God’s Image Study • God of the Living—Christ as Lord of the Dead and the Living
Our study began with a distinction: God is described as the God of the living, while Jesus is Lord of both the dead and the living.
To understand Christ’s lordship, we must follow its purpose and outcome. What authority has he received, what does he accomplish, and to whom does he bring the kingdom?
He died and lived again
Romans 14:9 connects Christ’s death and return to life with his lordship over both the dead and the living.
The surrounding verses concern belonging to him, whether living or dying. Paul uses that relationship to challenge contempt and judgment among believers: each will give an account to God. Read Romans 14:7–12.
Christ’s lordship carries responsibility for those who belong to him. Our treatment of one another must reflect that belonging.
Authority to give life and judge
In John 5, Jesus explains the Father–Son relationship through their work. The Father raises the dead and gives life; the Son also gives life. The Father entrusts judgment to the Son, and honoring the Son honors the Father who sent him.
Jesus further identifies the Father as the One who granted him life in himself and authority to judge. Read John 5:19–27.
These details preserve both the Son’s authority and its source. We honor his role by listening to how he describes it.
Each in order
First Corinthians 15 identifies Christ as the firstfruits of those raised from death. Paul then places those who belong to Christ at his coming, followed by the end, when Christ hands the kingdom to the God and Father.
The sequence matters. Resurrection, reign, and the kingdom’s delivery belong within an unfolding purpose. Read 1 Corinthians 15:20–24.
The last enemy
Christ reigns until his enemies are subjected beneath his feet. Paul identifies death as the last enemy to be abolished.
Christ’s lordship over the dead therefore stands alongside the promised defeat of death itself. Read 1 Corinthians 15:25–26.
The Father remains distinguishable
Paul explicitly excludes the One who subjects all things to Christ from the things subjected. He then describes the Son himself becoming subject to that One, with this outcome:
“so that God may be all in all.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:28, LSB, excerpt
The Father who grants authority and the Son who exercises it remain distinguishable through the completion of the work. Read 1 Corinthians 15:27–28.
Following the purpose through
These passages help us examine authority through what it accomplishes. Jesus gives life, judges, reigns, and brings the kingdom to the Father.
As we prepare to gather this study together, we must retain the relationships we have followed: the Father’s giving, the Son’s received authority, and the life imparted through the Spirit.
Our closing summary will return to the original question—God of the living and Christ as Lord of both—alongside our Born Again Study and the examination of being conformed to the Son’s image in our God’s Image Study.
Threads to Follow
God of the living: Return to Jesus’s explanation concerning resurrection in Luke 20:37–38.
Life through the Spirit: Keep Romans 8:9–16 alongside the distinction between physical existence and spiritual life.
The Son’s image: Preserve adoption and conformity to his image in Romans 8:23–29.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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