Christ The Victor! (Part 2)

I am continuing my sharing with you what I am learning from the Lenten study 24 Hours That Changed The World by Adam Hamilton.

“The disciples were radically changed, empowered, emboldened and filled with HOPE as a result of their encounter with the resurrected Christ.”

1. Substitutionary in that Jesus suffered and died in place of all who would trust in Him as Savior.
2. Moral influence; in that we are changed.
3. A sacrificial offering

“It holds that the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ must be taken together as a powerful word from God announcing God’s victory over the powers of evil and over the sin that alienates us from God. They are God’s triumph over death, which we, by faith, share…

Just when all seemed to be lost, Jesus arose; and in his resurrection he dealt a finishing blow to the forces of evil, sin, and death. Christ became the Victor. With his victory all humankind was offered the opportunity to join forces with him: to be set free from the power of evil, sin and death; and to live lives of HOPE, freedom and love.

Human beings still must choose to side with him. They are not forced to leave their enslavement to sin and death. The battle between good and evil will continue until Christ’s return, but his death and resurrection dealt a decisive blow to the forces of evil and demonstrated the ultimate victory of God over it…

In all three areas–his message, his identity, and his death on the cross–Jesus’ resurrection vindicated everything he said, everything he did and everything he was and is…

The power of Easter, and with it the Christus Victor theory of the Atonement, can be summarized in one word: HOPE. HOPE is the sense that things will work out, that despite difficult circumstances and painful situations that might lead to despair, something good is around the bend. It is something we cannot live without. Dr. Jerome Groopman, who hold a chair in medicine at Harvard, notes is his book, ‘The Anatomy of HOPE,‘ HOPE gives us the courage to confront our circumstances and the capacity to surmount them. For all my patients, HOPE, true HOPE, has proved as important as any medication I might prescribe or any procedure I might perform.’ This is what the story of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection brings to us…

Knowing that Jesus will have the final word gives us courage when we face the problems of our times. That knowledge does not call us to hide in a room. It does not lead us to bury our heads and say we do not care about the problems we face. Of course we care about what is happening in our world, and because of the Resurrection we are able to face those things with HOPE and great courage.”