Section 8
Me to death and you may kill My body on the cross, but I will raise it up again in three days." Do not try to understand the Bible merely according to the black and white letters, for if you do, you will find yourself in difficulty. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus told the people that after they killed Him, He would resurrect Himself (Matt. 20:19; Mark 10:34). On the other hand, we are told else where in the New Testament that God raised Him up (Acts 2:24). In the New Testament there are two ways of recording the Lord's resurrection—that God raised Him up and that He raised Himself up. How shall we understand or interpret this? Did God raise Him up, or did He raise Himself up? In the Gospel of Luke, which shows the Lord Jesus as the Savior who was sacrificed for our sins, we see that the Lord needed God to raise Him up (9:22). In the Gospel of John the situation is dif ferent. In John, the Lord was not slain as a sacri fice for sins. Rather, He Himself laid down His life. Jesus said, "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again" (10:17-18). In the Gospel of John there was no need for God to raise Him up. As the sacrifice for sins, He needed God to raise Him up; as the One who is