Christus Victor

Hebrews 2:14–15 (NASB95) — 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

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Jesus death on the cross is like a multifaceted diamond. Each side represents another accomplishment from the cross. Today let's talk about Jesus as our Christus Victor.

If you were reading the Old Testament, you would be able to tell that there is a Messiah that is prophesied. 

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) — 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

You would also have seen that there are "suffering servant" prophesied

Isaiah 53:3 (NLT) — 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

But you would never have put these two together.

The Jewish people used to rule themselves. The height of Jewish power was during King David/Solomon. They went from being a powerful, mighty nation to being a nation that is subjugated by foreign powers.

During Jesus time the Romans were in control and the Jews had to answer to them. A Roman soldier could stop any Jew at any time and make him carry his supplies for a mile, the Jew had to obey. The Jews did not have any power except that which Rome allowed them.

The Jewish people all throughout their history have been used by God and God has spoken to them through prophets. However, the Jews had not heard from God in over 400 years (by the time Jesus comes on the scene) and the last thing that they heard from Him was...

Malachi 4:2–3 (NLT) — 2 “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. 3 On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Malachi 4:5 (NLT) — 5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.

The last they hear is that the Day of the Lord is coming, on that day the wicked will be defeated and Israel will rise. 

400 years of silence...

Then, a crazy man from the desert who eats insects and is dressed in camels hair (this is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah who lived in the desert and was also a little weird) comes out of nowhere says, 

"It's here! The day of the Lord is here!" 

Jesus steps on to the scene...the expectation is that he will be the Messiah who will bring the Jews out from under the Roman rule. That he will be an amazing leader that will unite Israel and lead a war effort to destroy Israel's enemies so that they can rule again.

Instead of being an awesome military leader, Jesus is embarrassingly stripped of any power, he is beaten almost to death, stripped naked, mocked, humiliated in front of the Jewish and Roman people, and nailed to a tree to die (which by the way means he is cursed).

Deuteronomy 21:22–23 (NASB95) — 22 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

There were people before Jesus who thought they were Messiah, when they died it proved that they weren't and their followers disbanded.

Jesus is/was different.

Satan didn't realize what he had, he might have believed he was crucifying the Messiah, but he didn't know he was crucifying the second person of the Trinity.

1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (NASB95) — 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

Satan took the bait, he crucified Jesus of Nazareth thinking that he was destroying/disrupting God's plans.

Colossians 2:13–15 (NLT) — 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

What Satan thought was his victory was in reality his defeat. Jesus was victorious over Satan, victorious over sin and death and ransomed those who would be redeemed.

1 Timothy 2:5–6 (ESV) — 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Matthew 20:28 (NLT) — 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 (NLT) — 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

Revelation 5:9–10 (NLT) — 9 And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

This can be your victory too, even though you never lifted a finger to win it. Ask Jesus to be your Savior, surrender all to him. You don't need to be perfect, come as you are.

John 7:37 (NLT) — 37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!

John 6:40 (NLT) — 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”