Scripture:
“And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’ For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’ Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’ This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay. “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.”
Acts of the Apostles 13:32-39 NLT
Observation:
This passage of Scripture sits as the crux of Paul’s presentation of the gospel to the people of Antioch (modern-day Turkey). This ancient town consisted of a large Jewish population, many of who still were devout in their worship, including regular worship in the synagogue. Paul (a Jew himself) stands up in the synagogue and begins to graciously explain the truths of Hebrew history. He explains how God himself delivered the Hebrew nation from their slavery, placed them in the Promised Land, and established a kingdom through their highly revered ancestor David.
Then, Paul explains that God sent another king to the nation of Israel, though they failed to recognize him as such. Not only did this king share the same bloodline of his predecessor David, but He was indeed greater (in every aspect of the word) than his highly revered ancestor. He was the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. In fact, God himself dwelt in their midst, but the people couldn’t see him as such. Instead, their hardened hearts sent him to die a criminal’s death on a cross and share a burial certainly unfit for a person of royalty.
But here comes the Good News!!
Not even the grave could not hold this King down! Unlike their ancestor David, this King would not have a graveside to visit. God’s resurrection power raised Christ Jesus from the dead, and now He sits victoriously at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.
Application:
Many times in Christianity, we can lose sight of the most significant event in human history - the resurrection of Christ. Granted, there is much to glean from the life of Christ: the wisdom, the miracles, the servant-leadership. Further, even his death held significant value in that his shedding of blood was necessary to cleanse us from our unrighteousness. But nothing was of more benefit to both Jews and Gentiles than the resurrection of Christ. For it was in that resurrection that death lost its grip on all those that call upon Jesus as both Savior and Lord. That resurrection brings a guarantee that not only are we free from death’s grip on our physical bodies, but our spiritual bodies have also conquered death as we are set free from the wages and the power of sin in our lives.
Prayer:
Lord, you are the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords - there is none greater than you! I thank you for all that you have done so that I may walk in victory. Thank you for your Holy Spirit and the guarantee that the resurrection power of Christ now lives in me. Help me to walk in that power, putting to death the things of my flesh, so that I may come more alive to you. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!