The Empty Cross

I have a dramatic sermon that I like to preach around this time of year that describes many of the events and their meanings that surround the cross of Christ.  Over the years I have honed the scriptural points and theatrical delivery of the oration.  It began as a simple object lesson for elementary age children, was upgraded for the Youth Ministry, and then expanded to a complete sermon for adult congregations. In the address I vividly picture my interpretation of Jesus’ immediate activities after His physical death on the cross.  I describe His being tossed about and left chained in a dark, dingy corner within the devil’s lair, while demons tauntingly dance around Him.  Then just as those days and nights seem like they might never end, we flash up to the throne room of our mighty God, Who suddenly stands in the midst of the hushed hosts of heaven and loudly declares “It is over!”  Above the roar of the crowd that begins to emanate from the room, He waves His right arm and dispatches the armies of angels led by the power of the Holy Spirit to go and take the gates of hell, capture the enemy forces and gain the everlasting release of His precious son.

The following scene complete with the widespread panic and fear that spreads throughout the devil’s strongholds as the tangible force of the Father’s verbal decree literally shakes the foundations of the dark, followed by the lightning quick actions of the angelic forces as they overrun the demoniacs defenses, along with Jesus’ bold entrance into the inner sanctum of the devil, where He strips from him the ownership of the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:8), brings to the audience the stark and dramatic revelation of what Jesus has done for us at His now empty cross.

The recent popularity of stories that involve the actions of covert teams of military operatives in the movies, on TV and in books has helped to keep the freshness and current relevance of my story in the eyes and ears of the listeners.  About a month ago though, I had a revelation that changed my insight and the script of this sermon.

It actually came to me as my wife and I were watching an old episode of the 1980’s TV hit “The A Team!”  In the show, the A Team has been hired to deal with a rich cattle baron who is illegally rounding up wild Mustangs, and shipping them off to a dog food factory in Mexico.  In one scene near the beginning of the two hour special, the boss is talking to his foreman just after the A Team has made their initial humiliating attack on the unsuspecting bad guys.  While not knowing exactly who they are facing, the boss tells his hired hand that he is not so concerned if the American Indian who hired the A Team has just brought in a bunch of gun toting “Ya Who’s”.  He said we can handle them, but that the real concern was if the good guy had brought in “legal” help in order to prove that they were taking actions that were against the law.  If that was the case, they would have no leg to stand on, and would have to quite their illegal operations and yield to the consequences of the law.

At that statement in this comical, cheesy program, the light went on inside of me concerning Jesus’ victory over the devil.  His victory was not the result of a quick and decisive military action.  It was a highly planned (from before the beginning of time, with types and shadows of it described throughout the Old Testament) and unquestionable legal move that has resulted in eternal implications for all of mankind!

When it came down to the redemption of mankind, there was only way to take the authority that the devil had received from Adam, as a consequence of his rebellious act in the garden of Eden.  Legally, a sinless man had to sacrifice his blood in order to release the human race from all the statues of judgments that was held against them.  Jesus, God incarnate, was the ONLY one who could accomplish this task.  His birth through a young virgin who was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit insured a blood line untainted by sin.  While the priests in the Old Testament had to offer yearly sacrifices, first to cover their own sins, and second to cover the sins of the people, Jesus’ sacrifice was a one time event that took away sin forever.  Roman 6:10 says that “When he died, he died once and for all to sins power.”  (Gods Word ©)  That one perfect sacrifice legally took away the sin problem and enabled man the path to God while extending the offer of eternal life.

Now, I didn’t have to change the script of my sermon too drastically.  Colossians 2:15 says “on that cross, Christ freed himself from the powers of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.”  (Gods Word ©) Robertson’s Word Pictures likens this activity to the triumphal processions of victorious Roman generals who paraded their captives through the streets.  The devil and his cohorts were whipped and they knew it as Jesus publicly marched them through the streets of their hometown! 

I still talk about the angelic armies coming to Jesus’ rescue, and the defeat of the enemy forces.  The major rewrite comes in the final victory scene when Jesus placed the legal document proclaiming the cancellation of man’s" unfavorable debts with its binding rules that were done away with at the cross" (Colossians 2:14 Gods Word ©) into the trembling hands of the cowering devil.  It wasn't by the sword, but by the everlasting binding legalities won in the courtroom of the universe.  At that point, Satan had no other recourse but to cease and desist and yield to the consequences of the law of the tribune of Heaven…  And I can see Jesus walking away from the smoldering ruins of the kingdom of darkness, making a similar comment as Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith of the A Team always said at the end of each show… “I love it when a plan comes together!” 

The cross is now empty.  At the cross, the strangle hold that the enemy of our souls had over us was ended, and our new life with Christ began!   Have a blessed and victorious Easter celebration as you consider all that Jesus accomplished for you!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”