The Resurrection and Exaltation
As taught in the Baptist tradition
Celebrating Christ's bodily resurrection as the victory over death and His current reign.
The central question that the subtopic of the Resurrection and Exaltation answers within the Baptist tradition is one of ultimate authority and ontological reality: Is the Jesus we worship a historical memory or a living, reigning Lord who possesses all authority in heaven and on earth? For the Baptist, the resurrection is not merely a "spiritual" experience of the early church or a metaphor for renewed hope; it is the "first importance" (1 Corinthians 15:3) of the Gospel message. It is the literal, bodily victory of Jesus Christ over sin, death, and the grave, providing the necessary vindication of His divine identity and the efficacy of His atoning work.
By the end of this lesson
- Identify the historical and biblical necessity of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ as the "first importance" of the Baptist gospel.
- Distinguish between the "Humiliation of Christ" and the "Exaltation of Christ," explaining the theological significance of the transition between these two states.
- Explain the role of the Resurrection in vindicating Christ’s divine Sonship and the sufficiency of His atoning sacrifice.
- Articulate the meaning of the Ascension and the Session of Christ at the right hand of the Father as the current phase of His mediatorial work.
- Trace the connection between Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s justification, sanctification, and future bodily resurrection.
- Defend the literal and physical nature of the Resurrection and Ascension against modernizing, symbolic, or purely spiritual interpretations.
- Apply the doctrine of Christ’s present Lordship and Exaltation to the life of the local church, specifically regarding worship, prayer, and the Great Commission.
- Compare the Baptist understanding of Christ’s session and intercession with other major Christian traditions, noting the emphasis on the "once-for-all" nature of His work.
Scripture
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