Focus: Death Is Dead

Text: Heb.2:14

"That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death."

This portion of the Holy Scripture makes crystal clear the fact that in the death of Christ Death was not only destroyed, but also the one who had the power of death, that is, Satan himself.

Paul saw beyond the periphery the glory of the cross. God used the seemingly ignominious cross as His instrument to ousting and vanquishing Satan and all his cohorts.

The CROSS shows God as the:

*Creator

From the cross emerges a new cosmos, and a cosmic order that has Christ at the helm of affairs.

*Restorer

The cross is instrumental to the restoration or restitution of all things in God's universe.

*Overcomer

Jesus said to His disciples, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Paul assures us that through the cross Christ destroyed principalities and powers, and made a public show of them openly.

*Savior

While Christ was still in Mary's womb, God said, "You shall call his name, Jesus, for he shall SAVE his people from their sins." In Luke and John, Christ is described as "the Savior of the world."

*Sovereign

On the cross, God demonstrated His sovereign power. God showed us via the cross that there is absolutely nothing and no one is above Him.

Through the cross God has taken care of the moral:

*Chaos

*Ruin

*Offense/Obstruction

*Sin

*Suffering

Christ by His cross ended death. In His death Death died. The sting of death has been removed. Paul shouts, "Death is swallowed up in victory… O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?… But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus" (1Cor.15:54,55,57). We have hope beyond the grave. Death is not final! Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter