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    The GoodLion Podcast

    Jesus' Death: His Worst Failure, or Greatest Victory? - (Classic GoodLion Episode)

    Mon Jul 03 2023
    Jesus' deathcrossvictorydefeatChristianity
    1. Jesus' Death: Failure or Victory?
    2. The Cross: Defeat and Victory
    3. The Cross: God's Victory
    4. Living in Light of the Cross

    This episode explores whether Jesus' death on the cross was a failure or a victory. It discusses how the symbol of defeat became a symbol of victory in Christianity and how Jesus' death was part of God's plan. The episode also highlights the power of the cross in defeating sin and death and calls Christians to live in light of the cross. Overall, it emphasizes the significance of Jesus' death on the cross as a symbol of victory over spiritual forces of wickedness and a testimony to God's love for sinners.

    Jesus' Death: Failure or Victory?

    00:00 - 07:47

    • The question being explored is whether Jesus' death was his greatest failure or his greatest victory.
    • Wavy Cowper, pastor of Calvary Limerick in Ireland, disagrees with the idea that Jesus' death caused problems for Christians.
    • In Jesus' time, many people expected the Messiah to come in victory and overthrow the Roman Empire.
    • When Jesus was arrested and crucified, his disciples fell into despair, but later embraced the cross as a symbol of hope.
    • Thomas Fretwell, Christian apologist, explores how the symbol of defeat became a symbol of victory in Christianity.
    • He references Colossians 2:15 which describes Jesus triumphing over evil forces and making them captives in his procession.
    • Fretwell compares this to the Roman practice of parading defeated captives after a victory.

    The Cross: Defeat and Victory

    07:28 - 15:47

    • In Jesus, God did what a Roman general would do at the end of a triumphal procession.
    • The cross was Jesus taking the dark forces captive and parading them around.
    • Paul, formerly known as Saul, saw Jesus's death on the cross as an utter failure until he encountered Jesus for himself.
    • Paul considered everything else in his life worthless compared to knowing Jesus Christ.
    • Jesus's death on the cross is both awful and beautiful at the same time.
    • By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus took the punishment for sins and destroyed Satan's plan to destroy humanity.
    • To those with a non-biblical worldview, Jesus's death may seem like a failure, but to those with a biblical worldview, it is not.
    • Death is described as a defeated enemy because we know one who has power over death.
    • Even our death is not the end of the story; we have promises of resurrection and eternal life with Him in a new heavens and new earth.

    The Cross: God's Victory

    15:17 - 22:52

    • Jesus' death was planned before time and always part of God's plan.
    • Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, there are prophecies about the Messiah coming as a suffering servant.
    • Isaiah wrote about the Messiah being despised, rejected, and pierced for our transgressions.
    • God predicted in the Garden of Eden that a descendant of Eve would crush Satan's head but be wounded in the process.
    • Peter affirmed that Jesus' death was part of God's definite plan and foreknowledge.
    • The cross is seen as a failure by humans but is actually God's victory shown in Jesus' resurrection and exaltation.
    • The cross evokes passionate responses and represents a spiritual battle.
    • Through the cross of Jesus Christ, we have victory over Satan's bondage.
    • Jesus loves us so much that he confronts the false gods that promise freedom and offers true redemption.
    • The devil hates the cross because it disarmed him and took away the power of death.
    • The cross stands as a symbol of victory over spiritual forces of wickedness and testifies to God's love for sinners.

    Living in Light of the Cross

    22:35 - 27:30

    • The cross stands as a symbol of victory over spiritual forces of wickedness and a testimony to God's love for sinners.
    • The goal of preaching and teaching the gospel message is to encounter Jesus at the foot of the cross, leading unbelievers to know Him as Savior and believers to draw closer to Him.
    • The power is not in the symbol of the cross, but in the reality of the cross rooted in real history.
    • The crucifixion on the cross changed everything, inspiring people worldwide to do radical things.
    • Christians are called to pick up their cross and follow Jesus, laying down their own dreams and desires for God's desire for their lives.
    • Trusting in God's goodness seen in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection leads us to make difficult but worthwhile decisions that benefit not only ourselves but also our families, friends, enemies, and creation itself.
    • Taking up our cross means living a life of prayer, service, community with others, obedience to the Spirit, and experiencing abundant life with God and one another.
    • In Jesus' death on the cross, he defeated sin and death through his resurrection. It was not a defeat but an exercise of power as the rightful king of this world.
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