The resurrection of Christ is vital, because the gospel is the gospel of a living Saviour. Behold in him a living and accessible Saviour who out of the glory still cries with loving accents, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” I say we have a living Saviour, and is not this a glorious feature of the gospel?
We have a powerful Saviour in connection with the gospel that we preach; for he who had power to raise himself from the dead, has all power now that he is raised. He who in death vanquishes death, can much more conquer by his life. He who being in the grave did, nevertheless, burst all its bonds, can assuredly deliver all his people. He who, coming under the power of the law, did, nevertheless, fulfil the law, and thus set his people free from bondage, must be mighty to save.
And now notice, that we have the gospel of complete justification to preach to you. Jesus Christ took the sin of his people upon himself and bore the consequences of it in his own body on the tree, so that he died; and having died, and so paid the penalty, he lives again; and now all for whom he died, all his people whose sins he bore, are free from the guilt of sin. Our Lord Jesus took the sin of his people, and died in the sinner’s stead, and now being himself set free, all his people are set free in their Representative. This doctrine is worth preaching. Jesus has saved his people. He has performed the work entrusted to him. He has finished transgression, made an end of sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness, and whosoever believeth in him is not condemned, and never can be. What a blessed gospel we have to preach – the gospel of a living Christ who hath himself returned from the dead leading captivity captive.
