The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-04-21


the Divine providences, He drank "the
cup which the Father poured for Him.
Divine Power Brought From the Dead
the Great Shepherd"
This Easter Sunday celebrates the
momentouS event of our Lords reSlIr
rection from the dead His resuIrec-
ton is either IL truth or a falsehood.
In our text st. Paul assures iiS that If
1t is untrue. our faith. our hopes. our
preaching and teachings are of no avail
useless. III the resurrection of I ht
dead is impossible then the resurrec-
ton Of Jesus was impossible II the
resurrection of Jesus did not take
place. then we have no proof. and no
ground for believing that Divine pow
err could resurrect the Church If Di-
vine Power brought again from the
dead the great Shepherd of the sheep"
ii is Jehovah also who will bring US
from the dead by Jesus. in Gods due
time
Let none1avoid the question. Let all
decide at once. Either we believe in
resurrection from the dead. or we do
not believe in it. If the resurrection
be il myth then. says the Apostle. all
those who fell asleep with faith in
Christ are. pcrishcd-they are not in
heaven. Purgatory nor eternal torment.
If we believe in the resurrection of the
dead both Of the just and the unjust.
then. logically. we must believe that
tn, 10, ;x,s,,
promise. purpose. arrangement. The
decision Of this resurrection question
is most mOmcntous one. as it affects
practically every doctrine Of the Chris
tan Church. If we get straight the
doctrine of the Ransom effected through
the Redeemer. and the doctrine Of the
Resurrection Of the dead. all Of our doc
trines will fall into line. and all of our
absurdities. which have troubled us so
long. will fall out of the way. and all
Of the Scriptures will be found har-
monious in teaching Divine Justice,
Wisdom. Love and Power.
Christ tho First. Fruits.
But now is Christ risen from the
dead and become the frst-fruits Of
them that slept" Verse 20). All. thank
God. the Apostle did not mean to in
sinuate the possibility of our Lords
not having risen. Merely. he would
put the question that we might see
how weighty is the subject-how much
depends on the answer. He exultantly
answers. Christ is risen" We re-
joice in this for several reasons. First.
how sad it would be if He who laid
aside His glory and was made flesh
and tasted death on our behalf should
have lost by His loyal endeavor to
serve us and to do the Fathers will.
How glad we are that He is risen. and
that He was not raised again in the
flesh. with the loss of His heavenly
glory. but raised as the King of all, far
above all others, and partaker of the
divine nature!
Secondly. we are glad on our own
account. and on account of all man.
kind: for il our Lord Jesus had not
been raised from the dead 1t would
that He had not been faithfuI-up to
the Divine standard. and therefore
that His life could not be a satisfaction
for the human life lost in Adam. or else
II would have proved that God. who
had promised to raise Him from the
dead il He would be obedient unto
death. had been unable to do so; and.
if unable to raise Him from the dead.
we. likewise. would be without hope.
even il our sins were cancelled by vir-
tue Of His sacrifice.
The Apostles words give further
suggestion: Our Lord in His resurrec-
ton became 1.-The ftrst-fruits of them
that slept" This signifies that none
was ever raised from the dead before
Him. AS another Scripture declares.
HE was the first that should arise
from the dead" There were indeed
others .aWakcned from the tomb. by
Jesus Himself and also previous to
His Advent. But they were merely
a,uakened not lifted fully up out of
death conditions to perfect life. The
Redeemer was the first to have such
an experience But the Apostles
words mean more If Jesus was the
tirst-truits Of them that slept. there
must of necessity be after-frutts. Aud
this the Apostle proceeds to prove. de.
claring that las all in Adam die. even
so all IN Christ shall be made alive"
Il Corinthians XIV. ~. Glorious resur
rection hope! Precious Bible. The one
Book alone which teaches resurrec
ton of the dead. or that the dead are
dead
The Apostle proceeds to tell us that
the dead will not all be resurrected
! together-at once-"but every man in
his own order" q Corinthians xv. 23,.
The first order or rank will be the
| Church Blessed and holy are all they
that have part in the First Resurrec-
| ton: they shall be priests Of
! God and of Christ and shall reign with
! Him thousand years tRevelation *.
! 81.
| This work of raising the dead will be
the work of the entire reign of Mes
siah. as explained in our context:
Christ must reign until He shall have
put all enemies under His feet-the
last enemy will be death: AS during
the Mediatorial reign mankind shall
rise up out Of their ignorance. weak
| ness sin depr8 vity they will be com