The Exalted: Life After Death

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. (Psalm 16:10)

When Mary Magdalene and her friends arrived at the tomb where Jesus had been buried, they were shocked to find the tomb empty. An angel of the Lord was present and said to them, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen…” The women left the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:1–8). Jesus had told His disciples that He was going to be put to death, buried, and after three days rise from the dead. However, they did not fully understand and believe His words (Luke 24:1–11, 25–27).

Eventually all eleven disciples believed Jesus was alive. When Thomas saw the nail imprints and the wound in the side of Jesus, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26–29). Thomas recognized that He was looking at more than just the Son of Man. Jesus told His eleven disciples that, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). In Peter’s first sermon he declared concerning Jesus, “God has made Him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

In Philippians 2:3–8 we read confirmation of what Jesus tried to teach His disciples about humility. Even though Jesus existed in the form of God he took the form of a bond-servant, and as a man He humbled Himself so that He could die on the cross to redeem us to God, and pay the penalty for OUR sin. Because of this, God highly exalted Jesus giving Him the name above every name; “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11).

Jesus Christ rose from the dead so that many others would follow Him to glory. Paul wrote that, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). That also is an act of humility that leads to exaltation (Matthew 23:12; Luke 18:14; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).