Victory over Death

That day is celebrated in may countries around Europe every year. They remember that their great enemy was defeated, and the continent was set free from the German threat.

For them it is worth looking back to their victory 79 years ago and remembering what was won, what was secured. They celebrate their deliverance and freedom.

We do something similar here today, but turned up to 11. We look back to celebrate a great victory over an enemy of the whole human race. We celebrate Jesus’ Victory over Death.

Recap: Jesus is our Passover Lamb

Lamb Had to Die, and the blood cause the wrath to Passover

Our Lamb Had to die, and he will cause God’s wrath to Passover us.

But it is one thing to have escaped imminent destruction, it is another thing altogether to find full life.

Israel didn’t just need to be saved from the wrath of God, they needed to be brought out from their slavery. They needed to go from death to life.

Death for God’s Enemy

That very night of the Passover, every house that did not have blood on the lintel suffered loss.

That very night Pharaoh released the captives, he sent them away.

That very night Israel left their homes and started their journey to the promised land.

They began their long march with nothing but what they could carry. God lead them out of their bondage, their slavery by a pillar of cloud and fire.

They came to the red sea, and camped on the shore.

But, everything seemed to take a turn. It looked like things were about to fall apart: Their enslaver Pharaoh changed his mind, and decided to chase down Israel to recapture them.

So there they were, these newly freed slaves, with their back to the sea and the army of Egypt bearing down on them.

But the Lord did not lead them out of slavery so that they might simple be recaptured.

Now, in the Bible the sea (oceans) have connotations that we do not share in our modern worldview. Before the invention of ships that could travel great distances across the water, the sea was perceived as a dangerous and chaotic. It was linked to judgement and death. You see that across the Bible. Keep that in mind as we continue the story...

Israel on the shores of the red sea feared for their lives as the ensuing army bore down on them. But the Lord would keep his people from their enemy!

Exodus 14:21–22 ESV

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

The Lord opened up a way through the water. The LORD opened up a path through that symbol of death and judgement so that they might pass through on dry ground!

The people miraculously passed through safely on dry ground without incident. God does not abandon his people! The Lord Saves!

Then all the kings horses and all the kings men decided to shake their fists at God again:

Exodus 14:23 ESV

The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Their arrogance knew no bounds! They tried to use the path of salvation to pursue God’s people! But God is not mocked. He will defeat every enemy and save his people!.

Exodus 14:28–29 ESV

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

The enemy was defeated. In the midst of the sea they suffered death. The earth swallowed them.

Gods people passed through the waters and came out unscathed, but the enemy of God, Pharaoh and his army were destroyed in the midst of the waters.

And the people of God do the only thing you can do when you see God’s mighty salvation: They sing!

Exodus 15:5–7 ESV

The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

They saw how God defeated their enemy by pouring out His wrath.

They saw how this victory meant that they could go be with God!

The saw how they had been redeemed from slavery and death!

Exodus 15:13 ESV

“You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

Friends, this salvation for ancient Israel prefigures what Christ would do many years later. But Christ’s victory would dwarf the defeat of Pharaoh and his army!

Death Defeated

Christ’s victory was greater, but it snuck up on us. Jesus came into the world the first time not as a glorious general riding on a magnificent horse and residing in a grand palace.

Instead he came as a human child to a poor family in a rural backwater.

Most of his life was lived in obscurity as a regular working man.

But then when he was around 30 years old, he began his campaign to free the captives and defeat the enemy.

Who were the captives he would fight for? The same as those who were trapped in Egypt - God’s people. Who is the enemy? The evil axis: Satan, Sin & Death.

Christ came casting out Satan's demons, he came proclaiming imminent victory, he came undoing the effects of sin & death by healing diseases and disabilities.

Then he set his face toward Jerusalem, and marched there to do battle against our foes. He went as a man standing alone, our champion who would fight on our behalf.

This man walked into God’s temple and started turning over tables, he drove out the corrupt businessmen making a profit off worship in the place of worship.

But, everything seemed to take a turn. It looked like things were about to fall apart.

Satan inspired a betreyal of Jesus, they arrested Jesus, they tortured him, they put him on trial. He was sentenced to death.

So there he was with his back against the wall.

To the outsider all looked lost, with society’s elite condemning him to death, with the weight of the Roman army on hand to ensure the sentence is carried out. Satan’s conspiracy looked like it was working.

But instead of trying to flee, instead of making a last stand, instead of giving up and giving in, Jesus turned and face the the choppy chaotic waters of death and walked straight in.

Suffering a horrible execution he submitted to the punishment, gave up his spirit and went into the grave.

Christ plunged beneath the earth in death...

But it was as though He passed through on dry ground!

Death was no barrier to him, just as the Red Sea was no barrier to him when he went before Israel as a pillar of fire and cloud.

It looked like Satan was bearing down on Christ to capture him, but Jesus passed through like it was nothing. In fact, depending on how you read this verse, it looks like Jesus had enough time to go and remind his previously defeated enemies that he had won:

1 Peter 3:18–20 (ESV)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey...

Jesus died on Passover night like the Passover lamb before him, then he entered the grave and Sabbath-ed. He rested on Saturday like a good Jew. And then he heralded a new week, and new age, and new era by returning from death on Sunday morning!

Death had no hold on Him!

He rose up in victory over the grave!

Death was no enemy for him! He defeated death by the Spirit of God who rose him up in life!

And he defeated Satan while he was at it! He

What are the implications of this?

Death Disarmed

We were enslaved by sin and death - born in sin, from Adam down.

Satan deceived us into sin, sin gives birth to death. We have been seduced into condemnation.

We were trapped, like Israel.

But, in Christ now for you, death is disarmed! He made a way though!

Jesus triumphed over the powers of darkness. He paid for sin, he made atonement for your sin, he was your substitute on the cross, and he disarmed our enemies.

Colossians 2:13–15 ESV

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

He disarmed the demons, the enemies of God, he disarmed Satan, he disarmed every godless human ruler of this world. He disarmed the effects of sin and it’s natural consequence death.

Christ was the first of the people to triumph over death. It is as through we stand on the Red Sea, with the wall of water on either side, and Jesus ran through on the dry ground.

He stands on the other side, smiling and waving saying

Christ leads his people through the waters of death and judgement with feet on dry ground.

Now for us death holds no power, it is merely a rest stop on the way to life in paradise, in our promised land!

1 Corinthians 15:54–55 ESV

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

What have you to fear of death?

Will you take up the attitude of the martyrs?

Death Destroyed

We still suffer the effects of death, but death will soon be completely put away.

Christ will come again, next time he will come in Glory

1 Corinthians 15:26 ESV

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

So What?

What should we do in light of What Christ has done?

Find the Death Killer and life Giver Jesus! Follow him into death in baptism!

Praise God! Celebrate the Victory Day!

Rest in the victory!

Don’t fear the toothless dragon!

Be steadfast in the face of death.

Labour like you will live forever!

O death where is your sting?

Grave where is your victory?

Christ has come and cast you down,

And you shall rule no more.

Christ has come to overcome,

Christ is made our king,

He shall reign forevermore,

Reign over everything.

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