Jump Start # 4013
Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promises of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”
American’s love winners. The Dodgers in baseball, IU in college football, gold medals in the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, we love our winners. Many of us have ribbons and trophies from victories in the past. We’ve kept those honors for decades. They were special times. The first to break the ribbon. Standing on the podium. Cameras flashing and crowds applauding, that’s the taste of victory.
Winning is hard. It takes long dedication, practice and commitment. And, as one wins, there are always many others who didn’t. They came in second, or third, on down to last place. The victor wins. Others didn’t.
Our verse today reminds us of the victory of the Christ. There was a time He seemed defeated. Dying on the cross. Closed up in a tomb. Days of silence. But, on that special first day of the week, the Lord came out of that tomb and later ascended, as our verse states, to the right hand of God. He was triumphant.
There are three powerful things that Jesus defeated.
First, He defeated temptation. He was tempted, not just in the wilderness, but constantly throughout His ministry. He was accused, questioned, denied, and scoffed at. He was challenged to do things that He didn’t want to do. His own apostles often got in the way by saying things that they did not understand.
And, the powerful way Jesus defeated temptation is the same way you and I can do it. He didn’t use a miracle. He didn’t call down angels. Consistently using the word of God, He countered every temptation that came His way. He was the sinless sacrifice. He was the chief cornerstone, chosen and proven to be true.
Second, He defeated death. Coming out of the grave, He arose never to die again. Everyone that had been resurrected, had to die again. Not Jesus. Death is our greatest fear and foe. There is no escaping it. When our divine appointment comes, we can’t reschedule it for another time. We can’t cancel that appointment. There is no getting around that divine appointment. And, when we leave this place, we are not coming back. The door of death swings only one way.
The resurrection of Jesus proved that death doesn’t have the final word. We will live on and on and on in eternity. There is no “The End,” to our story. Death is a moment. Death isn’t forever. Death is a passage way, a door to the next room in God’s house. No legislation can stop death. No armies can stop death. One can’t buy their way around death. Death seems to conquer us, but it won’t. The resurrection of Jesus defeated death. Jesus is the victory.
Third, Jesus defeated Satan. Behind all temptations is Satan. Behind death is Satan. The crushing blow to the serpent’s head, was the resurrection of Jesus. That victory destroyed Satan. His doom is set. His future is certain. There are no prayers for the devil. There are not sweet words for the devil. Eternal punishment is what awaits him. He has lost the war and is defeated. There is no hope for the devil. Game over. Lights out. Elvis has left the building. Ding, dong, the witch is dead. No matter how you express it, Satan has been crushed by the Christ. Defeated.
Now, with that being said, which side do I want to be on? We know the outcome. Satan loses. It’s not up for grabs. It’s not a contest that could go either way. It’s not a wait and see situation. Satan loses and Christ wins.
Our Lord is triumphant. The Corinthians were told, “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The triumphant Christ. The winning Jesus. The victor is the Lord. The battle belongs to the Lord!
Roger