Jesus Christ left the celestial city of Heavenly Jerusalem to defeat
Satan in his own domain. Holy Scripture leaves no doubt but that this
world lieth in the wicked one. “And we know that
we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John
5:19). Satan is called “the prince of the power
of the air” (Ephesians 2:2b) and “the god
of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4a). His footsteps are
everywhere and the majority of the world is blinded to his control. His
native language is one of lying. A facade has always hid his appearance
and his end is the Lake of Fire. All that obey him become like him; he
turns beauty into ashes.
The Son of Man chose
to meet Satan on his own turf under Satan’s own advantage. Jesus Christ
even laid aside His right to His divine nature, so He could meet the
devil as fair and square as possible. Born an infant, His parents had to
flee into Egypt or else their precious Son would have had to use His
divine powers to protect them. But those powers had been subjugated for
this brief period. “Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). The victory that Jesus
Christ would earn would never be questioned in Heaven and could not be
questioned in hell. It was a legal triumph based on Heaven’s
jurisprudence.
First, this deliverer had to meet the legal matter of a “Kinsman
Redeemer.” The human family had been sold as slaves and belonged to
a usurper. No one could claim them as God’s possessions unless that
person was first of kin to God Himself. No angel – even the
archangels, seraphim, or cherubim – were divine in nature, but they
were created beings. God had a Son and His eternal Son was the next
of kin. There was no second choice. The Father first said,
“Yes.” Then, the Son said, “Yes.” Redemption was born in God’s great
temple in the realm that mortals, unchanged and unredeemed, could
never venture.
An innocent appearing baby was born in a cow’s stall in
Bethlehem. Angels sang and wise men visited as evil plotted. Joseph
and Mary fled to Egypt with the Messiah in His baby wrappings. When
the coast was clear, they returned to Nazereth and Mary hid these
things in her heart. The Bible says, “Mary
kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke
2:19). That very statement was protection until the time would come
for Jesus to begin His role. Baptized by John, the Holy Spirit led
Him into the wilderness while Satan sought His whereabouts.
After forty days without food – fasting and having fellowship with
His Father – Satan found Him and began his evil design. Weakened to
the point of complete exhaustion, He was badgered by the enemy. But,
with perfect victory over Satan’s incredible efforts, angels came to
strengthen Him. Satan had been allowed to remove Him to a mountain
-- even to the temple complex -- and to offer Jesus Christ a
compromising route to be the King of Kings. It was a powerful
victory for the Son of God. The victory of His entire earthly
ministry flowed out of this miracle. His ministry was one crisis
after another with Satan’s defeat in every experience.
A night in the Garden of Gethsemane brought the Son of God face to
face with the dark powers of sin. This God/man had to take every
expression of the powers of sin into His own body and soul and atone
them to the Father. Broken and consumed with the task,
“... he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat
was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke
22:44). Sinless flesh suddenly became a substitute for sinful flesh
and even then it must be defeated without reaching back to His
divine possessions. That Heavenly nature of His Divine Sonship must
wait past the cross and the tomb for the sunburst on the morning of
triumph.
In the courtyard of His enemies, His body became a substitute for
disease and destruction. They made Him a whipping post, but they
could not break Him. The Roman soldiers came close to a total
destruction of the temple in which He had chosen to dwell. He never
spoke an unkind word because this was another defeat for Satan. All
sickness is but death fulfilling the forbidden fruits of human
sin. The Son of God was unleashing the virtue of a perfect
resurrection and a secondary provision of divine healing.
Jesus said, “the prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). If Satan could
have known what Calvary was all about, he would never have
challenged the Son of God to this epic battle. Paul clearly stated
this truth, “Which none of the princes of
this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:8). Three hours
on the cross were given for Christ to bear the darkest load in
absolute blackness. As it ended, He cried,
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark
15:34). Then, He declared the victory by saying,
“It is finished.” Quickly, He slipped
down to Upper Hell where th e righteous dead were held in death’s
prison.
Before He arose, He had to level the last great
stronghold of sin and Satan. He preached for three days and three
nights. He was close enough to hell fire that the damned could hear the
shouting in Abraham’s bosom. Then, He led a march right by a borrowed
tomb where a body that could not decay was awaiting its Divine
occupant. He arose the victor over every dominion of His vanquished
foe. Now, He awaits the last battle of His saints. He will be back
shortly to finish the task of Satan’s well-won defeat.
Joseph R. Chambers
jrc@pawcreek.org
Sent weekly from the ministry of the Paw Creek Church
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Paw Creek Ministries
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Charlotte, NC 28208 USA
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