Day 26: Victory in Christ
1 Corinthians 15:57
When I was 10 my rabbit died. These things happen. It definitely made me emotional at the time, our 6 year friendship was cut far too short.
Through some random circumstances I came across the burial site of Titchy (the rabbit) some years later. Fairly intrigued I opened the black bin bag (they are right, they don’t decompose very quickly) and sure enough, She was there. I closed the bag and reburied her somewhere else, until the next time I’d need to dig her up. It’s been at least 4 times now due to Dad’s determination to build on sacred burial sites.
My first observation of seeing Titchy after 10 years was the same observation I had when she went in the ground, she’s very dead. I don’t know whether rabbits make it into Heaven, I have no theology for that but as far as I can see, Titchy was most definitely defeated by death.
Possibly the worst Segway ever but…. where Titchy and many others failed, Jesus most definitely didn’t. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:54 that death has been swallowed up in Victory! This is an incredible truth.
Paul goes on to explain just some of what the resurrection of Jesus means for us today. Death has been defeated and in verse 57 he writes:
1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter only comes once a year, and maybe we are guilty of not dwelling on this enough but here goes.
We had messed up
We were separated from God through sin
The payment of that sin was death.
God sends Jesus to earth to die for us, paying in full the debt of our sin.
Jesus didn’t just die for us, he actually defeated death once and for all. The debt of sin is paid in full.
We are victorious in Him.
The best news ever. Through Jesus we have victory over sin and death. I don’t know about you, but reading that really challenges me to live in that victory, and definitely not to take it for granted. You have victory over the mess in your life, over old mindsets, patterns of behaviour, negative thoughts, repetitive self abuse. Make a fresh choice today to walk freely in that victory and release yourself from the chains that Jesus tore off you when He died in your place.
Today is a new day. Love chain-less in victory.
Ed Winbow
Campus Pastor, Penrith