Resurrection Sunday. Jesus Christ is the Beginning, our King, and trailblazing hero.
length: 84:35 - taught on Apr, 9 2023
Class Outline:
Sunday April 9, 2023
Archegos is a title for Jesus that appears only four times in the New Testament. The significance of its use lies in the context of its use as well as its somewhat elusive definition.
Archegos is closely related to ache, which is the title for Christ as the first, beginning, or ruler.
In COL 1:18, Jesus is the arche
In COL 1:16, Jesus created all the archai who claim to rule the kingdoms of the earth.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
All others who claimed the title were in fact created by Him.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers [archai - plural of arche] or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Arche is the beginning or ruler, while archegos is the one who begins and makes something new.
Archegos is notoriously difficult to translate. A survey of its use in the LXX and other nonbiblical uses suggests a threefold connotation.
Archegos:
Pathbreaker (pioneer) who opens the way for others, hence, “guide,” “hero.”
The source or founder, hence, “author,” “initiator,” “beginning.”
The leader-ruler, hence, “captain,” “prince,” “king.”
These ideas are not exclusive to each other. Knowing the Lord we can easily see how they combine. All three speak of someone who explores new territory, opens a trail, and leads others to it. There he builds a city or fortress for those who follow and leads them in defense against attackers. When the peace has been won, he remains as their ruler and the city or community bears his name. He is thereafter honored as the founding hero.
There have been a lot of people in history who wanted to blaze new trails, but how many of them wanted to do so in order to lead others in it? And though there are probably some who did try to be that unselfish, who could have made a trail that led all who followed it to the city of heaven? The Lord Jesus came to earth to do this for us, knowing full well the kind of suffering it would demand of Him.
He blazed a trail through the graveyard and the judgment of sin. He made Himself the end of death and the beginning of life for us.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus Christ by His resurrection would author and pioneer a new way for us.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which [entrance] He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
If we chose to follow Him, He leads us in the way of life while leaving death behind us. He becomes our Prince and King, and so we get to obey the order of pure righteousness. To do this He had to ensure that all of our sins are forgiven. Though free and able, we would not always follow Him, therefore our whole lives, our whole journey would need forgiveness.
So then, in order to become our archegos, He would have to suffer.
Archegos of salvation.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
We who believe in Him are privileged to follow the path of life, out of the grave, protected by the power of God. We cannot lose anything that is important.
To follow the path of the one true pioneer and pathbreaker, the same suffering would come upon us, which would break us if we didn’t keep our eyes on Him, our archegos.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
The archegos (“author”) and perfecter (completer) of faith.
The Lord lived the faith and finished it.
That He lived the faith means that as a human man he believed what was written, said what was necessary, did what was commanded, and went where He was called - all by faith. He did everything that was asked of Him and so He completed or finished the faith. Then, after providing our salvation, He asks us to follow the same trail of faith. Following that trail is the only way that we are going to see what He has made.
Part of that path is suffering. Jesus, the archegos, didn’t cut a path around the suffering, but rather His path went right through it.
The Lord forewarned His disciples of this.
It’s a long passage, but it needs to be read all together. Our lives depend upon it.
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
23 "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
26 "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
At His death, the disciples fled. Peter especially, after his threefold denial, ran and hid in deep despair.
When Christ died, the apostles (“sent ones”) no longer have a sender, or so they thought.
When the apostles saw the risen Christ, they found the courage to follow Him anywhere.
But then we see Peter and the rest greatly changed. From lost hope and despair they become confident and bold proclaimers of the gospel. It is true that at Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit who brought the truth to life, but they had also all seen the resurrected Christ. Not a ghost, but Him, tangible, human, alive forever in a human body, and that changed them completely.
It is vital that we see the Lord resurrected.
Obviously we are not going to physically see Him. God has placed this challenge upon our faith. If we truly behold Him alive (not just today, but every day) then we will want to do the Father’s will and have boldness to do it.
While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16 "And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Archegon tes zoes - the Prince, Pioneer, Beginning of life. This is obviously more than biological life, which He is the creator of.
Peter and John soon after get arrested and are brought before the Sanhedrin. Their boldness continues and it infects the entire congregation.
As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
The rest of chapter 4 shows how the resurrection of the archegos transformed the lives of these first believers into something other-worldly.
In Act 5, the leadership, filled with jealousy over the amazing success of the apostle’s ministry, threw them in jail again. They are released by an angel and go right back to the temple to preach the gospel.
When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Archegos and Savior - points to the Prince’s role as one who meets the emergency situation caused by the sin of God’s people.
The word “savior” is associated with the judges who brought deliverance from enemies. The enemies which ruled over Israel were always the result of Israel’s sinfulness. When the pain got bad enough so that the people cried out to the Lord, the Lord would sent an archegos. Then, at the proper time, the Lord sent the archegos to pioneer the one final path that mankind would take to His eternal city.
He is the beginning, the pioneer, and the King. He explored new territory, opened a trail, and led others to it. There he built a city for those who follow Him and He leads them in defense against attackers. When the peace was won, He remains as their ruler over the city or community bears his name. He is thereafter honored as the founding hero.
Praise the Lord forever for the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us and was raised for us. I pray you are joyful and that you find joy in walking the trail that Jesus has wrought for us.
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