Burial

Receiving God’s Amazing Grace by Relating with Him through the Lord’s Appointed Times of Unleavened Bread

TRUTH AND PURPOSE

The LORD was buried after being crucified, but something miraculous was going on during the three days His body lay in the tomb.  Ephesians 4:7-11 discusses how He descended (into hell), then ascended to lead “captivity captive.”

RELEVANCE

His spirit, therefore, descended into hell where he battled with the devil, and led the forces of darkness which had held mankind into captivity into their own captivity.  In addition, as Revelation 1:18 records, He took the keys of hell and death—Satan’s authority, away from him; therefore absolving him from his authority over mankind. As Scripture says, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” (Colossians 2:14-15 NLT)

Satan had won a position of spiritual authority over mankind when Adam and Eve believed the lie of the serpent (the devil personified) and disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. His forces of darkness were given authority to keep people in bondage and spiritually dead in sin. The LORD won back that authority, granting freedom to those who receive His love and victory over the penalties of sin. We therefore have opportunity to bury the mistakes of the past and walk in the new life of the Spirit He has promised by walking in His light by faith. 

Believers, therefore, benefit from His authority over the power of sin and death. Those who have not put their faith in the LORD have not appropriated His authority over the devil, leaving them under the jurisdiction of the powers of darkness. 

REFLECTION, REALITY AND RESPONSE

Do you understand how the LORD defeated the devil, and made a way of escape from the bondage of hell for you? 

Have you fully received His exchange for your sins and attempts to justify yourself?

Are there things in your life—attitudes, ways, habits, values, material possessions—you may need to “bury” and put behind you so you can receive God’s grace and advance forward?

REFERENCES

Colossians 2:8-23; Romans 8:2

© 2006-10 Arise in Glory Ministries.   All rights reserved worldwide.


Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked JNT taken from the Jewish New Testament. Copyright © 1979 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. Scriptures marked NLT are taken from New Living Translation Holy Bible, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.