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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Seen from the Old Testament
by Samson Hutagalung

His Resurrection from the Dead (Ps. 16:10-11; ref. Mark 16:6-7)

Having seen the prophecies concerning the life, ministry and crucifixion of Jesus Christ fulfilled in the Scriptures, it can be concluded that He is the Promised Messiah to the chosen nation of God. Every detail of the prophecies about the first coming of the Messiah has been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. As Lockyer rightly said,

Christ was identified as the promised Messiah in that His resurrection was an accomplishment of Old Testament type and prophecy. Such a revelation beforehand of that which was to come to pass was a merciful provision to aid the faith of those “who looked for redemption in Jerusalem,” and to lead their minds to Him.[1]

Truly this is indisputable. Jesus Christ, the Son of God was sent to this sinful world as promised by God the Father to the forefathers of the Jews. Nevertheless, when the Messiah came to their midst, preceded by His herald, the Jews rejected Him as their Messiah. How terrible the sin committed by the Jews was when they rejected their King and Lord!

Despite the fact that the Jews had killed their King, it was the plan of God for the redemption of sinners that the Messiah should die. His blood must be shed in order for His mission to be accomplished. As the writer of Hebrews confirm: without the shedding of blood there will be no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). For this reason Christ must die as our vicarious sacrifice. He is the substitute for sinners. He was willing to fulfill the commandments His Father had committed to Him, for He was sent for this very reason - that sinful man might have direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ and have eternal life.

Though it was the plan of God for Christ to die on the cross, the blame was still on the Jews. It was an inexcusable act and the Jews had to bear the blame as they had claimed that they and their children were accountable for what they had done (Matt. 27:25). On the other hand, Pilate realized that Jesus Christ had done nothing wrong (Matt. 27:24). In fact he intended to release Him from all accusations, but the power of the Sanhedrin was stronger than His.[2] Finally he placed Him in their hands for execution. Without the Jews’ knowing it, they were actually fulfilling what had been written in the Scriptures concerning Him.

The Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament did not stop at His death and crucifixion but also provided the prophecy about His resurrection from the dead. The Psalmist says, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:10). In other words, though the Messiah had been buried, He would be resurrected according to the appointed time of God.  He would not be in burial forever but rather He was there to fulfill the Scriptures concerning His death. He must be resurrected from the dead to prove that the power of death could not overpower Him.

It is important to take note that during the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth, He did frequently inform His disciples about His death and resurrection. His disciples might not have been able to understand the prophecy and teaching of Christ concerning His death and resurrection. In fact Jesus made the comparison between His resurrection and the life of Jonah in the belly of the fish, similarly the Son of Man would be resurrected from the dead after three days (Matt 12:40). Everything would be fulfilled according to what He had declared.

When the appointed time arrived, the Lord Jesus who was buried a day before the Sabbath or Friday, was resurrected from the dead in the early morning on a day after Sabbath or Sunday. The women and His disciples who had gone to His tomb found the empty tomb. He was resurrected as He had promised while He was still with them. Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome who desired to anoint the body of Jesus could not find Jesus in the tomb.[3] But a young man whom they found declared that Jesus was resurrected (Mark 16:5) He said, “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazereth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mark 16:6-7).

After the resurrection of Christ from the dead, on several occasions He revealed Himself to His disciples showing them He was truly resurrected from the dead (Matt 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-19; John 20:1-21:13; I Cor 15:5-7). In fact, because of the disbelief of Thomas concerning His resurrection, Jesus had to show Himself in the midst of the eleven apostles, in particular to Thomas that He was indeed resurrected. Jesus said to Thomas “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). Since then Thomas believed that Christ had resurrected from the dead as He had told them.[4]

On another occasion, the apostle Paul testified to the appearance of Jesus Christ to His disciples and the multitude when he said “And he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scripture: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles” (I Cor. 15:4-7). All this proved that Jesus Christ was truly resurrected.

For forty days after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ was comforting and teaching His disciples that they might stand firm in their faith. In fact just before He ascended to heaven, the Great Commission was given to His disciples and those believers who were gathered with Him.[5] Matthew recorded, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:18-20). This is the Great Commission that must be fulfilled by His disciples and all believers after the death of His disciples. This is indeed the Great Commission for the church which she needs to accomplish before she meets Him in the glorious day face to face.

The enemies of Jesus Christ were not content just to nail Him on the cross, they continued to be the enemy of the gospel even after His resurrection. In fact they spread rumors claiming that Jesus Christ did not resurrect but rather His disciples stole His body from the tomb (Matt. 28:11-15). Nevertheless, the Good News of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ continues to be preached and taught. The establishment of churches after the Pentecost even till today is evidence that Christ had defeated death. He had resurrected from the dead.

[1]Ibid, 160.

[2]“The people were becoming more and more clamorous and excited. A riot of turbulence was developing. So in front of everybody Pilate, having ordered water to be brought to him, washes his hands in token of his (pretended) innocence. Whether or not such an action had this symbolic meaning among the Romans is not definitely known. But the Jews must have understood it immediately.” Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew, 956.

[3]“The place where they laid him, a declivity inside the huge tomb, is empty. This the women can see very well, for they have entered the tomb. Not only do they see how empty is this declivity but also how neatly arranged is everything around it: the linen bandages lying there, and the sweatband not lying with the linen bandages but neatly folded up and lying in a place by itself (John 20:6, 7).” Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, 680.

[4]“But Thomas was not quite such a sceptic as he had thought he was. At the sight of Jesus all his doubts vanished and he did not need to apply any of his tests. It is possible that it was the words of Jesus more than anything which brought conviction, for they showed that Jesus was perfectly aware of what Thomas had laid down as his demands.” Morris, The Gospel according to John, 853.

[5]Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel, 772-3.