The crucifixion of Jesus the Christ paved the way for his resurrection. It was a sacrifice for sin, turning aside the wrath of the Father, so that believing disciples of Jesus could receive the purification from their sins by the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The resurrection of Jesus Christ to eternal life and then brought the fullest realization of all that his anointing entails. As Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 15, the Father will subject all things to the Son, and then the Son will in turn submit all things to the Father, so that “God may be all in all.” In this ultimate act, the anointed king vindicates the Father’s rule: the rebellion of nations and rulers is decisively put down, and God’s covenantal authority is established forever. The resurrection is therefore not only the vindication of Jesus personally but also the fulfillment of the divine promise to Israel — the anointed Son acting as God’s agent to bring justice, order, and enduring peace to creation. In this way, the Father’s plan, carried out through the exalted Son, brings the royal vision of Psalm 2 to its eternal conclusion. The Christ died for you.
