Total Victory In Christ

"Total Victory in Jesus"

Text: Matt. 26:36-46

Matt. 27:26-34

Matt. 28:1-10 & Eph. 4:7-10

Leslie B. Flynn told a story that illustrates a great truth. An orphaned boy was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drain pipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town’s wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as they talked, the lad’s eyes remained focused on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his hand from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe. With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man’s neck and held on for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. Those marred hands had settled the issue. And so it is with Jesus. His nail-pierced hands remind us that he has rescued us from sin and its deadly consequences.

I thank God today for the nail-scarred hands that fought the battle for you and that we might be free from the awful penalty of sin...

When Jesus Christ won the battle, He did it fully and completely..

You may be here today walking in defeat, but my Bible says that "we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" and we need not be in defeat as we live our lives...

Christ won the victory over every aspect that you and I battle with as human beings in our Soul, Flesh and our Spirit...

For us to be victorious in our lives, Christ first had to gain victory in every one of these areas while He was here on earth 2,000 years ago...

Every human being created by God has been destined to walk in victory because of the sinless blood that was spilled on Calvary’s cross, and the resurrected body that arose on Easter Sunday...

First, we’re going to see that Christ had

Victory over...

I. THE SOUL AT GETHSEMANE (Matt. 26:36-46)

The Soul of every man is the seat of our emotions...

It is where we "feel" emotional pain, or emotional joy...

It is where we feel joy, rejection, depression, anger, happiness, excitement, and all the other areas associated with emotional feeling...

It is the part of us that knows and understands all of these things...

But most important, it is where our Will is found as well...

Your decision to reject or accept Christ as your Savior is made in your soul

Jesus echoed the feelings of the soul when He said in vs. 38... "My soul is exceeding sorrowful"

As He went back to his disciples and found them sleeping after he had asked them to watch with Him, no doubt He felt the loneliness that accompanies the trial ahead that must be faced alone...

There are times when no matter what words of support or encouragement comes from our loved ones, there is still the loneliness of facing trials seemingly all alone...

Here were the men who had been with Him day after day, not even able to hold their eyes open with the Master on the brink of death...

He knew in His mind what lie ahead in the Cup of Suffering, and battled with His will as any man would facing suffering... Yet He prayed, not my will, but thine be done!

What lie in that cup of suffering?

Pain, suffering, battling the demons of Hell, the tear-stained face of His mother, Mary who loved Him, the look of bewilderment and confusion on the disciples faces who still expected a different kingdom...

There was a part of Jesus searching for another way, but He knew there was no other way...

The betrayal with a kiss by Judas to come, one of His own disciples no doubt was looked at with sorrow as well...

Jesus first had to fight the battle in His soul, and commit His life to the cross and beyond, here in the Garden...

Every emotional feeling of pain, he felt, and gained victory over it, by staying focused on what lie beyond the cross...

Are you bearing some hurt today emotionally? Jesus felt what you feel, and cares...

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.