Does the Bible actually give us the MECHANISM of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Could God have possibly revealed to us not just the event, but HOW He accomplished it? The answer appears to be, “yes!” And the amazing thing is that this great secret has been “hidden” in plain view in our Scriptures for two thousand years.
Here is where we find it: Romans 6:4. “ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father …”
We should first of all understand what this verse does NOT say. It does not say that Christ was raised up “TO the glory of the Father,” or “FOR the glory of the Father,” but BY the glory of the Father. While broader interpretations may be possible, that word, “by” is the Greek word “dia,” a primary preposition denoting the channel or mechanism of an act.
The word, “glory” is the Greek word, “doxa.” This word also has a number of possible indications, but the most prominent by way of a compilation of traditional meanings yields something along the lines of, “the splendor, brightness, magnificence and the absolute perfection of God’s manifested excellence as apparent in His external brightness.”
I am reminded of that this glory has been visible on Earth at other times: Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), the Apostle John on Patmos (Revelation 1), just to name a few. So then how could this divine, manifested presence cause the body of Jesus Christ to be awakened from death? I believe that in fact, a more appropriate question would be, “How could the intensity and blinding brilliance of God’s presence NOT bring back His Beloved Son from the grip of death?” What is death? Is death not the ultimate outcome of corruption and sin? Could those elements occupy the same confined space with the revealed glory of a holy God? Can darkness survive the presence of light? I say no, it cannot. And thus we can easily and rationally come to the belief that the resurrection had a MECHANISM, and that mechanism was the manifest glory of God Himself, the “Doxa.” God the Father was physically present in that tomb because His love for His Son drew Him there. He could not stay away, and Jesus could slumber in death no longer in that Presence.
