The Risen Reigning King

Psalm16      Acts 2: 22-40

The risen reigning king

Rust decays metal, dry rot ruins wood, moths destroy garments and thieves break in and steal. Deterioration and decay occurs in all around that we see.

Our bodies do deteriorate and die, rotting in the grave in spite of our best efforts. Yet in Psalm 16 the writer cries out: "My body also rests securely.....You will not allow Your faithful One to see decay". He speaks of his body's incorruption.

In his great sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 29) Peter raises the question of who David refers to in Psalm 16, since David's body was rotted away in a nearby tomb.

This obviously refers to Jesus Christ Himself, and His incorruptible body.

Yet He had a body like ours under sin's domain (Romans 8: 3). Initially He was born to a human mother (a virgin) and conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mathew 1: 20-230. This was critical, for He was sent to redeem human flesh.

How is it that Christ did not see corruption in the grave? He did die.

In Hebrews 10:5 we see that God prepared a body for Him. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). God became flesh in Jesus' body.

Even in its resurrected form the body of Jesus had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). His glorified body remained without defect or blemish and He was chosen before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1: 19,20).

Was the reason He is spoken of as not seeing decay because He was god's redeemer man, who offered Himself up bodily, in our place, to redeem and glorify our bodies? Christ is the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20).

In the believers case "we are resurrected from the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption, sown in dishonour, raised in glory, sown in weakness, raised in power, sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body there is also a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15: 42-44). We will all be changed (verse 51).