When Jesus rose on the third day he overcame every evil, negative thing that exists. His victory was total. Just think of some of them:
He overcame the political, and military power of the world-wide Roman Empire:– The strongest empire the world had ever known. 300 years later the Roman Empire “submitted” to Christ.
He overcame the compromise, self-seeking and intrigue of the religious leaders in Israel:– Forty years later the unthinkable happened: the Jerusalem Temple, one of the wonders of the ancient world, was destroyed. And after 2000 years of exile the final stages of God’s plan for “all Israel” to acknowledge Christ have been set in motion.
He overcame all human sin:– past, present and future. He bore every sinful thought, word and deed from the whole history of mankind.
All the idolatry and false religion
All the witchcraft and occultism
All the apostasy and heresy
All the pride and arrogance
All the blasphemy and cursing
All the sacrilege and profanity
All the hatred and contempt
All the bitterness and resentment
All the jealousy and envy
All the selfishness and greed
All the anger and rage
All the prejudice and intolerance
All the oppression and injustice
All the cruelty and persecution
All the tyranny and torture
All the fanaticism and bigotry
All the murder and suicide
All the abortion and euthanasia
All the violence and war
All the racism and nationalism
All the sexual abuse and rape
All the promiscuity and adultery
All the divorce and desertion
All the sexual perversion
All the vice and prostitution
All the stealing and dishonesty
All the materialism and swindling
All the embezzlement and pilfering
All the lying and slander
All the gossip and backbiting
All the perjury and bribery
All the unfaithfulness and disloyalty
(and all the other sins).
He overcame death. After three minutes without oxygen the brain dies and rigor mortice sets in. Then the body begins to decay. Jesus was dead for some 36 hours but then rose bodily from the grave
He overcame Hell. Look at the list of sins Jesus was bearing. Death and Hell are the just deserts of such sin. If ever the devil had claim over a human being, he had claim over Jesus. But God raised him from sin-bearing death and Hell. Jesus not only escaped Satan’s power, he destroyed it.
Alleluia, He is risen indeed!
© Tony Higton: see conditions for reproduction