Greatest mistake of the devil: Crucifying Jesus
If the devil was aware of what would happen after crucifying Jesus, he would not have ventured into it. But unfortunately for him, he never knew of the glorious manifestation of God's purpose for humanity through the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection.
"None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8). The employees of the devil and their master did not understand that their kingdom was going to be depopulated if they crucify Jesus because the blood they planned to shed had the capacity to defeat sin. Through His son's death on the cross, God dealt with every person's sin. Jesus stood in the gap for every individual in the world on the cross and released forgiveness to everyone who receives Him.
Jesus took the punishment of our sins on the cross. We were all guilty as charged and the penalties were hanging upon our necks. We were all supposed to be crucified.
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The devil and his cohorts did not understand that the barrier that was created between God and man in the Garden of Eden would be broken through the cross. When the agenda of the cross was fulfilled, the curtain in the temple got torn, giving man access into the sanctum-sanctorum.
"But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility" (Ephesians 2:13-16 NIV).
It is important to note that the cross did not only reconcile man with God, it also broke all racial barriers between man and man. In Christ, there is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles, between the blacks and the whites. As we soberly reflect on the significance of Easter, let us repent of racial prejudice and hostility. No man has the right to divide the races that Christ has united through His precious blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
Justice demands that there must be shedding of blood before any sin is remitted. The blood of Jesus was shed to fulfill this legal demand and free all men. The crucifixion of Jesus on the cross provides a defense for us whenever we are accused by the devil. We are made to understand that Satan visits heaven regularly to accuse the brethren (Revelation12:10). He is the prosecutor who wants to make sure that we are sentenced for our sins, but each time he raises a case, the blood of Jesus speaks.
In the court of heaven, God is the righteous judge, we are the defendants (accused), Jesus is the defender (lawyer), and the devil is the prosecutor (accuser). Whenever the prosecutor presses his charges with enough evidence to nail us, Jesus arises and pleads before the righteous judge reminding Him of His death on the cross. Based on the cross and the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, the legal requirements for our discharge are met and Justice is done. The judge declares us innocent, discharged, and acquitted. On the cross, the prosecutor has lost all the cases and does not have any legal right to press further charges against us. We overcame him by the blood of the lamb and with the word of our testimony. Justice was satisfied and unmerited favor was released.
As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, let us be mindful of what God has done for us by the death of his son Jesus. We are saved to work for the salvation of others and we can reciprocate what Christ has done for us by taking the Gospel and love of Christ to those who have not heard about Him. Have a great Easter celebration and always remember the reason for the season.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
