Highest, Mightiest, Greatest
—Romans 1:4
In Romans 1:4, Paul represents Jesus Christ our Lord as a man above all. He has been granted the highest mark, the mightiest power, and the greatest miracle (his resurrection).
¶“4Jesus Christ our Lord, marked out to be the Son of God, in power through the Spirit of Holiness, having risen from the dead” (Romans 1:4).
1 The Highest Mark
“marked out to be the Son of God”
This mark or designation is the status and authority of Jesus Christ. Christ stands far higher than Caesar on earth, and far higher than Michael the archangel in heaven (Ephesians 1:20-21).
“God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places —far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:20-21).
The status of Jesus Christ is expressed by Paul again, in his declaration that Christ Jesus was given "the name which is above every name" and at that name "every knee shall bow" (Philippians 2:9-10).
¶“God highly exalted Jesus, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name bestowed on Jesus every knee will bow —those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,” (Philippians 2:10; Isaiah 45:23).
Isaiah gives the royal titles to which Jesus has right: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6-7). We recognize these as titles of the Father which Jesus has been granted to share with him as his unique Son (John 1:1,14).
2 The Mightiest Power
“in power through the Spirit of Holiness”
The power in which Jesus does all his deeds, is "the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14-21). This power is no less than "God’s eternal power and divinity" (Romans 1:20).
This power created the cosmos, and Paul attributes this power to Jesus Christ saying that "by him all things were created both invisible in the heavens and visible on earth... all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16).
Jesus demonstrated his power through the Holy Spirit by many miracles. The greatest of these we think about next...
3 The Greatest Miracle
“having risen from the dead”
Arguably the resurrection of Jesus was the greatest miracle of all by which he demonstrated his power. He is the risen Christ. Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25).
Likewise, Paul acknowledges, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, we are of all people most miserable" (1Corinthians 15:12-19).
Paul of course did not, in his own mind, question the resurrection. He believed "Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who sleep [in death]" (1Corinthians 15:20).
The resurrection of Christ, however, is not a miracle merely to wonder at. It is the basis of our hope of a resurrection to eternal life.
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11).