“The resurrection was indeed a miraculous display of God’s power, but we should not see it as a suspension of the natural order of the world. Rather it was the beginning of the restoration of the natural order of the world as God intended it to be. . . . when Jesus rose from the dead, he inaugurated the first stage of the coming of God’s kingdom power into the world to restore and heal all things.”- Timothy Keller
“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”- Romans 4:25 (NIV)
In Chapter 2 (“Future Hope”) of Hope in Times of Fear, Timothy Keller asks a fair question in regard to the fact that Jesus’s resurrection actually happened. That question – “So what?”
Because the Bible records several dramatic and moving miraculous resurrections. Certainly, all these dramatic and moving resurrections testify to God’s power. However, we must view Jesus’s resurrection as infinitely more than proof He’s the Son of God. Most significantly, Jesus’s rising from the dead began the kingdom of God.
God created us, Pastor Keller stresses, to glorify and love Him above all else. Hence, breakdown occurs when we turn away from God and love anything more than Him. Darkness and death happen when people fail to acknowledge God as King.
Furthermore, Pastor Keller defines the kingdom of God as follows, citing Geerhardus Vos (The Kingdom of God and the Church):
“The kingdom of God means ‘the renewal of the world through the introduction of supernatural forces.’ It will heal the entire world and all the dimensions of human life. From the throne of the coming King flows new life and power, such that no disease, decay, poverty, blemish, or pain can stand before it.”
Yes, Jesus told his listeners, the kingdom of God was at hand. But it would come in a way that shocked people’s expectations.
Today’s question: Do you view Christ’s resurrection as a restoration or suspension of the natural order? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Assurance of a full harvest – firstfruits”
