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How Christ’s Death Defeated Satan
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With intense interest heaven and the unfallen worlds followed
the closing scenes of the conflict. They heard His bitter cry, “Fa-
ther, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.”
Matthew 26:39
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They saw Him sorrowful with a bitterness exceeding that of the last
great struggle with death. The bloody sweat was forced from His
pores, and thrice the prayer for deliverance was wrung from His
lips. Heaven could no longer endure the sight, and a messenger of
comfort was sent to the Son of God.
Earth the Stage, Heaven the Audience
Heaven beheld the Victim betrayed and with violence hurried
from one tribunal to another. It heard the sneers of His persecutors
and the denial with cursing by one of His disciples. It saw the
Saviour dragged to and fro from palace to judgment hall, arraigned
twice before the priests, twice before the Sanhedrin, twice before
Pilate, and once before Herod, mocked, scourged, condemned, and
led out to be crucified.
Heaven viewed with amazement Christ hanging on the cross,
blood flowing from His wounded temples, His hands, His feet. The
wounds gaped as the weight of His body dragged on His hands. His
soul panted under the burden of the sins of the world. All heaven was
filled with wonder when Christ prayed in the midst of His terrible
suffering, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23:34
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The powers of darkness around the cross cast the hellish shadow
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of unbelief into the hearts of men. Satanic agencies led the people
to believe Christ the chief of sinners and to make Him the object of
detestation. Those who mocked Christ were imbued with the spirit
of the first great rebel. He inspired their taunts. But by all this he
gained nothing.
Had Christ in one particular yielded to Satan to escape the terrible
torture, the enemy would have triumphed. Christ bowed His head
and died, but He held fast His faith. “And I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of
our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Revelation 12:10
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