The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed!
This is the refrain that we proclaim on Easter Sunday and it is one we should announce every other day of the year too. Ever since Christ folded his grave clothes and stepped out of the tomb as exalted Son of God, king, and priest, his people have been marching through the world proclaiming his good news and calling the nations to faith and repentance.
And for the last month, Christ Over All has taken time to delight in the glory of the cross and the hope of empty tomb. April’s meditations included a bevy of reflections on the theology of the cross—this included a longform on why resurrection is necessary for penal substitution, how the love of God relates to the substitutionary nature of the cross, and how the substitutionary nature of the cross stands at the center of all other atonement theories.
Additionally, we considered various biblical and exegetical aspects of the cross. For instance, in John alone we saw the signs leading to Christ’s cross, how Christ as the lamb of God follows a biblical theological pattern of redemption, and the way in which the clothes of Jesus display the priesthood of Christ. More theologically, we learned that divine pardon is not the same as gubernatorial amnesty, that Christ is the King Victorious, and that the resurrection fulfills multiple biblical theology themes to secure our hope both now and forever.
And finally, we saw how the resurrection is anti-fragile. The more someone denies it, the more its veracity shines. Likewise, the resurrection stands against the currents of modern Gnosticism. That Christ rose bodily from the dead tells us more than an eschatological truth, it gives us ethical implications. Implications that impact the way that we live, move, and serve the Lord.
All told, this month provided more than a dozen rich pieces to strengthen the faith for those who know Christ. Additionally, for those who have not trusted Christ or are considering the claims of the gospel, there are ample resources to read, hear, or share.
Indeed, if you have found these articles helpful, we would invite you to share them with others, subscribe to our podcast, or follow us on the Twitter. Starting in the next month, we plan to send out weekly emails to help you keep up with new articles. You won’t want to miss out.
Behold the Man: Meditations on Jesus Christ, His Death, and Resurrection
For a full list of articles, you can also visit the Theme Page. Or click on any of the articles below. Our longform essays are bolded.
Does Penal Substitution Require the Resurrection? By Lee Tankersley • Longform Essay
If Jesus died to pay for our sins, does the resurrection even matter? It certainly does! When Jesus walked out of the grave, he authoritatively declared that sin’s penalty had been paid in full so that we might say with confidence, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” READ ESSAY
2.15 Lee Tankersley • Reading • “Does Penal Substitution Require the Resurrection?” • Podcast Reading
If Jesus died to pay for our sins, does the resurrection even matter? It certainly does! When Jesus walked out of the grave, he authoritatively declared that sin’s penalty had been paid in full so that we might say with confidence, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” LISTEN TO PODCAST
Signs Foreshadowing the Cross in John’s Gospel by Ardel Caneday • Concise Article
Like a good mystery novel, John’s gospel weaves in subtle clues along the way as to who Jesus really is. How do Jesus’s signs at the beginning of his ministry foreshadow his coming death and resurrection? READ ARTICLE
Penal Substitution and Other Atonement Theologies By Stephen Wellum • Concise Article
What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? While theories on the atonement abound, only penal substitutionary atonement grasps humanity’s central problem: our sin before a holy God. READ ARTICLE
Substitution and Divine Love By J.I. Packer • Concise Article
How do you respond when someone calls Penal Substitutionary Atonement “divine child abuse”? Hopefully you’ve read this article beforehand. READ ARTICLE
2.16 Lee Tankersley, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • “Does Penal Substitution Require the Resurrection?” • Podcast Interview
If Jesus died to pay for our sins, does the resurrection even matter? It certainly does! When Jesus walked out of the grave, he authoritatively declared that sin’s penalty had been paid in full so that we might say with confidence, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” LISTEN TO PODCAST
The Lamb of God: A Pattern of Redemption By David Christensen • Concise Article
John calls Jesus the Lamb of God, but what exactly does that mean? We need to read our whole Bible to find out. READ ARTICLE
The Gospel is Better than Amnesty By Jonathon Woodyard • Concise Article
God does not deal with our sins by simply granting amnesty, choosing to forget they ever happened. Instead, he mercifully forgives sin, yet maintains his perfect justice by punishing sin in Christ. READ ARTICLE
The Resurrection and the Life: Our Risen Savior and Our Certain Hope By Mitch Chase • Longform Essay
The Christian hope of resurrection—long foretold by the prophets—was guaranteed when Jesus walked out of the grave, securing life for his people and bringing death to Death. READ ESSAY
2.18 Mitch Chase • Reading • “The Resurrection and the Life: Our Risen Savior and Our Certain Hope” By Mitch Chase • Podcast Reading
The Christian hope of resurrection—long foretold by the prophets—was guaranteed when Jesus walked out of the grave, securing life for his people and bringing death to Death. LISTEN TO PODCAST
Antifragile Apologetics: The Physical Resurrection of Jesus Christ in Biblical Worldview By Chris Bolt • Concise Article
What’s the opposite of fragile? Sturdy doesn’t cut it. That which is “antifragile” doesn’t simply withstand pressure, but actually grows stronger through it. So, what are some antifragile apologetics for the resurrection? READ ARTICLE
Eight Glories of the Cross By Michael Carlino • Concise Article
How does the Bible present the work of Christ on the cross? And how do these diverse vantage points all relate to penal substitution? Read these eight summaries of Dr. Stephen Wellum’s work to find out. READ ARTICLE
Christ the King Victorious By Josh Sherrell • Concise Article
Slaves to sin and enemies with God. Who can deliver from such a hopeless state? Only the Priest-King Jesus Christ, who conquers death by entering the grave himself. READ ARTICLE
2.19 Mitch Chase, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • “The Resurrection and the Life: Our Risen Savior and Our Certain Hope” • Podcast Interview
The Christian hope of resurrection—long foretold by the prophets—was guaranteed when Jesus walked out of the grave, securing life for his people and bringing death to Death. LISTEN TO PODCAST
Living in the Light of the Resurrection By Brian Vickers • Concise Article
Yes, the resurrection gives hope for the future, but what about today? How does this hope spur us on toward holiness and hard work? READ ARTICLE
The Clothes Make the Man: Seeing the Priesthood of Christ in John’s Gospel By David Schrock • Concise Article
Be it a suit and tie, an apron, or a bullet-proof vest, clothes speak volumes regarding the work we do. So what do Christ’s clothes tell us about the work he did? READ ARTICLE
Christian Resurrection Versus Sexual Gnosticism By P. Andrew Sandlin • Concise Article
What does the ancient heresy of Gnosticism have to do with the modern so-called “Transgender” Movement? And what does Jesus’s resurrection have to say about how we think about our bodies? READ ARTICLE
Cultivating and Keeping the Christian Home: A Biblical and Practical Guide
As we move into May, we are picking up the theme of the Christian Home.
From exegetical considerations in the household codes, to practical counsel for raising children, and from theological commitments to Baptist theology to the ways in which those commitments impact singleness and the formation of Christian homes, this month will combine rich exposition with practical guidance.
Over the month, our first longform will come from David Schrock on why we need to recover a Baptist approach to raising children. The argument will offer something that stands between including children in the covenant and outsourcing evangelism to others. The second longform will be offered by Brad Green, as he shows how the Christian home produces a beautiful aesthetic that should compel children to trust Christ.
In addition to these two longforms, we will also have concise essays by Ardel Caneday, Abigail Dodds, Greg Strand, Andrew Walker, Marla Helseth, Steve Wellum, Trent Hunter, and many more. Indeed, this month, there will be a post nearly every day.
As the family is under attack in our day, we have much to cover. And we would ask you to pray for the publication of these articles and for the promotion of a biblical worldview that blesses the home and protects it from the onslaughts of the evil one. Indeed, all month long we will be offering rich biblical and practical counsel on God’s design for the home. And we hope you will go join us on the journey.
Looking Ahead with Gratefulness to God
Truly, we at Christ Over All are thankful to God for the interest, generosity, and feedback we have received from so many of you. For those who have written for us and have sent articles to us, we gives thanks to God for your interest in letting us steward your writing. For those who have read, listened, and shared Christ Over All with others, we are equally thankful to God for helping spread these resources.
As this ministry continues to grow, there are ongoing financial needs, especially as we work towards converting digital content into print material that we can pass to others. In June, we are aiming to bring handouts to the Southern Baptist Convention to share the content of our March Theme: The Egalitarian Beachball is a Wrecking Ball. In the future, we hope to publish select portions of months as well.
If you are planning to go to the SBC Convention in New Orleans on June 13–14, please let us know. We’d love to see you. Let us know if you are coming.
After June, we are looking to release our first digital eBook, a book by David Schrock entitled Dividing the Faithful: How a Little Book on Race Divided a Movement Founded on Grace. This book will respond to Divided by Faith and the Critical Race Theory contained therein. Lord willing, this book will come out in July, as we tackle the subject of the Civil Rights movement. A hard copy will be available this fall, through the publishing arm of G3 Ministries.
In short, Christ Over All is working hard to provide the church with evergreen content to engage the culture with biblical and theological resources. If you would like to partner with us in that work, we’d love to hear from you. You can donate on our website. And you can contact us through our email. Let us know what you are seeing in your church and what subjects you would like to see in the future. Even now we are making plans for the fall and beginning to think about topics to cover in 2024.
Christ Over All is working to turn our online articles into print editions. If you are interested in helping raise funds for that project and for the ongoing ministry of Christ Over All, please donate here.
We know that we are in a spiritual battle. And by God’s grace, we pray that Christ Over All may continue to be one ministry, among many others, providing solid biblical and theological content to fortify your faith and arm your engagement in the battle. As Paul says, we are to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. That is our aim. And may the Lord give us grace to accomplish his purposes.
Until next month, let us remember that Christ is Lord over all, and so in all things let us exalt Christ!
