Christ's exaltation, like His humiliation, includes five stages:—
1. HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. Immediately before His resurrection He descended into the place of the departed spirits and proclaimed His victory. [I Pet. 3:19]
2. THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD. Having paid in full the penalty for our sins, He rose again from the dead, triumphant, on the third day (Easter). He had power to lay down His life, and power to take it again. [John 10:19] As His death had been a real death, so His resurrection was a real resurrection. He re-appeared to His disciples, not as a spirit, but with the same body that was crucified, the prints of the nails and of the spear being plain in His hands and side. [Luke 24:36-40] But His body was a transformed and glorified body, with new properties and powers. [John 20:19]
The Resurrection a Fact. The reality of the resurrection is established beyond all doubt. The strongest proof of its reality is found in the fact that the disciples themselves were so unwilling to believe it, but were obliged to do so by the evidence of their own senses. Even the doubting Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord, and my God." [John 20:28] During the forty days between His resurrection and His ascension the Lord gave His disciples so many proofs of His resurrection that all their doubts were removed. [Acts 1:3] The women on Easter morn found the grave empty and were told by an angel that He had risen. [Mark 16:6] He was seen by Mary in the Garden, [John 20:14-16] by Peter, [Luke 24:34] by the two disciples at Emmaus, [Luke 24:15] twice by the eleven as they were gathered together, [John 20:19-29] by seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, [John 21:1] by more than five hundred brethren at once, [I Cor. 15:6] by James, [I Cor. 15:7] and by the eleven when He accompanied them to Mount Olivet and ascended before their eyes to heaven. [Acts 1:9-12] The wonderful change which took place in the apostles when the risen and ascended Christ had sent the Holy Spirit upon them, [Acts 2] and the wonderful change which took place in Paul, [Acts 9:1-29] are further proofs of the reality of the resurrection of Christ.
The Resurrection proves 1. That Jesus is the Son of God. [John 20:28, Rom. 1:4+, Acts 2:36] 2. That the sacrifice which He made for sin was sufficient and accepted. [Rom. 8:34, I Thess. 1:10] 3. That we also shall rise from the dead. [Rom. 4:25+, I Cor. 15:19-20+, I Cor. 6:14]
3. HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN from Mount Olivet forty days after His resurrection. [Acts 1:9] Having finished His work on earth, He returned to the heaven from which He had come. He has gone to prepare a place for us. [Acts 14:2]
4. AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY; that is, on the right hand of God's power. As the God-man He now wields all power in heaven and earth. [Matt. 28:18+, Eph. 1:20-22+] He rules over all creatures in the realm of Power; over the believers in the realm of Grace (the Church on earth); and over angels and saints in the realm of Glory in heaven. He continues His office of High-priest, and intercedes for us with the Father. [Rom. 8:34+, Heb. 4:14-16]
5. FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. At the end of the world Christ will come again visibly, [Mark 13:26+] suddenly, and unexpectedly, [Matt. 24:36-42, Luke 21:27] with power and great glory, to judge both the quick (living) and the dead. [II Cor. 5:10+, Matt. 25:31-46] He will separate the believing from the unbelieving; receive the believers unto Himself; and cast the impenitent and unbelieving into outer darkness and torment. His coming will fill the believers with joy, [Luke 21:28] and the unbelievers with dismay. [Rev. 6:15-17] No one knows or can compute the exact time of His coming. We should be always ready. [Matt. 24:42, 44+] His coming will be preceded by signs. [Luke 21:25-26] The present order of the world shall pass away; [II Pet. 5:10] and there shall be new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. [II Pet. 3:13+]
QUESTIONS.—1. What two states does Christ's life include? 2. What is meant by His state of humiliation? 3. How many stages were there in His humiliation? 4. Name them. 5. Was Christ's glory entirely hidden during his state of humiliation? 6. How might Christ have appeared, and how did He appear among men? 7. Describe the sufferings of Christ? 8. What is to be said of Christ's crucifixion? 9. What is to be said of Christ's death? 10. What is to be said of His burial? 11. What is meant by Christ's exaltation? 12. How many stages were there in His exaltation? 13. Name them. 14. What is meant by the descent into hell? 15. How did Christ re-appear to His disciples? 16. Prove that the resurrection was a fact. 17. What does the resurrection of Christ prove? 18. When and why did Christ ascend into heaven? 19. What is meant by His sitting at the right hand of the Father? 20. What can you tell about Christ's second coming?
SCRIPTURE VERSES.—Phil. 2:8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.