Chapter 20: Of the Exaltation of Christ and His Resurrection

Q. Having considered of Christ's humiliation, how are we in the next place to consider of his exaltation?

A. The exaltation of Christ is to be considered both in respect of his Godhead and his manhood, and in the several degrees thereof.

Q. What is his exaltation in respect of his Godhead?

A. It is nothing else but the manifestation of that divine power and glory of his, which had been so much concealed in all the time of his humiliation (John 17:5; Romans 1:4).

Q. And what is his exaltation in respect of his manhood?

A. It consists partly in laying aside all those infirmities which it had been subject to in the time of humiliation by hunger, thirst, weariness and the like, which are all of them removed and done away (1 Corinthians 15:43).

Q. Wherein else does this exaltation consist?

A. In that the human nature of Christ was filled with all the glorious excellencies that a creature is capable of, and this both in respect of his soul, and in respect of his body.

Q. Does the body of Christ by means of his exaltation or glorification become infinite, or omnipresent or in many places at once?

A. As the soul of Christ being glorified does still retain the nature of a soul: so his body does still retain the essential properties of a body, and therefore is not infinite nor omnipresent, for that were to destroy its essential properties.

Q. What are the degrees of Christ's exaltation?

A. His resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and his sitting at the right hand of God.

Q. What mean you by his resurrection from the dead?

A. I mean that his body which was dead was quickened again, by the uniting together of his soul and body again, which in death had been separated: and also that being quickened he came forth again out of the grave.

Q. What certainty is there of this resurrection of Christ?

A. The scripture says that Christ is risen indeed, and his resurrection has been witnessed by many clear and pregnant testimonies.

Q. What are those testimonies?

A. The blessed angels did witness that Christ was risen from the dead; so also did the watchmen which were set to have kept him from rising, and likewise certain godly women, to whom he showed himself alive after his resurrection.

Q. What further testimonies were there of Christ's resurrection?

A. The Apostles who were witnesses appointed of God for this end, do frequently testify the same.

Q. Did not Christ also declare his own resurrection by showing himself upon earth after he was risen from the dead, before he ascended into heaven?

A. He showed himself alive by appearing to many within the space of those forty days between his resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3).

Q. What are some of those apparitions of Christ in those days?

A. He appeared to Mary Magdalen, and to other godly women, to two disciples as they were going to Emmaus, and to all the disciples together except Thomas.

Q. To whom else?

A. To the disciples at another time and to Thomas being with them, to seven of them at the sea of Tiberias, to the eleven on a mountain of Galilee, and upon the mount of Olives, and to above five hundred brethren at once.

Q. You have sufficiently showed the certainty of Christ's resurrection; tell likewise the time of it, when it was that he arose.

A. He rose again the third day after he was put to death (1 Corinthians 15:4).

Q. By what power did he rise again?

A. By the power of the Father, and his own almighty power.

Q. What were the ends of his resurrection?

A. He rose again to show the dignity of his person, to fulfill the Scriptures, and to show that there was sufficiency of merit and satisfaction in his death.

Q. Open this last a little more plainly.

A. When a surety apprehended and laid in prison has fully discharged the debt, it is meet that then he should be released, and when he is released, it appears thereby that the debt is fully paid: so when Christ had fully satisfied for our sins, it was meet he should be released from death, and being so released it appears thereby that satisfaction for our sins was fully made.

Q. What other ends were there of the resurrection of Christ?

A. He rose that he might have lordship and dominion over quick and dead, which he had duly purchased by his suffering.

Q. Could Christ have performed the office whereto he was appointed, if he had not risen from the dead?

A. That may be another end of his resurrection, namely that he might perform the office of an eternal Priest, and Prophet and King to his people, which he could not have done if he had still remained under the power and dominion of death.

Q. What are the benefits of Christ's resurrection?

Hereby believers may be assured of their justification from all their sins, of their spiritual rising to newness of life, and of their resurrection to glory at their last day.