mount and at other times, to give us an understanding of our need of grace. He taught about the kingdom of God in parables, by using stories. His teaching was not subjective. He expounded the scriptures, giving a clear interpretation as to their intended meaning.

His teaching on the Spirit was prophetic, for it would not be fulfilled until His glorification, which was His death, burial, resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. It was after this sitting down that the promise of the Spirit was to be given to the church (John 7:39).

The main work that Jesus did was His cross, burial and resurrection. He died to put away sin. Some have taught that He died only as an example of love and of turning the other cheek. This denies His atonement. Jesus died to do away with our sin.

The whole scripture testifies as to why Christ came, to put away sin and sacrifice once and for all by the offering of Himself and shedding His blood as a propitiation, that is, to satisfy the just requirement of God’s righteousness (Rom 3:25). As it is written, “The soul that sins must die.” (Ezek 18:20). Jesus came to take that death upon Himself for us.

The Resurrection of Christ

The resurrection of Christ was likewise in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, that His kingdom would follow His sufferings (Is 53:10-12) and David prophesying not only of the manner of His death by having His hands, feet and side pierced (Ps 22), but also of His resurrection, that His body would not be left to rot nor His soul in the grave (Ps 16:10).

Concerning the historicity of the resurrection, secular historians record Jesus’ miracles, teaching and death and the rapid growth of the church that followed and records claims that the church made of His resurrection. Historians record no evidence by the enemies of the church against the resurrection. Secular histories from the 1st Century that mention Jesus include Vellius Paterculus, the Fables of Phaedrus, Martial, Tacitus, Josephus, Statius and Quintillian.

If the resurrection is not true, then what happened to all the prophecies concerning Christ and why did all the witnesses give their lives attesting to the resurrection? All 12 disciples were martyred testifying to the resurrection. And why did the church grow so quickly and fill the Roman Empire and beyond in 40 years?

Jesus rose in the flesh. The same body that was crucified was also raised from the dead. He rose with an immortal body, the same flesh, but immortalized. He still had His wounds, but was able to pass through walls (Luke 24:36). He could eat for fellowship, but did not need that food to sustain His life in the flesh (John 21:15).