The Promise of a Resurrected Christ

Introduction

A Resurrected Lord and Messiah

Peter argues that Joel 2:28-32 has been fulfilled, and it has been fulfilled now that Jesus has been shown to be both Lord (Ps 110:1) and Messiah (Ps 16:8-11)

As Lord, he is the one mentioned at the beginning of Psalm 110. This is a short Psalm where the divinity of the coming Messiah is perhaps most fully proved in the OT, as it is a passage the NT authors like to refer to often. In this passage, we see David, the king of Israel, refer to the Messiah as his Lord. Jesus famously poses the question to the Pharisees, how can his ‘Lord’ also be his Son (Matt 22:41-46)? The answer is not only is this Messiah the Lord of David, as this would normally be impossible from father to son, but that he is the Lord, YHWH, the Great I Am himself.

But what does it mean that God has made him Lord? Far from this inferring that the Father created the Son as Lord, since the Son is uncreated as we saw on Friday. Instead, God has made Jesus the fulfillment of OT expectations of how God would save his people. The Lord, standing in for YHWH in the OT text, was the covenant name for God in his relationship to his people. By making Jesus Lord, the Father has handed over this covenant title to the Son so that Joel 2:32 may be fulfilled in his coming:

Joel 2:32 ESV

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

So this title primarily speaks not to his divine nature but to his divine role as the covenant Lord by making a new covenant with us in his blood. This blood is applied on those who call upon that Name of that Lord, the Name of Jesus. Jesus Christ is now the covenant Name of God upon which we call and by which we are saved.

Jesus fills this position of covenant Lord through his death on the cross. Just as the ancient covenant with Abraham was made in the blood of animals in Genesis 15, this greater covenant is made in the blood of the only Son of God. In his resurrection and ancention into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father to act as Lord of the covenant, Lord of life as victor over death, and so Lord over all of God’s enemies since death is the greatest enemy.

The Father has made it so that Jesus reigns as Lord of the covenant, but also as Messiah. While Jesus was certainly already the Messiah before his death and resurrection, now that Christ is seated at the right hand of God, he was enthroned as King, the true Son of David. We could say that, in his resurrection and ascension, the Father has made the Messiah’s mission succeed so that he rightly sits on the Throne which was prepared for him. He has been rightly crowned the Son of David in glory.

In all this, we see the necessity there was for the Christ to suffer and die. Among other reasons, such as the payment of sins through his death, Christ’s resurrection is the ultimate victory over death itself and so he is enthroned as both Lord of the covenant and Messiah as King over all creation.

A Resurrection Promise

With all this being undeniably true, as Peter has shown it to be true from the OT Scriptures, his accusation of the Jews in Jerusalem is particularly potent; “this Jesus whom you crucified.” This, we are told, cuts them to the heart. Ironically, it is through the killing of the Messiah that he is shown by the OT Scriptures to truly be the Messiah. Like Joseph’s jealous brothers, it is through their evil deeds that his glory and kingship has been established so that all are humbled. The charge is the greatest that could possibly be given: divine regicide, the murder of your Lord, King, and God. What hope can there possibly be with such a charge being undeniable?

Here, the grace and mercy of God is so clearly made known. Surely, there can be no greater sin than the murder of your Lord and God, so how could there be any forgiveness for this? “Brothers, what shall we do?” is certainly a hopeless and desperate cry, since the answer surely cannot be anything else but: “Nothing”.

The Promise

However, Peter is not here simply to make the people feel the hopelessness of their guilt. There is hope. There is something that may be done, for it was for the forgiveness of sins, even such a grave sin as this, that Christ came in the first place.

The content of the promise is simple: forgiveness, not just from this most grave sin of which they are guilty. Enter into covenant fellowship with Christ by repenting inwardly, turning our hearts away from sin and towards Christ, and to externally acknowledge that change through the ordinance of Baptism. Baptism is described as “for the forgiveness of your sins” not because baptism washes away sins, but because it is the way God ordained for believers to call upon him in faith and demonstrate their repentance. Just as a crown on the head of a king does not make them a king, but does legitimize their title before the world, so Baptism corresponds to what Peter calls “an appeal to God for a clean conscience.”

Forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and union with the Messiah, the King of all, are the promise. Through the very blood shed by those who hate God, forgiveness is achieved for those same sinners. Rather than coming as a judge, Christ came to the sinful human race to redeem them from the corruption of their own hearts, a corruption that Peter’s audience has suddenly become all too aware of.

The Extent of the Promise

This forgiveness is freely given, even to the most guilty, for those who unite themselves to Christ by faith. His resurrection being the corner stone of that faith, as it is by that resurrection that his being Lord and Christ is most ultimately displayed and the victory over death finally proved.

This promised extends:

To those there hearing.

To their children whom they teach the gospel and, as a result, believe upon the Lord Jesus themselves. To the Jews and for the Jewish nation from this time forth. The Old Covenant is closed, and the New has opened for God’s people from now on. (Far from being a proof for infant baptism, the promise is for “as many as the Lord our God calls to himself” among our children).

To the Gentiles; any who hear and come to believe without any distinction whatsoever. This New Covenant made in the blood of Christ and ratified in his resurrection is for all who would unite themselves to Christ by faith and, as a result, his church through baptism.

In Baptism, we declare the gospel through the act. Dying to sin by submersion into the water, we are raised to newness of life in our union with the resurrected Christ.

Conclusion

In the resurrection, God the Father has shown Jesus to be God the Son in human flesh and the promised King through whom God’s promises would be fulfilled. This is the hope of the Gospel.

We, as the sinners for whom Christ died, ought to be humbled in the realization of what our sins did to him. This sobers us to cry out, “what shall we do?”

The answer is the application of the resurrection of Christ.

Repent, turn away from any way of thinking or any action that is contrary to Christ and seek to follow him.

If you are not already, seek baptism as the means by which your faith is displayed to the world and through which you may be united publicly with his body, the Church.

Let our celebrations today fixate on this truth and what it means for us.