Breath of Power - Week 15/04

Week 15: April 5 - 11, 2004

WHEN HE DIED

Key Passage: Luke 23: 44 - 47

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’" Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"

The death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary seemed an anti-climax. He lived the greatest life for a man on earth. But there he was hanging lifeless between heaven and earth. Satan seemed to have prevailed. But that was not the end of the story.

Satan must have put in everything he could to destroy Jesus. The 3½-year ministry of Jesus brought the greatest terror and humiliation Hell had ever suffered. Jesus preached in the power of the Holy Spirit. He brought salvation to souls who were once doomed to eternal condemnation, healed those afflicted with various sicknesses and diseases and delivered those under Satan’s yoke of bondage. Satan did everything to stop him. He tempted him to destroy him. He opposed him from every side and orchestrated plots to arrest and kill him, but failed.

Then the occasion arose, and he thought he had gotten all he needed to destroy the Son of God. He got one of His disciples to betray Him, got the elites and religious authority to arrest and falsely accuse him, got the Roman authorities to condemn him, and got the Jewish crowd to denounce him and demand the release of a murderer in His stead. He seemed powerless and helpless as he hung on the Calvary tree. There, he cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt 27:46). He commended His spirit to Father God and breathed His last.

His death seemed a tragedy. Darkness seemed to have prevailed over light; the glory of God seemed to have been violated; and man’s last enemy, death, seemed to have prevailed over the Son of Man. But on the third day of His death, Jesus arose from the grave, and reversed every verdict of Hell over Him and over all mankind. The Scripture says, “None of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinth 2:8). His death became the greatest victory of light over darkness. It revealed the awesome power and the manifold wisdom of God. It exposed the powerlessness and the foolishness of Hell. Mankind became reconciled with God through the blood of atonement that Jesus shed; Satan, the ancient conqueror of man was thus destroyed and mankind was freed from his captivity (Heb 2:14-15). The verdict of Calvary was clear: Satan had lost, never to win again.

We must all love, honor and adore Jesus for his great sacrifice for us. We must all surrender our lives in worship and service to Him who died that we may live.

Written by – Evangelist Oguazi Onyemobi



Home Table of Contents 2003 2004 2005 2006 January '04 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 February '04 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 March '04 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 April '04 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 May '04 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 June '04 Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Week 26 July '04 Week 27 Week 28 Week 29 Week 30 Week 31 August Week 32 Week 33 Week 34 Week 35 September '04 Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40 October '04 Week 41 Week 42 Week 43 Week 44 November '04 Week 45 Week 46 Week 47 Week 48 December '04 Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Week 53	Breath of Power A Weekly Devotional of Jesus Power Outreach Ministries
	Week 15: April 5 - 11, 2004 WHEN HE DIED Key Passage: Luke 23: 44 - 47 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’" Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" The death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary seemed an anti-climax. He lived the greatest life for a man on earth. But there he was hanging lifeless between heaven and earth. Satan seemed to have prevailed. But that was not the end of the story. Satan must have put in everything he could to destroy Jesus. The 3½-year ministry of Jesus brought the greatest terror and humiliation Hell had ever suffered. Jesus preached in the power of the Holy Spirit. He brought salvation to souls who were once doomed to eternal condemnation, healed those afflicted with various sicknesses and diseases and delivered those under Satan’s yoke of bondage. Satan did everything to stop him. He tempted him to destroy him. He opposed him from every side and orchestrated plots to arrest and kill him, but failed. Then the occasion arose, and he thought he had gotten all he needed to destroy the Son of God. He got one of His disciples to betray Him, got the elites and religious authority to arrest and falsely accuse him, got the Roman authorities to condemn him, and got the Jewish crowd to denounce him and demand the release of a murderer in His stead. He seemed powerless and helpless as he hung on the Calvary tree. There, he cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt 27:46). He commended His spirit to Father God and breathed His last. His death seemed a tragedy. Darkness seemed to have prevailed over light; the glory of God seemed to have been violated; and man’s last enemy, death, seemed to have prevailed over the Son of Man. But on the third day of His death, Jesus arose from the grave, and reversed every verdict of Hell over Him and over all mankind. The Scripture says, “None of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinth 2:8). His death became the greatest victory of light over darkness. It revealed the awesome power and the manifold wisdom of God. It exposed the powerlessness and the foolishness of Hell. Mankind became reconciled with God through the blood of atonement that Jesus shed; Satan, the ancient conqueror of man was thus destroyed and mankind was freed from his captivity (Heb 2:14-15). The verdict of Calvary was clear: Satan had lost, never to win again. We must all love, honor and adore Jesus for his great sacrifice for us. We must all surrender our lives in worship and service to Him who died that we may live. Written by – Evangelist Oguazi Onyemobi

Home \| About the Ministry \| Breath of Power \| Ministries \| Fully Armored Intercessor Evangelist's Itinerary \| Links \| Contact Us \| Relationship with God \| Bible Search Copyright © Jesus Power Outreach Ministries Inc., Lagos Nigeria