THE INVINCIBLE JESUS

April 5

Bible Reading: John 14:28-31

John 14:30, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.”

Superman’s exploits are legendary.  He is: “Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” There is seemingly nothing that Superman can’t do!  But Superman is vulnerable.  Expose him to Kryptonite, and Superman will quickly lose his superpowers.

Sin is man’s kryptonite.  It is the chief tool in the Adversary’s arsenal whereby he works his murderous plots.  Since “all have sinned” all our vulnerable (Romans 3:23).  And since all have sinned, all stand deserving of God’s wrath in judgment (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27).  Though the “ruler of this world” had “no claim on (Jesus)” (John 14:30), he has had a claim on every other human before and since.

Enter Jesus. The Son sent by the Father on His divine rescue plan.  Unlike the rest of us, Jesus had no sin in Him and never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22)!  Time and time again, the Adversary plotted against Jesus.  Through Pharaoh, he attempted to kill all the male sons of Israel (Exodus 1:16).  He inspired Haman in his failed attempt to eliminate all the Jews (Esther 3:6).  Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, attempted to wipe out all the male heirs of the tribe of Judah, the tribe through which the Messiah would come (2 Chronicles 22:10).  Herod sought to murder Jesus by killing all the male children in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  Satan tempted Jesus three times at the beginning of His ministry.  Everywhere Jesus went, demons confronted him.  Devil inspired men conspired against Him.  But still He never sinned.  And then, in obedience to the Father, He worked to put sin to death when He died on the cross (1 John 2:2).  Then He rose victorious from the dead (Colossians 2:15). In Jesus, Satan found no vulnerability, no weakness, no place whereby he could gain a foothold.

Jesus’ triumph at the cross is a triumph for every person who trusts in Him.  Romans 8:34-35 puts it this way: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” 

Because the Devil had no claim on Jesus, he holds no claim against those who trust in Him and His finished work on the cross.

VICTORY IN JESUS
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.

Refrain
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing pow’r revealing.
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,”
And somehow Jesus came and bro’t
To me the victory. [Refrain]

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory. [Refrain]