“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14&15

In Genesis 2:17, God cursed humanity for their sin in the Garden of Eden, saying, “You will surely die.” Romans 6:23 confirms that “the wages of sin is death.” Put in the proper perspective, the Fall stripped humanity of their once abundant and joyous existence, leaving them empty and inadequate, with death casting a dark shadow over all aspects of life. However, Christ defeated Satan and death on behalf of helpless sinners at the Cross, offering hope and redemption to humanity.

According to our text (Hebrews 2:14&15), the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were not just events in history but purposeful and restorative acts. Jesus, by choosing to become mortal and sacrificing Himself, aimed to “break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil.” The text speaks to the belief that the devil had some level of authority or influence because of sin and death, and Jesus’ death was a direct challenge to this power. By dying and rising again, Jesus demonstrated that He had conquered death and sin and restored life to humanity.

As the Psalmist and other Old Testament prophets predicted, the Messiah overcame death. God did not abandon Him to the realm of the dead, nor was He allowed to see decay (Psalm 16:10). He swallowed up death forever. The Sovereign LORD wiped away the tears from all humanity’s faces (Isaiah 25:8), delivered humankind from the power of the grave, and redeemed them from death. Saying: Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” (Hosea 13:14; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:54–55).

When Christ conquered death, He removed the “sting of death,” which is sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) -that is, God will not judge us according to our sins; instead, we will stand before God robed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. That is why believers in Christ “will not be hurt at all by the second death” (Revelation 2:11), and “the second death has no power over them” (Revelation 20:6). Christ has received our death penalty for sin and through His resurrection has conquered death (Revelation 20:14).

The resurrection of Jesus marks the first time someone rose from the dead and remained alive forever. This sets Jesus apart from others who were also resurrected but eventually died again. By triumphing over death through His resurrection, Jesus became the ultimate conqueror. As the Holy Son of God, He defeated death and gained sovereignty over it. Peter acknowledged this in Acts 2:24, stating that death could not hold Him. In Revelation 1:18, the risen Christ declared Himself the Living One, once dead but now alive forever and ever. He holds the keys to death and Hades, which symbolise authority.

As Christians, Christ’s resurrection holds immense and everlasting significance for us. Without His resurrection, we would have no hope, and abundant life would have eluded us eternally. Paul opined, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). As fellow conquerors with Him, we too have passed from death to life, standing firm on Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25–26). This is the abundant life we are focusing on in this address.

The Abundant Life, made possible through Christ’s resurrection, is the goal of every Christian. It is a life not determined by material possessions, wealth, or power but by the joy and blessings of living a life pleasing to God. This abundant life begins with a new birth and relationship with God. The significance of Christ’s resurrection is emphasised by Jesus John 10:10 to bring back the lost sense of abundance. In John 10:10, He says: “...I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” An abundant life is full of purpose, meaning, and fulfilment that is only achievable through a close relationship with God.

We, too, can partake of this glorious benefit of Christ’s resurrection by yielding to Jesus’ invitation. He says: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (John 5:24&25) The ability to give life resides in Christ. Come to Him today and live.

May God quicken us from every dead situation.

Have a blessed week!