April 14: The Great Exorcism: Christ’s Victory Over Satan, Sin, and Death
♫ Music:
Day 41 - Monday, April 14
Title: The Great Exorcism: Christ’s Victory Over Satan, Sin, and Death
Scripture #1: John 12:31–32 (NKJV)
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Scripture #2: John 14:30–31 (NKJV)
“For the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do.”
Scripture #3: Hebrews 2:14–18 (NKJV)
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Poetry & Poet:
“Ikon: The Harrowing of Hell”
by Denise Levertov
Down through the tomb's inward arch
He has shouldered out into Limbo
to gather them, dazed, from dreamless slumber:
the merciful dead, the prophets,
the innocents just His own age and those
unnumbered others waiting here
unaware, in an endless void He is ending
now, stooping to tug at their hands,
to pull them from their sarcophagi,
dazzled, almost unwilling. Didmas,
neighbor in death, Golgotha dust
still streaked on the dried sweat of his body
no one had washed and anointed, is here,
for sequence is not known in Limbo;
the promise, given from cross to cross
at noon, arches beyond sunset and dawn.
All these He will swiftly lead
to the Paradise road: they are safe.
That done, there must take place that struggle
no human presumes to picture:
living, dying, descending to rescue the just
from shadow, were lesser travails
than this: to break
through earth and stone of the faithless world
back to the cold sepulchre, tearstained
stifling shroud; to break from them
back into breath and heartbeat, and walk
the world again, closed into days and weeks again,
wounds of His anguish open, and Spirit
streaming through every cell of flesh
so that if mortal sight could bear
to perceive it, it would be seen
His mortal flesh was lit from within, now,
and aching for home. He must return,
first, in Divine patience, and know
hunger again, and give
to humble friends the joy
of giving Him food—fish and a honeycomb.
THE GREAT EXORCISM: CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER SATAN, SIN, AND DEATH
“Hallelujah for the cross!” is today’s anthem.
To our ears, this proclamation doesn’t confuse or disturb us because we’re familiar with this kind of expression. It’s in a dialect we Christians know well. To an unbeliever it may sound a little strange, but it’s still the kind of thing people would expect a true believer to say. To someone in the first century, though, such a statement would have been met with profound confusion, even derision. Only a fool would ever sing praise to the gods or God for the cross!
Years ago in Rome, I saw the earliest known depiction of Jesus on the cross, the Alexamenos Graffito. On a small piece of plaster, crudely etched, there is on a cross a man’s body with the head of a donkey. Beside this figure, another man pays homage to the crucified one. A scrawled text reads, “Alexamenos worships his god.” It’s an insult, a joke, a cheap shot at a follower of Jesus meant to laugh away the very basis of the Christian faith—a crucified man.
The Apostle Paul anticipates just this kind of mockery in 1 Corinthians: “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” How can a man who undergoes the most shameful and degrading form of execution be anyone’s God?
Thankfully, the Apostle John and the author of Hebrews give us answers. The ruler of this world, Satan, with his weapon, the fear of death, “has no claim” on Jesus. When Jesus willingly submitted himself to death, he demonstrated his own great power over death and thereby undermined the one who wielded death’s power against us. He destroyed death and disarmed the enemy from the inside out! And that, which on the surface looked like grim defeat, was actually the great inversion on full display. Jesus, lifted up in condemnation, was drawing all people to himself in reconciliation. And what of our ancient enemy? He was “cast out.”
In Gustave Doré’s painting, we see Jesus’ victory powerfully portrayed. Christ Jesus, after his crucifixion, descends upon every false god, every pagan delusion, and every tyrannical regime set against the just reign of God. Bathed in light divine and surrounded by the host of heaven, Jesus comes to overthrow all the powers of darkness and dethrone Satan. Notice the crown tumbling down at the bottom of the image. What does Jesus hold out boldly as the standard and symbol of his victory? The cross! The cross, as if to say, “by this I have conquered.”
He overturned the ruler of this dark world, with all his lies and fearmongering. He rescued us from the condemnation of death, the just wages of our sin. He opened what poet Denise Levertov calls the “Paradise Road” to all who trust him. And he did all this through the cross.
Hallelujah for the Cross? Absolutely.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, may we never lose sight of what Jesus accomplished through the cross. May we never shy away from what you love simply because the world deems it foolish. May our words and actions reflect the same self-sacrificial love of Jesus. Help us see the vain promises of this world as nothing more than the debunked lies of our defeated enemy and lead us on to life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Dominic Vincent
Director of Extensions and Online Education
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Art:
The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism
Gustave Doré
1868
Oil on canvas
300 x 200 cm
The Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Collection
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Ontario, Canada
Artist Gustave Doré’s monumental painting represents Christ's victory over pagan gods. The painting is rich in religious and mythological themes and symbols. At the top, Christ is depicted holding a cross, symbolizing His crucifixion and victory over sin and death. Below Christ, the archangel Michael is shown leading the charge of a heavenly host army against the forces of paganism and polytheism. The illustration features various pagan gods and mythological figures, including Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus, Helios, and Orpheus. Each of these figures represents different aspects of ancient polytheistic religions. At the bottom of the illustration, Satan and other demonic figures are depicted. They symbolize the forces of evil and darkness that are being vanquished by the light of Christianity. Various symbolic and mythological creatures, such as the Sacred Bull and the Winged Lion and Ram, are also included at the bottom.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1950-0311-13
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Triumph_Of_Christianity_Over_Paganism.Gustave_Dor%C3%A9.jpg
About the Artist:
Gustave Doré (1832–1883) is considered one of the most successful and prolific illustrators of the late nineteenth century. A French artist, printmaker, illustrator, and sculptor who primarily worked with wood engraving, he began his career at the age of fifteen as a caricaturist for the French paper Le Journal Pour Rire and obtained a number of commissions to illustrate scenes from books by writers such as Balzac, Byron, Milton, Poe, and Dante. Doré also created epic canvases, enormous sculptures, numerous etchings, and watercolors, but his production as an illustrator remains unmatched in its scope and ambition. His achievements as an illustrator brought him tremendous public praise and critical acclaim, and his work helped shape the world of today’s comic books and graphic novels.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustave-Dore
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/103KYT
About the Music: “Hallelujah for the Cross” from the album Vital Worship: Songs for the Living King
Lyrics:
Up to the hill of Calvary
My savior went courageously.
And there he bled and died for me.
Hallelujah for the cross.
And on that day the world was changed.
A final, perfect lamb was slain.
Let earth and heaven now proclaim.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah for the war he fought.
Love has won, death has lost.
Hallelujah for the souls he bought.
Hallelujah for the cross.
What good I've done could never save,
My debt too great for deeds to pay.
But God, my Savior, made a way.
Hallelujah for the cross.
A slave to sin, my life was bound,
But all my chains fell to the ground,
When Jesus’ blood came flowing down.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah for the war he fought.
Love has won, death has lost.
Hallelujah for the souls he bought.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
And when I breathe my final breath,
I'll have no need to fear that rest,
This hope will guide me into death.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah for the war he fought.
Love has won, death has lost.
Hallelujah for the souls he bought.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hallelujah for the war he fought.
Love has won, death has lost.
Hallelujah for the souls he bought.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah for the cross.
Hallelujah for the cross.
About the Composers: Todd Edgar Wright, Ross Sullivan King, and Brandon Todd Wright
Ross Sullivan King is an American Christian worship leader and singer-songwriter who has written over two hundred songs which have been recorded by over one hundred different artists and/or organizations. King has released eight albums selling over forty thousand copies.
https://www.invubu.com/music/show/artist/Ross-King.html
https://evanweppler.com/2015/05/25/20-years-of-ross-king-the-early-years/
Todd Edgar Wright is an American music composer, songwriter, and producer from the Washington, D.C. area. Todd has collaborated with artists such as Celine Dion, Johnny Hallyday, Butch Walker, Toby Lightman, Lucy Woodward, Audra Mae, and numerous Korean pop stars, including VIXX and Luna. In addition to Wright's domestic and international chart success, he is credited with many song placements in both television and film.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=106190898750230&id=101321892570464&set=a.106189898750330&locale=km_KH
https://penmusic.com/toddwright
About the Composer/Performer:
Brandon Todd Wright has been a singer and songwriter in Christian music industry since 2008. He has released numerous albums and has been a worship leader for thirty-plus years.
https://soundbetter.com/profiles/532564-brandontoddwright#
About the Poetry and Poet:
Denise Levertov (1923–1997) was educated entirely at home and claimed to have decided to become a writer at the age of five. When she was twelve, she sent some of her poetry to T. S. Eliot, who responded by encouraging her to continue writing. At age seventeen, she had her first poem published in Poetry Quarterly. Her poems of the 1950s won her widespread recognition and her book With Eyes at the Back of Our Heads (1959) established her as one of the great American poets. Levertov went on to publish more than twenty volumes of poetry, and was also the author of four books of prose. Levertov’s conversion to Christianity in 1984 was the impetus for her religious poetry. In 1997, she brought together thirty-eight poems from seven of her earlier volumes in The Stream & the Sapphire, a collection intended, as Levertov explains in the foreword to the collection, to "trace my slow movement from agnosticism to Christian faith, a movement incorporating much doubt and questioning as well as affirmation."
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/denise-levertov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Levertov
About the Devotion Writer:
Dominic Vincent
Director of Extensions and Online Education
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
Dominic Vincent serves the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University by directing extension and online programs and coordinating external partnerships. He and his family gratefully worship and serve at Redeemer Church in La Mirada, California.