Article 16

Of the life, suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and of His receiving again His glory with His Father. Of this we confess: that the Lord Jesus, in the time of His humiliation in the flesh, being about thirty-three years old, set us a holy, godly example, not only with words but also by works and deeds, to be looked to as the Captain of the faith by all believers, and followed in the regeneration; for in His youth He was subject to His father and mother. And when His time was fulfilled, He entered, in full obedience toward His heavenly Father, on the office and ministry laid upon Him, proclaimed to them His Father's good pleasure, made the deaf hear, the mute speak, the blind see, cleansed the lepers, cast out devils, raised the dead from their graves, forgave people their sins, and promised eternal life to those who believe in Him.

These things Christ did not do in the same manner and form as His apostles and others, who performed miracles through a power and gift only received, which had been conferred upon them and given them by Christ. But such was not the case with Christ; for He Himself had all power in heaven and earth; so that He said to the two blind men: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" And further: "That you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins." And still further: "I will raise them up at the last day; and I give to them eternal life."

Thus the Lord Jesus completely fulfilled and accomplished the works of His Father, and shone as a clear heavenly light into this dark world, convicting it of its evil works, and pointing them out to it; by which He incurred the hatred of the blinded scribes and Pharisees, who did not know the light of truth, and who, out of hatred and envy, censured Him for all these divine deeds, attributing them to the devil; and so they delivered this innocent one into the hands of the unbelieving heathen, Pontius Pilate. They also examined this silent Lamb with many severe threats, mocked Him, spat in His face, struck Him with their fists, scourged Him, wounded His head with a crown of thorns, and finally stripped Him and stretched Him naked on the cross, nailed His hands and feet to it, and so hung Him up, as the Prince and Captain of all criminals, between two murderers. In His bitter thirst they gave Him vinegar to drink, mixed with gall; they pierced His side with a spear, so that blood and water flowed out from it. Thus He gave up His spirit with a loud voice, committing it into the hands of His Father. And when He had died, heaven and earth were shaken by this precious death and resurrection; so that the sun lost its brightness, and darkness came over all the earth; the earth quaked; the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and many bodies of the saints rose from their graves, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

And as in the time of His flesh, suffering and death, He showed that He had become man, so He also showed in this that this very man was also true God with His Father; and that He had the keys of the power of death and hell, that He could raise up again the broken temple of His body in three days, and had the power to lay down His life, and to take it up again; so that it was impossible that He should be held by death, or that His holy flesh should see corruption, but He rose triumphantly from the dead, on the third day, by the glory of the Father, revealed Himself to His apostles and others, and appeared to them miraculously, as they were assembled with the doors closed, ate and drank with them, and for forty days spoke with them of many things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Then, in the presence of the apostles, He was taken up to heaven by a cloud, and sat down at the right hand of His Almighty Father in heaven.

Thus the only begotten Son of God suffered, was crucified and put to death according to the flesh; but by this He was again glorified and made alive according to the spirit, and again fully received His former divine glory, and His equality with the Father. He will now die no more, nor will death have any more dominion over Him; but He shall live and rule as a reigning King of kings, and Lord of lords, over Mount Zion and the house of Jacob, forever and ever.

Of the blameless life and conduct of Christ, and how He was subject to His father and mother, read: Luke 2, verse 51; John 8, verse 46; Acts 1, verse 1.

And after His time was fulfilled, how He entered on the ministry laid upon Him, and performed many glorious deeds in His Father's name, read

Mark 1, verse 15; Matthew 8, verse 16; Matthew 9, verse 35; Matthew 11, verse 5; Matthew 12, verse 15; John 10; Acts 10, verse 38; Isaiah 53, verse 7; First Peter 2, verse 24.

And how He, as a light in the world, testified of their dark and evil works, and so fell into the hands of sinners, read: "The world cannot hate you; but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil." John 7, verse 7; John 1, verse 5; John 3, verse 19; Matthew 27, verse 18.

How Christ in the time of His humiliation in the flesh was obedient to His heavenly Father, read

"He humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2, verse 8.

"Though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered." Hebrews 5, verse 8.

Of the suffering, death, and burial of Christ, read: Psalm 22, verse 16; Psalm 60, verses 9 and 21; Isaiah 53, verse 7; Isaiah 63, verse 3; Acts 8, verse 32; Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19; Acts 3, verse 15; First Corinthians 15, verses 4 and 20; Matthew 27, verse 57; Isaiah 53, verse 9. [n541-1]

Of the resurrection of Christ, read: Matthew 28, verse 7; Mark 16, verse 6; Luke 24, verse 7; First Corinthians 15, verses 4 and 20; Acts 3, verse 26; Acts 10, verse 40.

How Christ again received the divine glory and likeness which He had forsaken; and how He ascended to heaven, read: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28, verse 18; Psalm 8, verse 6.

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Luke 24, verse 26.

"You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands: you have put all things in subjection under his feet." Hebrews 2, verses 7 to 9; John 17, verse 5.

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed and hanged on a tree. God has exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior," and so on. Acts 5, verses 30 and 31; Philippians 2, verse 9; Acts 2, verses 33 and 36.

"And when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up," and so on. Acts 1, verses 9 and 10; Mark 16, verse 19; Luke 24, verse 51.