Christ The Redeemer
He suddenly wakes up in a cold sweat. His heartbeat is racing. His eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room. He reaches for the lamp and after the third attempt, he finally ignites the lamp. He then rushes over to his wife who is sound asleep. It takes a couple of shakes to wake her. She quickly sits up, trying to find her bearings, then she looks at her husband and the urgency on his face.
“Get up! We have to go now!” He said, holding the light close to his face.
“Get up, why? Where are we going?” she said, still half-asleep and confused.
“We’re in danger. We have to leave now!” As he leaves his wife’s side and begins gathering personal items from around the room.
Something about the word danger caused the woman who had been half-asleep, to instantly leap from the bed and join her husband gathering personal items. As she continued to collect her things, she briefly paused, to check on their sleeping child.
He was still fast asleep, oblivious to the franticness of his parents.
Grabbing everything he could carry; the husband stands by the door.
“Mary, get the boy, and let’s go! We must get out of the city before sunrise.”
Trying not to wake him, Mary carefully picks up her son and looks over the room one last time.
“Do you have the gifts?” said Mary.
He nodded his head yes. As they walk out the door into the darkness she asks, “Joseph, how long will we be in Egypt?”
Joseph says, “I don’t know. Only GOD knows.”
Mary and Joseph took Jesus that night and headed to Egypt after an angel instructed Joseph in a dream. Herod the King gave a decree that boys two years old and under are to be killed.
That was the first time Satan tried to kill Jesus.
Very little is known about the life of Jesus prior to his ministry, except this story, and the story at the temple when Jesus was 12 years old. However, after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and received the Holy Spirit, Jesus began his ministry. There are many people who believe that the only reason Jesus came to Earth was to die for our sins. But GOD’s plan was greater than just the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Let’s discover the other plans GOD wanted to show mankind through Jesus.
In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the last Adam. So, we should go back and compare the first Adam to the last Adam. As I discussed in previous articles, GOD created Adam to have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air, and every creeping thing on the earth. So as the last Adam, (Jesus) had to display the same characteristics.
First, let’s look at how Jesus demonstrated dominion over the fish of the sea. There were several times Jesus showed dominion over the fish of the sea. The first time Jesus met Peter, Peter was out fishing and caught nothing. Then Jesus told him to cast his net on the other side of the boat. Peter reluctantly did it, and the net was so full of fish, that the net almost broke.
There was another time Jesus owed taxes. He said to Peter, “Go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them [to pay the temple tax] for you and Me.” (Matthew 17:27 Amp). Peter did what Jesus commanded, and everything Jesus said came to pass. By obeying Jesus, Peter saw a miracle and he received a financial blessing. Think about it!
Jesus also showed dominion over food. On more than one occasion thousands of people had followed Jesus to hear him teach. Jesus asked his disciples how much food they had, and they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus told them to feed the thousands of people with five loaves and two fish.
If you are perplexed by that, imagine how the disciples felt?
Then, Jesus blessed the food and multiplied it. Not only was it enough food to feed everyone there, but they also had baskets full of leftovers.
Next, Jesus also showed dominion over the weather. Jesus told his disciples to take the boat and go to the other side of the sea, while he stayed behind. All the disciples were on the sea when a terrible storm arose. The storm was so bad, that the disciples thought they were going to die. Then the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water. When he reached the boat, Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves, “Peace, be still,” and the wind and the waves immediately calmed down. (Mark 4:39 KJV).
Now that’s dominion!
Jesus is best known for having dominion over sickness and disease. There are far too many stories of Jesus healing the sick to mention here, but let’s give a couple of examples.
There is the story of blind Bartimaeus who was a beggar. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out to Jesus. Although the crowd told him to be quiet, Bartimaeus cried out even louder. Jesus called him over and asked him what he wanted. He said, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” Jesus healed him immediately and the man could see. (Mark 10:46-52)
Another one of the famous miracles Jesus performed happened in Bethany. Jesus knew a family of two sisters and a brother. Their names were Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. One day, Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, and Jesus said that he would come. However, Jesus waited several days before he went. By the time Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Although Lazarus’ sisters didn’t believe Jesus could do anything for him, Jesus told some men to remove the rock that covered the door to the entrance of the tomb. After they removed the rock, Jesus said, “Lazarus come forth,” and Lazarus came out the tomb, bound in burial cloths. (John 11:43). Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:44). And Lazarus was alive and healed.
“It shall bruise thy head.” (Genesis 3:15)
Jesus, the seed of the woman, and the last Adam also had dominion over devils. During Jesus’ Ministry, it seems that healing the sick went together with casting out devils. Jesus devastated the demon-possessed. The power of GOD was so great that demons would beg him not to torment them. And Jesus would simply tell them to come out of the body, and they obeyed.
There was one man who was naked, and demon-possessed. The demons’ caused him to cut himself. When the demons saw Jesus, they were afraid. Jesus asked the demons’ name, and they said, “Legion,” because they’re so many demons inside of him. When Jesus told them to leave, they asked if they could go into a pack of swine. Jesus said yes, and the demons went into the swine and cause the swine to drown themselves in the sea. The people were so astonished that the demon-possessed man was well and in his right mind. But they told Jesus to leave because he cast the demons in the swine, and all the swine died.
For all the miracles Jesus performed and all the demons he cast out, GOD wanted Jesus to reveal the most important reason he was sent to Earth; to restore the relationship between GOD and man. GOD visited the first Adam in the garden daily. Before sin, they had a close relationship. However, after sin, the relationship between GOD and man was strained. Jesus was sent to teach and show people the ways of GOD. By teaching and demonstrating the word of GOD through healing, people saw a different side of GOD. LOVE. Jesus’ ministry called men back to GOD and restore the relationship.
Finally, Jesus showed dominion over death. As previously mentioned, from the beginning of sin on earth, Satan has prosecuted, attempted to kill, and killed many people who came in the name of the Lord. Specifically, men he thought were the seed of a woman. And he treated Jesus no different.
If you closely read the scripture, you will find many places where people tried to kill Jesus. They tried to throw him off a cliff and stone him. During the time of temptation, Satan told Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. Later, while explaining a parable to his disciples, Jesus said, “No one takes my life, I’ll lay it down.” (John 10:18). Jesus said this to demonstrate that when it came to death, he would decide rather to live or die. Not Mankind.
For over three thousand years, GOD had a secret plan to defeat Satan, and the time had finally come. Satan did his best to cause Jesus to fall and tried to kill him without success. Then, he saw an opening, Judas. The one that would betray the Lord.
Judas arranged with the priests to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was then arrested, falsely accused, beaten, spit on, whipped, and then crucified. Satan must have had the biggest smile on his face when he saw GOD’s chosen one hanging on the cross. For thousands of years, Satan waited for GOD to send HIS champion to defeat him.
The moment had finally arrived, and GOD’s champion is dying on the cross between two thieves. Then, Satan heard Jesus raise his head and cry out, “My GOD, My GOD, why have you forsaken me.”
In the board game of chess when the opposing king is in danger, you say, “Check.” If your opponent cannot move the king out of danger, then you say “Checkmate.” That means that the game is over.
“Check,” said Satan.
When Jesus gave up the ghost, the celebration in Satan’s camp must have been loud and strong. The party went on non-stop for three days. He finally was able to ruin GOD’s plan. Satan thought he finally won.
The party was still raging so much on the third day that Satan hadn’t noticed the stone rolling away from the entrance of the tomb. One of the devils had to get Satan’s attention to point out the mighty angels standing by the tomb. Suddenly, a bright light appeared at the door entrance.
“No! It can’t be!” Satan exclaimed.
But yes, it was Jesus, the Lion from the Tribe of Judah. The son of David. The Holy One of GOD. The chosen one. The Christ, the son of the living GOD has risen with all power.
“Checkmate!”
“Game over.”
G. Edward Wyche