The Resurrection: Fulfilling God's Promises (Friday)

Acts 13:29-33

29 When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.30 But God raised Him from the dead;… 32 And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’

The resurrection was like Jesus's coronation. Think of it like this, a new child is born in the kingly line. As a baby that child is the heir to the throne. He is the king. But let's assume for a moment that that king decides to leave the palace and live and grow up among his subjects incognito. He looks like everybody else, he's with them, they might not know who he really is, but then the day comes of his coronation. He walks up the steps of the palace, he sits on the throne, the crown is placed on his head, and He is pronounced as king. Everyone bows down and acknowledges that he is king. There's no question then that he is, in fact, the king. He always had been, but not everybody knew or recognized it until his coronation. That's what the resurrection was to Jesus.

Lewis Berkof writes, "Christ was formally invested with this kingship over the universe, when He was exalted at the right hand of God. It was a promised reward of His labors. This investiture was part of the exaltation of the God-man."

Now, this coronation, following His resurrection, did not give Him any power or authority which He did not already possesses as the Son of God. He’s the Son of God. He already had all authority as the Son of God, but Berkof goes on to say, "nor did it increase His territory." So it's not like Jesus got new land that He didn't have before. But the God-man, the Mediator, was now made the declared possessor of this authority and His human nature was made to share in the glory of His royal dominion. As the God-man, He was given the right to rule, a right He earned in His earthly life and in His death.

How does thinking about Christ's resurrection as a coronation help you understand his rule and reign?


Heavenly Father, give me a heart to submit to the Kingly rule of the Lord Jesus. His resurrection fulfills your promises and exalts Him to the highest place of honor. Remind me to live each day knowing that I will rule and reign with Christ. Amen