How Did His Resurrection Reveal His Compassion?
When most people imagine their death, that is, if they ever allow themselves to imagine their death, I would doubt that many people would imagine actually using their death for a purpose. In studying the connection between the Christ’s death and Resurrection and the subject of compassion, I have found that that is exactly what Christ did. He used His death and Resurrection to prove His compassion.
Let me point out 6 ways that Jesus’ Resurrection revealed His compassion for His followers.
1. He cared enough to prepare His followers ahead of time.
Notice how often Jesus told His followers ahead of time that He would die and rise again.
Mark 8:31 “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Mark 10:34 “And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
Mark 14:“18 And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. … 27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.”
In addition to these Scriptures, we could also examine John 13:33, 14:1-4, 12-18, 26-28.
Time and again Jesus showed compassion by preparing His followers for His death by telling them about His Resurrection. He did not have to do that. He did it because He loved them.
2. He cared enough to pay the price. He actually went through with the cross.
Luke 9:51 “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,”
Mark 14:35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Not only did Jesus show compassion by telling His followers that His death was not the end, but He made the ultimate revelation of His compassion by actually going through with His death. Without His death there could have been no Resurrection, “17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. Not a pretty description of what life for mankind would be like without the Resurrection. I’m glad He had enough compassion to pay the price for us by dying on the cross in order to set up the Resurrection.
3. He cared enough to reveal His power; specifically the power to resurrect (Ephesians 1:19-20).
He not only cared enough to go through with death. Many have. But the fact that He had the power to rise again was a further proof of His compassion.
The old standard of God’s power that was used in the Old Testament was the Exodus. The Exodus did not only represent God’s power, it was forever after the standard of God’s power to deliver His people. Scores of times it is referred to as the standard in the Old Testament. Consider Micah 7:15. It is a great representative example. “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things.”
Note the words “According to,” indicating the unit of measure.
Note the change from this Old Testament standard to a new standard of measurement in the New Testament. The New Testament standard of God’s power to deliver is seen in Ephesians 1:19-20.
“19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”
Consider Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
4. He cared enough to prove that it happened (Acts 1:1-3).
Acts 1:“1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”
Luke 24:“36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.”
It wasn’t enough for Jesus to prepare His disciples by telling them about His death and Resurrection, by actually going through with His death, nor by doing what no one else could and rising from the dead. No, His compassion drove Him to go so far as to prove that He was alive so that there could be no doubt. He knew that’s what His followers would need.
5. He cared enough to plant me with Him. (Romans 6:3-5).
This deals with the doctrine of identification. We are “in Christ”, so whatever happened to Him, happened to us because we are “in Him.”
Romans 6:“3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
Because we are in Christ and He was resurrected, Romans tells us that we have no condemnation (8:1), we are freed from the law of sin and death (8:2), we have the Spirit dwelling in us (8:9-10), we will be resurrected (8:11) and we are joint-heirs with Christ (8:17).
In addition, you should read what Ephesians 1:3-14 and 2:10-14 have to say.
These blessings of being in Christ all reveal His unmistakable compassion.
6. He cared enough to provide resurrection power to every area of my life (Romans 6:3-5).
Romans 6:“3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
His compassion and love for me are obvious when I consider that the Resurrection of Christ enable me to live the victorious Christian life. He didn’t just resurrect. He transferred to us the ability to experience resurrection in every area of our lives. How amazing!
Question: What is the greatest change in your “newness of life” because of the Resurrection? I’d love to hear from you.
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