Whether It Was Necessary for Christ to Rise Again?
Objection 1: It would seem that it was not necessary for Christ to
rise again. For Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv): "Resurrection is
the rising again of an animate being, which was disintegrated and
fallen." But Christ did not fall by sinning, nor was His body
dissolved, as is manifest from what was stated above (Q. 51, A. 3).
Therefore, it does not properly belong to Him to rise again.
Obj. 2: Further, whoever rises again is promoted to a higher state,
since to rise is to be uplifted. But after death Christ's body
continued to be united with the Godhead, hence it could not be
uplifted to any higher condition. Therefore, it was not due to it to
rise again.
Obj. 3: Further, all that befell Christ's humanity was ordained for
our salvation. But Christ's Passion sufficed for our salvation, since
by it we were loosed from guilt and punishment, as is clear from what
was said above (Q. 49, A. 1, 3). Consequently, it was not necessary
for Christ to rise again from the dead.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Luke 24:46): "It behooved Christ to
suffer and to rise again from the dead."
_I answer that,_ It behooved Christ to rise again, for five reasons.
First of all; for the commendation of Divine Justice, to which it
belongs to exalt them who humble themselves for God's sake, according
to Luke 1:52: "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath
exalted the humble." Consequently, because Christ humbled Himself
even to the death of the Cross, from love and obedience to God, it
behooved Him to be uplifted by God to a glorious resurrection; hence
it is said in His Person (Ps. 138:2): "Thou hast known," i.e.
approved, "my sitting down," i.e. My humiliation and Passion, "and my
rising up," i.e. My glorification in the resurrection; as the gloss
expounds.
Secondly, for our instruction in the faith, since our belief in
Christ's Godhead is confirmed by His rising again, because, according
to 2 Cor. 13:4, "although He was crucified through weakness, yet He
liveth by the power of God." And therefore it is written (1 Cor.
15:14): "If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain,
and our [Vulg.: 'your'] faith is also vain": and (Ps. 29:10): "What
profit is there in my blood?" that is, in the shedding of My blood,
"while I go down," as by various degrees of evils, "into corruption?"
As though He were to answer: "None. 'For if I do not at once rise
again but My body be corrupted, I shall preach to no one, I shall
gain no one,'" as the gloss expounds.
Thirdly, for the raising of our hope, since through seeing Christ,
who is our head, rise again, we hope that we likewise shall rise
again. Hence it is written (1 Cor. 15:12): "Now if Christ be preached
that He rose from the dead, how do some among you say, that there is
no resurrection of the dead?" And (Job 19:25, 27): "I know," that is
with certainty of faith, "that my Redeemer," i.e. Christ, "liveth,"
having risen from the dead; "and" therefore "in the last day I shall
rise out of the earth . . . this my hope is laid up in my bosom."
Fourthly, to set in order the lives of the faithful: according to
Rom. 6:4: "As Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the
Father, so we also may walk in newness of life": and further on;
"Christ rising from the dead dieth now no more; so do you also reckon
that you are dead to sin, but alive to God."
Fifthly, in order to complete the work of our salvation: because,
just as for this reason did He endure evil things in dying that He
might deliver us from evil, so was He glorified in rising again in
order to advance us towards good things; according to Rom. 4:25: "He
was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification."
Reply Obj. 1: Although Christ did not fall by sin, yet He fell by
death, because as sin is a fall from righteousness, so death is a
fall from life: hence the words of Mic. 7:8 can be taken as though
spoken by Christ: "Rejoice not thou, my enemy, over me, because I am
fallen: I shall rise again." Likewise, although Christ's body was not
disintegrated by returning to dust, yet the separation of His soul
and body was a kind of disintegration.
Reply Obj. 2: The Godhead was united with Christ's flesh after death
by personal union, but not by natural union; thus the soul is united
with the body as its form, so as to constitute human nature.
Consequently, by the union of the body and soul, the body was
uplifted to a higher condition of nature, but not to a higher
personal state.
Reply Obj. 3: Christ's Passion wrought our salvation, properly
speaking, by removing evils; but the Resurrection did so as the
beginning and exemplar of all good things.
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