DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, MARCH 29, 2013
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE CROSS
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:31, 32
The cross accomplished the casting out of the prince of this world. Satan has no dominion over you. In fact, Satan has no power. In fact, Satan can only scare you and produce FEAR--"false evidence appearing real." In fact, Satan has no power in our homes, over our children, in our families, unless we open the door and invite him in. He has been cast out through the power of the cross, so as we respect the cross and the work of Christ on the cross, we are delivered.
It is true that Satan has been distracting us for a long time--keeping our focus off of the cross. He comes in and distorts our lives and churches and families because the cross is not central. Satan, that old serpent, knows that the Church of Jesus Christ is a plaything without the preaching of the cross.
Jesus Christ knew that Satan had come into God's creation as described in Genesis 3: "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat" (Genesis 3:1-6).
Jesus Christ knew that he was sent by God an offering, an atonement for sin. Jesus Christ boldly proclaimed the fulfillment of God's plan spoken in John 12:31: "NOW IS THE JUDGMENT OF THIS WORLD: NOW SHALL THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD BE CAST OUT." Jesus Christ on the cross casts out Satan and his authority, and his rule, and his destruction, and his damnation. Jesus Christ on the cross establishes for all of eternity the reign and rule of the Kingdom of God.
Yes, Satan will continue to bruise our heel (persecution and temptation), but we shall bruise his head. For as our Savior was lifted up from the earth, so too, are we lifted up from all that the devil would throw at us. He is under our feet. His devices and his influence are put under our dominion in Christ. For we rule and reign with Christ Jesus!!!
Today, Do you see why Good Friday is so very GOOOOOD?
