“Thank You, Lord Jesus, We could be made righteous and justified before You because of Your resurrection. Thank You that this truth gives us hope, joy and meaning in life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Let us once again look at this clinching passage.
Acts 2:29-31 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (30) Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, (31) he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
This is the basis for the Gospel message.
II Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
The Gospel message has its roots in David, for Jesus was of the seed of David but raised from the dead for the sake of the Gospel.
Here Paul is speaking to a Jewish audience just as Peter was speaking to a Jewish audience in Acts 2.
Acts 13:33-41 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ (34) And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID.’ (35) Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.’ (36) “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; (37) but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. (38) Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; (39) and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. (40) Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: (41) ‘BEHOLD, YOU DESPISERS, MARVEL AND PERISH! FOR I WORK A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL BY NO MEANS BELIEVE, THOUGH ONE WERE TO DECLARE IT TO YOU.’ “
The body of Jesus, though it was buried, did not experience decay. Corruption of the body takes place because there is sin in the flesh. The body of Jesus did not experience corruption because there was no sin in His flesh.
I Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Our flesh and blood are contaminated because of sin. Therefore, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God. What then is the solution?
I Corinthians 15:53-57 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.” (55) “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?” (56) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus came in the flesh and He overcame sin in the flesh. He fulfilled the righteous requirement of Law, in His flesh.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Jesus’ body did not see corruption because He condemned sin in His flesh. God raised Jesus from the dead. As we know Jesus in the Spirit, the resurrected life of Jesus enables us to live victoriously over sin in the flesh. This life of the Spirit of God causes us to inherit incorruption, which could never have been made possible by our flesh.
I Corinthians 15:20-22 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Jesus’ body did not see corruption because He lived victoriously over sin. This victory over sin is now made available to us because Jesus has risen from the dead and He now lives His victorious life in us, by His Holy Spirit. This is the Gospel. In Adam, we died but in Christ, we are made alive.
I Corinthians 15:42-45 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. (43) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (44) It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (45) And so it is written, “THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.