JESUS CHRIST: GOD-MAN - Vital Christianity

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4. The resurrection would have meant that God has been ultimately revealed in Jesus.
Only at the end of time can God be fully revealed in his divinity. The end of the world is already
present in Jesus' resurrection; therefore God is revealed in Him. In Jesus, God has already
appeared on earth. While this concept lacks the precision found in later orthodox Christology,
"Jesus' divinity is already implied in some way in the conception of God's
appearance in him."10
Thus to Jews of Jesus' time, His resurrection would have signified divine approval, if
not divinity.
APPLICATION TO SALVATION
The resurrection of Christ is essential for Jesus' ministry to have salvific significance.
The following aspects of His ministry is dependent upon His rising from the dead.
1. He must rise to be a Savior in order to be able to give repentance and remission of sins
to Israel (Ac 8:31).
2. God has raised Him up, and exalted Him to His own right hand, that He might be the
Head over all things to the church (Eph 1:19-23).
3. He must rise before He can baptize us in the Holy Spirit (Jn 1:33; 15:26; 16:7; Ac
2:32-33).
4. His death, resurrection, and ascension are definitely preparatory to His bestowing gifts
upon people (Eph 4:8-13).
Paul sums it all up when He says that while Christ's death reconciled us to God, His
present life perfects our salvation (Ro 5:8-10).
POLEMIC FOR MIRACLES
The resurrection of Christ is important as a polemic for miracles. In attempting to prove
the miracles of the Bible we should not begin with Balaam's donkey or Jonah and the big fish,
but with Christ's resurrection. Once it has been proved, all other miracles will present no
difficulty.
The resurrection of Christ and the conversion of Paul were the two strongest supports
to the Christian faith.