ADVENT'S MISSION: DESTRUCTION !

The Reasons For Jesus 3 Seasons

He Came.  He Comes Into Available Hearts and Lives.

  He Will Come Again.

The Reason The Son of God Appeared

 Was To Destroy The Devil's Work.
1 John 3:8

          More times than not people seem to think of Jesus coming into this world under some very mild and picturesque terms:  He came as a little baby.  He came during a time when the angels sang. He came while shepherds were simply watching their sheep. Sometime after this, we have a picture of 3 wise men who came bearing gifts.  But then we can see that the evil One really did not want this to happen.  

     For Satan this simply would not do.  So his earthly emissary, Herod, set out to kill Jesus.  Why? Well for earthly reasons he felt threatened.  He felt this newborn King my take his throne away. But the spiritual forces of evil had other reasons for not wanting Jesus to have His seasons.  Until Jesus time this thief came "to steal, kill and destroy." However, Jesus put a conjunction on this. He followed, "But I have come that you may have life and have life completely." (John 10:10)  And so it was His mission to destroy the works of the Devil.

     Yes, I know that some of you reading this don't believe in the Devil.  Well Jesus believed in him, and He knew that upon reaching planet earth, He had a battle on His hands. Notice that our passage does NOT say that "A" reason that Jesus came was ...  John was VERY specific.  He said it was "THE reason that the Son of God appeared." 

          I can almost hear people saying, "I thought Jesus came to save His people from their sins."  Yup! You are exactly right.  He did indeed come to save people from their sins, and saving people from their sins is one of the accomplishments of Jesus that destroyed the Devil's work.  An ancient prophecy gives us a little more information about what this "destroying" Satan's work means.  "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.  His punishment that brought us peace was placed upon Him.  And by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

          Let's break this down a bit.  Being wounded for our transgressions means He suffered injuries because of our law breaking.  If you break a law you may just get injured.  Just run a red light at the wrong time and you will see what I mean. His wounds spiritually heal us from our breaking God's law. So He destroys the Devil's work. You may recall that Jesus was bruised.  Those bruises had a purpose.  They came to address the impact of our iniquities.  Iniquities can also be defined as premeditated sins. It's one thing to break a law as a form of sin, but it's seems to be a bit more vicious and evil when a person ruminates, thinks about or plans actions that amount to sin. Jesus substituted His injuries for those radical injuries of premeditation. 

         Still too you will remember Jesus was definitely punished.  The prophet is clear that Jesus punishment had and has the positive impact of the Prince of Peace bringing us a genuine peace that is nothing like the world can give. Again, Satan's work of trying to give us the spirit of fear is replaced by The Christ with power love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Jesus might say it like this. Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you, and it is not like the peace the world gives.  It is the kind of peace that will empower you to not let your heart be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27) Once again, the Devil's work is destroyed.  His fear tactics are thrown back in his face on behalf of Christ-Followers who believe God's promises and act on them by faith.

          One last thing: The prophet says, "By His stripes we are healed."  Jesus had all the whip lashes of the torturous experience that lead from Gethsemane to Golgotha.  Before it was over, according to ancient wisdom, He was hardly recognizable. In God's economy,  there is immediate and clear earthly healing, and there is the eternal healing where there is no more suffering, no more pain, no more sickness,  no more shame, no more dying and no more tears.  In other words the latter is fulfilled in Heaven or in the time when God's Kingdom has fully come. I have actually experienced and seen miracles of present day healing of the human body.  I have been amazed at God doing what only God can do via the stripes Jesus received. At the same time, I have seen, through the eyes of faith, the hope of the dying Saint being demonstrated with joy in their eyes,  as they glimpse their first view of heaven. I have watched a dying saint literally light up a room as a sign to her mother she was in heaven. I have seen something special happen to Christ-Follower's faces when looking through the heavenly portals to the next life as their body gives way to it's death. Once again. Satan loses.  His work is completely destroyed.

          One last thing.  Because Jesus  did indeed destroy the Devil's work, He gives us the authority given Him after defeating Satan.  In James it is explained this way: "Submit yourself to God, resist the Devil and he has to flee." You see, once Jesus conquered Hell, death and the grave, He made it clear that, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me."  In Colossians 2:10-11, Paul tells us that we are "complete in Him who is the head of all authority and power." So, in all actuality, that old "the devil made me do it" is a lie. The Devil does not have that kind of authority over a child of God who knows who they are in Christ.  You and I have the authority and power to armor up each day (Ephesians 6:10-20.) We have the authority to surrender to Christ and move the Devil and his lies out of our way.  The Advent of Jesus coming, especially into our hearts and lives, gives us Victory over the darkness because the destruction of Satan's work enables us to have resurrection power for living every single day.

Practice Using The Authority Christ Jesus Gives You, And Then...

Be Blessed 2day

Especially Today.

SoJourner