First-Begotten of the Dead

By rightly dividing the Word of truth we will have better understanding of the Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is interesting to discover that although the Bible is written by many authors, it is totally consistent and free from any error. This message concerns a facet of truth of the life and death of our Lord Jesus, prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.

"Today I have begotten You"

The psalmist said: "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 'Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You'" (Ps. 2:1 - 7, NKJV, emphasis added).

What was God talking about when He said, ".... Today I have begotten You?" Was He talking about when Jesus was born in a manger? Let us find the answer in Acts 13:

Paul, stood up in the synagogue at Antioch, said: "But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galileee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings - that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My son, today I have begotten You,' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'" (Acts 13:30 - 34, emphasis added).

Here again, Psalm 2 is mentioned.

To know what Paul was talking about, let us go to Hebrews:

"... whom (Jesus) He (God) has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You'? And again: 'I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a Son'" (Heb. 1:2 - 5).

The writer of Hebrews began to unfold a hidden mystery of God's redemptive plan.

"But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels: You have crowned him with glory and honor, ands set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" (Heb. 2:6 - 9, emphasis added).

Notice Jesus tasted death for everyone. But, what kind of death (physical or spiritual) was Paul talking about? Let us think a little. I believe it must be spiritual death. If Paul was speaking of physical death, then no one would ever have to die physically! That means those who believe in Jesus never need to taste death! You know very well this can't be true.

Reversing the condition of spiritual death

The fact is that, because Jesus' suffering spiritual separation (from God the Father), the sinner can be redeemed from spiritual death. Never again will there have to be spiritual death. You can die spiritually if you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you don't have to. It will be an act of your will if you do. Jesus died for the sinner. He tasted death so that the sinner could be redeemed.

The sinner is not going to heaven just because Jesus died for him. He has to be born again. He is born as a child of the Devil. But Jesus has already swallowed up that punishment and man's sins are forgiven. If the sinner will repent and believe and confess Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he will be saved - spiritually made alive.

The writer of Hebrews said: "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: 'I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.' And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I the children who God has given Me.' Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ...." (Heb. 2:11 - 14, emphasis added).

"So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (Heb. 5:5).

As we look at the Scriptural reference concerning Jesus' dying for us spiritual, we'll have greater area of faith and understanding concerning what Jesus did to bring about our salvation - to become His brethren.

To fully appreciate what Jesus did for us, we need to know He went to hell and received punishment for our sin, and obtained eternal redemption for us.

You cannot receive eternal redemption by physical sacrifices. That is the reason why the old law would not work; why the old law would not redeem man from sin. The old law merely covered sin.

Jesus - the Firstborn among many

Paul said: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethern" (Romans 8:29, emphasis added).

Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the first to be born from spiritual death to spiritual life. The phrase, "For whom He foreknew," means Jesus was with God the Father from the beginning.

Let us think a little here. There is a twofold meaning here. Paul was not saying that people are predestined either to be saved or not saved. He was saying that everyone who receives Jesus is born again and just as Jesus was the first to be born again. That is the meaning of , "Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren." When Jesus was raised from the dead, He was born again of the Spirit of God. There isn't going to be just one born from spiritual death of life, but many born just as He was!

That was bad news to Satan. Satan had his hands full with Jesus here on this earth. Satan was making people sick, and Jesus was healing them. Satan killed Lazarus with sickness; Jesus came along, raised him from the dead, and healed him.

On the day of Pentecost in the upper room, 120 were born again, just like Jesus. Then, before the day was over 3,000 more were born again. That was bad news for Satan: 3,120 - just like Jesus.

It is interesting to note that Jesus was called, "The only begotten Son" until the day He was raised from the dead. Then in every reference to Jesus after that, as pertaining to the time after His resurrection, He was never called, "The only begotten."


Jesus will build His Church


The Angel of the Lord said to Abraham: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing (offering of Isaac), and have not withheld your son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your discendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your discendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen. 22:16, 17, emphasis added).


Jesus said: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, emphasis added).


Paul said: "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7, emphasis added).


The phrase, "those who are of faith" means, "Christian believers."


Putting the above three passages of Scripture together, only genuine Christians are children of Abraham. And Jesus will build His Church through the children of Abraham. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.


So, we see, Jesus will only build His Church for true Christians and He Himself will be the Head of His Church - the Body of Christ.


Paul said: "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:19 - 22, emphasis added).


Furthermore, the true Church of Jesus Christ is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. The true Church is a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. In other words, the foundation of the true Church is grounded on the doctrines of divine revelation whether communicated by the prophets or the apostles. It is not grounded on human philosophy or tradition or on human wisdom or on human laws.


Look around you and you will find many so-called Christians, including pastors, have turned themselves away from the Word and are preaching a social or man-pleasing gospel in the churches they themselves built. These churches are going to wither and fade away, The Holy Spirit has left these churches and they don't even know it! Worse till, the Holy Spirit was never with them in the first place.


Jesus restores man


"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father,..." (Rev. 1:4 - 6, emphasis added).


Jesus is the "Ruler over the kings" and we kings and priests in the sight of God the Father. Now let us compare what Paul said about believers as kings:


Paul said: "For if, because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive (God's) overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the One, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One" (Romans 5:17, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).


Notice that, as kings, we are restored to our rightful place - our authority is restored, because Jesus was the first begotten of the dead.


Paul also said: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Gal. 3:13 - 16, NKJV, emphasis added).


Clearly, Paul was referring to Christ (the Seed), Who shall possess the gate of His enemies. We are heirs according to the promise, restored to our rightful godliness, with authority in this earth. We are born of the Spirit of God, quickened according to the Word of God - men under authority on earth - and we will possess the gate of our enemies.


Paul said further: "... even when we were dead in trespasse, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5, 6).


Notice that the reason why God raised Jesus from the dead is because, as first-begotten of the dead, He wanted to raise you from spiritual death to spiritual life. As far as God is concerned, he sees you seated on the right hand of the Father, with Jesus, in authority and power!