The apostle Paul wanted us to know every Christian is united to Christ. Paul must have been thinking back to Easter Sunday at the same time he was thinking of the life of the Christian. Jesus died; the Christian dies. Jesus was buried; the Christian is buried. Jesus rose; the Christian rises. The Christian’s death, burial, and resurrection is “with Him” – with Christ. So every Christian is united with Christ. Paul wanted us to know this.

In Romans 6, Paul used a certain phrase you may have missed. You might call it a throw-away phrase, tucked into the back pocket of that passage, barely noticed. Paul said, “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” That’s a wonderful phrase – and not a throw-away phrase at all. Put it up to your ear and listen to it. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” The translators of the English Standard Version gave it a bit of a rhythm. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” It’s a phrase that bounces along all by itself. It doesn’t need your help. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.”

How was Jesus Christ raised from the dead? How was He brought to new life? By the glory of the Father. If you needed to answer a question on a test, to name the reason why Jesus Christ still lives and reigns today, you could just say what Paul said. Your professor would have to give you a passing grade. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.”

It means Jesus was raised from the dead by the decision and power of God. The “glory of the Father” encompasses a lot of things. The glory of the Father is Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 4:6). So we could say Jesus Christ, who is the glory of the Father, raised Himself from the dead (John 10:17). The glory of the Father also is the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:14). So we could accurately say the Holy Spirit raised Christ – and us – from the dead (Romans 8:11). The glory of the Father also is simply the physical manifestation of God’s power. When Lazarus was raised from the dead, Jesus told poor Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

So I think it is safe to say God raised Jesus from the dead. All three Persons of the Trinity were involved. It was a physical manifestation of God’s power. God did it.

The women were worried about the stone. Mary, the other Mary, and Salome – How would they move such a large stone from the entrance of the tomb? They were asking each other that question on the road. “Who will move it for us? Are we just going to happen upon a group of burly young men, at the crack of dawn, in the cemetery, to roll the stone out of the way?” The women could not move the stone. And they knew it.

Of course they knew it. That’s not how resurrection happens. You cannot move the stone. You cannot effect your own resurrection by your own strength, cunning, skill, or “goodness.” Jesus’ resurrection was not the product of natural phenomena or human effort. Dead men don’t rise. It is not possible in a naturalistic sense.

No, resurrection only is possible by God. Jesus once told His disciples, who were perplexed by His teaching that rich people would have a very hard time entering the kingdom of God – Jesus said, “With man, it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). There are some things you simply cannot do. Have you discovered this in life? It is why you must throw yourself onto the goodness and grace of God. Trust Him.

“Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” Listen to it again and again. Memorize it. It’s a phrase that needs no help from us. But we need it. Oh, how we need it. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.”