We now will see what resurrection is. Resurrection means that God has
faith. The Lord commended it as "so great [a] faith": for he only asked for a word of healing from the Lord Jesus when his servant fell sick. And when the centurion professed his faith in acknowledging the Lord as being beyond the limitation of time and space, his servant got well instantly (see Luke 7.1-10). This centurion had revelation. Inasmuch as the Lord had been conceived and born of the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 1.20, Luke 1.35), He had in character reached the peak of God's created man. Even so, His power was restricted; and therefore, there is the need for resurrection.
2. In resurrection God obtains the representative man. We now will see what resurrection is. Resurrection means that God has obtained the representative man: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Heb.1.5). According to Acts 13.33-34, this same word is quoted within the context of speaking about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The meaning of resurrection is that Jesus the typical man is henceforth no longer subject to any limitation. He is to live forever. His resurrection transcends all natural restrictions. According to 1 Peter 1.3, we are born again "unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." While the Lord was on earth He had the possibility of death. After His resurrection, however, death is destroyed by Him. He now lives forever. Henceforth, the power of death as well as the possibility of death are both totally demolished.
Hallelujah! For four thousand years God had worked on man. But then, He finally got the man He longed for. God said to the Lord Jesus, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (see Heb. 1.1-5, Acts 13.33-34, Ps. 2.7). God declared this at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. When the Lord was born in Bethlehem, God had not said this. It was only when He was raised from among the dead that God joyfully declared, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." Hence, we see that at the Lord's resurrection God finally possesses the Man of His heart.
3. Resurrection eliminated the restriction of time and space. What is resurrection? Resurrection is the breaking through by a person of all restrictions, even breaking through the strongest restriction which is death. In resurrection Jesus breaks through all barriers. The New Testament mentions the dead being raised a number of times—such as in the instance of the only son of the woman in Nain (Luke 7.11-15); the little daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Matt. 9.18-25, cf. Mark 5.22ff.), and Lazarus (John