"The Pattern of Christ's Death VS The Pattern of Christ's Resurrection from a New Testament Perspective"

 

"The Pattern of Christ's Death VS The Pattern of Christ's Resurrection from a New Testament Perspective"

 

This title encapsulates the comparative study of two fundamental Christian concepts as viewed through the lens of the New Testament writings. It suggests an examination of how believers are called to identify with both Christ's death and His resurrection, and how these patterns are manifested in Christian life and theology according to New Testament teachings.

 

Aspect	Pattern of Christ's Death	Pattern of Christ's Resurrection
Definition	United with Christ in His death through baptism	United with Christ in His new life of resurrection
Symbolism	Baptism - immersion in water	Coming out of water - newness of life
Biblical Basis	Romans 6:5  "For if we have been united with him  in a death like his..."	Romans 6:4-5 "...just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."
Growth Process	Growing together with Him in the likeness of His death	Growing together with Him in the likeness of His resurrection
Analogy	Like a seed buried in the soil	Like a seed beginning to sprout and grow
Spiritual Significance	Severance from sin, old self, and old way of life	Growing in Christ's divine life,  living out the new life
Practical Application	Recognizing and accepting that we have died in Christ	Living and acting in the newness of life
Life State	"We have died"	"Now we are growing together  with Him"
Key Words	United growth, immersion, die with, buried with	United growth, resurrection, newness, live with
Life Characteristics	Dead to sin, the world, and the old self	Alive in Christ's resurrected life, pursuing spiritual growth

 

This table synthesizes the information you provided, highlighting the main features and distinctions between the concepts of the "pattern of Christ's death" and the "pattern of Christ's resurrection." It demonstrates how these two stages are interrelated and transform in a Christian's life, emphasizing the process from old life to new life, and the importance of continuous growth in Christ.

The text explains that being "united in growth" (or "grown together") in the likeness of Christ's death refers to the process of baptism. Baptism is the pattern of Christ's death. In baptism, we are united in growth with Christ. The Greek word for "united in growth" is the same as used in Luke 8:7, referring to thorns growing together with wheat. Similarly, we grow together with Christ.

When we are baptized into Christ, in one sense we are put to death, and in another sense we begin to grow. This is very similar to sowing a seed into the ground. Outwardly, the seed is sown, but in reality, it begins to grow. Through baptism into Christ, we all grow together with Him in the likeness of His death.

The text also emphasizes that we grow together with Christ in the likeness of His resurrection (Romans 6:4-5). What is the likeness of His resurrection? It is the newness of life. We should all live and walk in this newness of life.

The passage stresses that we need to see these two points: we grow together with Christ at the time of our baptism, and we grow together with Him in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, which is the newness of His resurrected life. If we see this, it means we see that we have died with Him and now we are growing with Him. We were buried with Him in baptism, and now we are growing with Him in His resurrection, in His divine life. We must live and act according to what we have seen, which is to live and act in the newness of life.

 

*Please refer to the 2024 Memorial Day Conference - The Christian Life,  Message Two: The Grafted Life