And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:4
Who is the strongest man in the world? At the 2018 World’s Strongest Man competition, held in Manila, Philippines, the title was won by Hafbor Julius Bjornsson of Iceland, who stands at six-foot-nine and weighs more than 182 kilograms (400 pounds). He took the title from Eddie Hall of Britain, who did not compete. But at the 2019 competition, held in Bradenton, Florida, Bjornsson lost the title to Latvian-born competitor Martins Licis. The best that Bjornsson could do was third place. Few competitors win this event more than once. An exception was Mariusz Pudzianowski of Poland who won it five times, the last time in 2008. It is obvious to us why a strongman is unable to keep winning this title year after year; these men, as powerful as they are, lose their strength and vigour as they age. Louis Cyr, a French Canadian known as the strongest man who ever lived, who could lift 225 kg (500 pounds) with one finger, lived for only 49 years. He died in 1912. All these great powerful men could amaze spectators with the things they could do. But eventually, they can no longer do them. Compare that with our text’s description of the Son of God, Whose display of power in His resurrection continues after almost 2000 years and will endure for all eternity.
The list of events that a strongman must win to claim a champion’s title do not include raising anyone from the dead. Because no competitor could ever do it. But Jesus is on record as having done it three times! Nor do strongman competitors attempt to rise from the dead themselves. But Jesus burst the shackles of death after three days in Joseph’s tomb, and now lives in the power of an endless life. The first several verses in the epistle of Romans are about the Gospel, which verse 3 tells us is concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. The Gospel brought us into salvation, a work of God that transformed our destination from hell to Heaven, that changed our allegiance from the devil to Christ, and that altered our priorities from self to service. This work of God has been accomplished by the same power that brought our Lord forth from the tomb. Too often, we limit our appreciation of the Gospel and the work of Christ to its transforming of our destiny. That certainly is great, for sure. But the Gospel has done so much more, and God’s desire is that we would appreciate our changed allegiance and our altered priorities. Our allegiance to Christ and our altered priorities mean we are no longer like those around us who have not had a transformation of their destiny.
The power of the Son of God that resurrected us from being dead in sins can, and should, transform us into His likeness for His glory. -Jim MacIntosh