Why Did Christ Have To Come Back From The Grave?

His resurrection was necessary to begin a new history in this world, and to be the first of God's new creation. By resurrection he became a prototype of what God was doing for a new humanity. Without his resurrection, the old order would still reign. But by means of resurrection a new order has come into being. An order in which the cosmos were fundamentally changed. An order in where death is no longer the one who reigns.

Hi Approved,

Great topic to stimulate thought.

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If Christ is not raised then we could not be raised with Him in newness of life and we would still be dead in our sins. There would be no indwelling Christ, no NEW MAN.

We would not be able to overcome in this life because what overcomes is His life in us.

Pilgrim

Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Contrary to Jonah and the whale spitting him out, Death did not spit out Jesus.

The whale swallowed Jonah and the whale spit him out.

But Jesus Christ was not swallowed by death and therefore could not be "spit out".

In fact, Jesus Christ swallowed death. He turned the tables on this "whale".

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

And if death could not hold Him and we believe this, and further we believe that death cannot hold us (because of Him), then what is holding us back from living for Him with all that is within us?

Pilgrim

Aside from the obvious, He had to come back because He was God.

Also, if He did not come back, our faith is in vain. We would be like the two on the Emmaus road, except we would all be continually like those 2 without any hope.

But, to your question, why was it not possible for death to hold Him? Because it had no legal right. All men up until Christ were held under the power of death by virtue of the fact they were sinners and did not have the life of God in them. And the law of God condemned all under sin. It is the Life of God in us that cannot be holden by death.

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

He is the resurrection and the life. If you have Christ then death has no legal hold on you. His holy life saved Him and His holy life saves you.

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory THROUGH OUR Lord Jesus Christ.

Pilgrim

Death had nothing to hold on to, because He was sinless.

Sin gives Death it's grip to hold the sinner in the grave.

Because he was sinless, Jesus was "taflonised" and Death grasped in vain as He rose from the Grave, with those that were crucified with Him.

And it goes against the justice and righteousness of God's character to allow death/Satan to hold onto a sinless man.

Death has every right to hold a sinner, but could not hold the Sinless One or a Saint (because of the Sinless One).

Pilgrim

Romans 7:11-25 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Who is the real sinner? My flesh

Who is the real saint? Through the Lord Jesus Christ.

With the mind I myself serve the Law of God.

With the flesh I serve the Law of sin.

Who shall deliver me from this body of death?

By the Spirit of Christ in me given power by the Holy Spirit renewing my soul/mind by revelation of the living Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ in you the Hope of Glory.

We that are born from above, making us son's of a Father who has birthed in us the incorruptable Seed of the Word Himself living in us forever a new creature, a new creation race of God birthed sons of God.

This is Paul's Gospel which he call "MY Gospel". Given Him by the Lord Himself for three years in the land where the ten commandments were given to Moses. Same place different dispensation,, that is if you have heard of the dispensation of Grace.

How can this be disputed?

Ephesians 3:2-19 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

"The fulness of God"

Christ in you is the fulness: Phillip a new creature in Christ Jesus.

This scripture was Norman Grubbs full foundation for all his teaching; Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. AND: Colossians 1:27-28 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

In Christ, Praise God that is where I was before the foundation of the world, to be in Christ and make my image mirror Him. "For as He is in this world so are we. I am not Christ but Christ is in me and He comes forth in image making me a son of God also by His Spirit that is in me. This is the work of the whole God Head, Christ in me, the Father's abode in me also with the Son and the Holy Spirit in me forever.

Phillip