On the cross, Jesus rescued you from the power of darkness.
You know the power darkness has, right? You’ve experienced time and again how it can drag you into gratifying your flesh, trample you, and leave you stuffed full of food but empty and ashamed. And this power of darkness cannot be broken by education, resolutions, diets, vows, or promises to do better.
There is only one thing that breaks the power of darkness: the greater power of the cross.
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV)
As Jesus Christ hung on the cross, intense darkness came over the whole land; it lasted from noon to 3:00 PM (Luke 23:44). It was midnight at midday! Deuteronomy 28:29 was fulfilled in Jesus that day: “At midday, you will grope about like a blind person in the dark.” Jesus had entered our condition and assumed our sin and so was covered in darkness as a garment.
But why did He do that? He did it to rescue you!
Like a firefighter who rushes into a burning building to rescue someone trapped, so Jesus entered the darkness of sin to rescue you and bring you out.
When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, your rescue was complete; you were brought into the light, and now you are to live as a child of light. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)” (Ephesians 5:8-9).
Question 3. Jesus Christ entered the darkness and died on the cross to rescue me from the power of darkness, and I am now free!
On the cross, Jesus redeemed you from the curse of the Law.
Deuteronomy 28:15-68 spells out all the curses that come with sin. But if you read it carefully, you will see it is a perfect description of Jesus on the cross. Take a moment and read through it, and you’ll see what I mean.
Look at Jesus on the cross, what do you see? You see Jesus being cursed by God in your place. He is even wearing a crown of thorns, the sign of a cursed earth (Genesis 3:18). When Jesus hung on the cross, He was cursed in your place so that you might receive His blessing. As He rose from the dead, He blessed you with His Holy Spirit.
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)