Why did Christ have to come from Heaven? When we think about God’s Son and what Scripture says about him, we are familiar with things like his incarnational birth, his life of perfect obedience and his atoning work on the Cross. So, what is the significance of Christ coming from Heaven? And how does resurrection relate to our heavenly reality?
Heaven is a subject that feels hard to imagine or picture the reality of paradise with God and others. The Scriptures have much to say on this vital subject because it concerns our destination for all eternity. The tension for most Christians is to say very little or too much when it comes to the reality of Heaven. Moreover, there is enough revealed in Scripture to enlighten our hearts should we wish to pursue and ponder it. Therefore, for Christians, Heaven is vital because it is connected to why Jesus came from heaven and his resurrection, like two bookends. John 1 and 1 Corinthians 15 are a good starting place for reflecting upon our question. How? These capture Christ’s origin, i.e. he came from Heaven, and current reality, i.e. the Man of Heaven (1 Cor 15:49).
First, Heaven’s image came to earth. John’s Gospel strongly emphasises a few things about God the Son. That Jesus is eternal, and that he is the only one who can reveal God the Father (John 1:1-4; 18). This truth points to the objective fact that the only way someone can know the eternal invisible God is by coming from the everlasting reality of Heaven above where God dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim 6:16).
Second, Heaven’s reality will come again to earth. The Apostle Paul emphasises several aspects of God the Son. Jesus is the man of Heaven, and those who believe in him will bear the same heavenly image. This truth displays that Jesus comes from heaven not just to take on our likeness according to the first Adam’s image as a living being but also to be a life-giving spirit and bring us a foretaste of our future reality. Meaning the immortality and imperishable reality that Jesus bears now will be our future clothing to put on in Heaven (1 Cor 15:45-49).
Christ the heavenly man is a glimpse into our Heavenly Image to come. It will come from Heaven again and will be our final image. Moreover, the process of this experience to come will be in the flash of an eye, and the blast of music when the trumpet sounds. This truth for every believer is so important because it reminds us that our belief and work for the Lord are not in vain, and spiritually motivates us to remain steadfast, immovable, and to abound in service to God and his people (1 Cor 15:49-58).
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為甚麼基督必須從天上降臨？當我們思想神的兒子以及聖經對祂的描述時，我們熟悉祂道成肉身的降生、祂完全順服的一生，以及祂在十字架上的贖罪工作。然而，基督從天而降究竟有甚麼重要意義？而復活又如何與我們屬天的實際有關呢？
天堂是一個令人難以想像的主題，我們很難真正描繪與神和眾聖徒同在的樂園究竟是怎樣的景象。然而，聖經對這個重要的主題有許多教導，因為它關乎我們永恆的歸宿。對大多數基督徒而言，我們往往容易陷入兩個極端：要麼對天堂談論得太少，要麼又談論得太多。事實上，聖經已經啟示了足夠的內容，好讓我們若願意尋求和默想，就能使我們的心思得著光照。
因此，對基督徒而言，天堂之所以重要，是因為它與耶穌為何從天而降，以及祂的復活緊密相連，彷彿兩個書擋，共同界定了救恩的全貌。約翰福音第一章和哥林多前書第十五章，是幫助我們思想這個問題很好的起點。為甚麼呢？因為這兩段經文揭示了基督的源頭——祂從天而來；同時也揭示了祂如今的身分——祂是「屬天的人」（林前15:49）。
首先，天堂的形像來到了地上。 約翰福音特別強調有關神兒子的幾個重要真理：耶穌是永恆的；祂也是唯一能將父神顯明出來的那一位（約翰福音 1:1–4、18）。這真理指出一個客觀的事實：人若要真正認識那位永恆、不可見的神，必須藉著那位從永恆的天堂而來的主。因為神住在人不能靠近的光中（提摩太前書 6:16），唯有從天而來的神子，才能將天父啟示給世人。
其次，天堂的實現將再次臨到地上。 使徒保羅強調了神兒子的另一個重要層面：耶穌是「屬天的人」，凡信靠祂的人，也必將有祂屬天的形像。這真理表明，耶穌從天而來，不只是按著第一個亞當的樣式成為人、取了我們的形像，祂更成了「叫人活的靈」，將我們未來屬天生命的實際預先帶給我們。換句話說，耶穌如今所擁有那不朽壞、永不衰殘的生命，將來也必成為我們所要穿上的榮耀身體，作為我們在天上的新生命（哥林多前書 15:45–49）。
基督這位屬天的人，正是我們將來要得著屬天形像的預嚐與預表。將來，這屬天的形像必再次從天而來，並成為我們最終的形像。不僅如此，這一切都將在一瞬間完成──就在眨眼之間，當號筒吹響的時候，一切都要改變。
這真理對每一位信徒都極其重要，因為它提醒我們：我們對主的信心和為主所作的一切都不是徒然的。正因如此，我們應當在屬靈生命中堅定不移，站立得穩，常常竭力多作主工，熱心服事神和祂的百姓，因為知道我們在主裡的勞苦絕不徒然（哥林多前書 15:49–58）。
Rev. Adam Breasley
