The cross is the revelation of God’s self-giving, radically forgiving

and co-suffering love. It is also a decisive victory over Satan, sin and
death

VICTORY OVER SATAN:

It is important for us to always remember that on the cross, Satan has

been cast out; he has been defeated. He was stripped naked and was
publicly humiliated through our Lord’s triumph on the cross

Col. 2:14-15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was

against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers,
he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

John 16:11 …prince of this world is judged

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil;

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him (devil) by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives
unto the death.

We can safely conclude that Satan had been defeated.

 VICTORY OVER SIN:

Christ absorbed the sin of the whole World and recycled it in

forgiveness instead of vengeance. He bore on His body on the cross
all the sins of the whole world and made a decisive victory over it.

2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our
sins; and in him is no sin.

1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed.

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are
not under law but under grace.(NRSV)

We can also conclude that sin had been decisively and brutally
defeated by the cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

VICTORY OVER DEATH – Hebrew 2:15

Everything that made up the early Church, prayers, worships and

teachings was all about the victory over death, and they actually
used this element of the gospel to form absolute fearlessness in the
face of death.

The major deal about humanity’s problems is fear, especially fear of

death. That is the reason why people are selfish, that is why they
behave immorally, that is the reason they commit murder.
Modern day Christians needs to see how free the early days
Christians were fearless especially in face of death and how death
meant nothing to them (See Phil. 1:21)

Death is really not a thing anymore, we shouldn’t even dignify it

with that name ‘death’, we should just call it ‘sleep’ (Dan. 12:2, John
11:11-14, 1 Thess. 4:15-17, John 5:28-29) or ‘departing’ (Gen. 35:18,
Phil. 1:23-25).

Death has been broken, this changed everything. Hell, death and
Satan were defeated by our Lord. Hallelujah!

DEATH AND HADES BEFORE PASSION WEEK OF CHRIST

Before the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, before He
mounted that cross to decisively conquer death in His cross, before
He stepped down into the grave, hades (hell) to deal with these
enemies and hold the keys (Rev 1:18), what was death like to the
people? Even the people of God in Old Testament as we will see have
little or no hope until Christ crossed the chasm. In Old Testament
they called the place sheol. They have little or no understanding of
afterlife, they don’t seemed to have uniform definition of sheol.
Let us do a quick survey of what they had in mind

In Jewish sheol, The dead continue after a fashion their earthly life.
Jacob would mourn there (Gen. 37:35, 42:38); David abides there in
peace (I Kings 2:6); the warriors have their weapons with them
(Ezek. 32:27), yet they are mere shadows (Isa. 14:9, 26:14; Ps. 88:5,
A.V. “a man that hath no strength”). The dead merely exist without
knowledge or feeling (Job 14:13; Eccl. 9:5). Silence reigns supreme;
and oblivion is the lot of them that enter therein (Ps. 88:13, 94:17;
Eccl. 9:10). Hence it is known also as “Dumah,” the abode of silence
(Ps. 6:6, 30:10, 94:17); and there God is not praised ( Isa. 38:18). Still,
on certain extraordinary occasions the dwellers in Sheol are
credited with the gift of making known their feelings of rejoicing at
the downfall of the enemy (Isa. 14:9-11). Sleep is their usual lot (Jer.
51:39; Isa. 26:14; Job 14:12). Sheol is a horrible, dreary, dark,
disorderly land (Job 10:21,22); yet it is the appointed house for all
the living ( Job 30:23). Return from Sheol is not expected (II Sam.
12:23; Job 7:9,10; 10:21; 14:7; 16:22); it is described as man’s eternal
house (Eccl. 12:5). It is “dust” (Ps. 30:10; hence in the Shemoneh
‘Esreh , in benediction No. 2., the dead are described as “sleepers in
the dust”).

From their descriptions, you see they are guessing, they have more
than one picture; but whatever it looks like after death, it is not
good, it is dark, silent, dreary and dusty, they didn’t want to go
their but everyone goes there.

They really don’t know about heaven in Old Testament, they do

have hope for something better. For example David said God won’t
leave his soul in hell (Sheol).

Later they have an understanding that sheol (place of dead) were

divided into two compartment: the fiery place and the bosom of
Abraham. Better part and worse part but all are sheol (interpreted
hell by KJV)

Many modern Christians have formed their idea of dead and

beyond by dogmatically quoting Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:(KJV)

Hmmn, They have explained this as a deadline after which there is

no hope of grace for anymore (we will come back to that thought
later). Jesus picked the Jewish tradition and use the same picture to
explain hades (greek interpretation of sheol).

Hades means prison you can’t escape from with chasm that cannot
be crossed. See Luke 16:19-31.

Please note that this parable is not the punchline of death and
afterlife experience; death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the
punchline of death and afterlife.

We must rebuke any reading and interpretation of Hades as this

permanent fixture as if Christ never crossed the chasm, never
bound the strong man, never plunder his goods, as if Christ never
enter hades and finally holds its keys now and forever.
If you can preach rich man and Lazarus and you don’t remember
that Christ went there and overcame it and came back and stand
with the keys, then shame on you.

Stop putting people in bondage with it. We need to show people

that they are free from the power of hell and the fear of death. No
one is potentially destined for hell, because Christ died for all
because He loves all. If you don’t want people out of hell, then your
heart is made of iron and iron is not needed in heaven.

Let us ponder on these questions; in light of the resurrection, is death

the great and insurmountable show-stopper?
Is death God’s limit for love, grace and mercy (Jer. 31:3)?

Must the mercy and grace that endures forever and ever (Psalm 136;
Eph 2:7) unto ages of ages be aborted because of death?

Is lovingkindness that is everlasting impotent over the grave?

I think the answer is a resounding NO!

So what is the testimony of the Scriptures?

What did they say about the victory of Christ over death and hades?

So what is the testimony of the Scriptures?

The early Christians began the reading of the Old Testament

differently, they read it christo-tellos-ly or christologically that is
scriptural promises and prophesies were all fulfilled in Christ.

That is the way they read the Old Testament scriptures after the
resurrection; after all that is how Jesus started reading in Luke 24.
Luke 24:26-27 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to
enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets,
he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself.

They read Scriptures now with Jesus on (2 Cor. 3:14,18) and so

should we.
Let us see some Old Testaments:

Song of Solomon 8:6

Set me like a seal upon your heart (Jesus), like a seal upon your arm;
for love is as strong as death, jealousy is as hard and cruel as Sheol
(the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement
flame [the very flame of the Lord]!(AMP) emphasis added by me
There is a flame of love that overwhelms and outshines the flames of
Sheol-Hades.

Psalms 107:10-16 (ASV)

10 ¶ Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound

in affliction and iron,

11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned

the counsel of the Most High:

12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell

down, and there was none to help.

13 Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saved them
out of their distresses.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And

brake their bonds in sunder.

15 Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And

for his wonderful works to the children of men!
 16 For he hath broken the gates of brass, And cut the bars of iron in
sunder.

Everybody knows that this Psalm is a prophesy of the death and

resurrection of Jesus. Think Jesus, think hades, think conquest, think
victory over death.

The New Testament teaching of Psalm 107:10-16 is that Jesus did

this in His conquest of hades. Many people actually sing the song
without thinking deeply who is it about.

See this picture of dramatic entrance of Christ into hades:

Psalm 24:7-10 (ASV)

7 ¶ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lifted up, ye
everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in.

8 Who is the King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah

mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting

doors: And the King of glory will come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of

glory. [Selah]

In Eastern Orthodox Church they act Psalm 24 like drama on

Pascha service and when they finally entered they sing:
Christ is risen from the death

Trampling down death by death

And upon those in the tomb restoring life

What a lovely celebration of Jesus victory over death.

Isaiah 25:6-9

6 ¶ And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all
people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things
full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast
over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe
away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he
take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

9 ¶ And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have
waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited
for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Hosea 13:14 From the hand of Sheol I do ransom them, From death I
redeem them, Where is thy plague, O death? Where thy destruction,
O Sheol? Repentance is hid from Mine eyes. NKJV.
I like this rhyme version;

I will deliver them out of the hand of Sheol,

I will redeem them from death,

Oh death, I will be your death,

Oh Hell, I will be your bite,

Comfort is hidden from your eyes.

It is as if Christ was terrifying death itself saying, “I am coming.”

Lastly from the Old Testament let us see Zech. 9:11

As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I will send forth thy
prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. (Darby)

What about New Testament witnesses:

Ephesians 4:8-10

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led

captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first

into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above

all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
1 Pet. 3:18-20

18 ¶ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering

of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

1 Pet. 4:6

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are
dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but
live according to God in the spirit.

Notice that the same language used for the resurrection of Jesus in 1
Pet 3:18 is the same used as live according to God in the spirit for
the dead to which Christ preached to.

Jesus did not preached to the old covenant saints in the prison, they
were already assumed to be in the bossom of Abraham (good place
in hades) but to the guys in prison (the worst part of hades) 1 Pet
3:20 said they were disobedient while they were alive.

I believed Judas and King Saul of Old Testament if they were

among the disobedient could have had another opportunity; His
mercy endures unto all ages. Hallelujah! I think also that Jesus died
for them too, all of them. If you believed they are still in hell, well
you have right to believe what you want. I chose to believe with
Peter to say they will be made alive unto God.

Hebrews 2:14

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself

likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might
destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
(NRSV)

After He accomplished the victory in the realm of death and hell,

He was raised from the death.

Acts 2:24

But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no
match for him.(MSG)

Revelation 1:18

I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.(KJV)

With these evidences, we can say that that Christ won a decisive
victory over death, Hades and even hell.

That is why the early believers were bold and fearless in the face of
temptation and death. Holy Spirit really granted them revelation
into the vicarious victory of Christ on man’s behalf.

You are eternally secured in Christ. Amen.