Local Radar

How the Opposition Viewed Easter

By: Dr. Skip Myers
web posted April 10, 2006
Edgefielddaily.com columnist

Have you ever considered Easter from Satan’s point of view? His diary entry might look something like this:

Friday,
There was the anguishing cry of a Son abandoned by His Father, “Father, why have you forsaken Me?”  Strangely enough, those words brought me no peace at all--for at the moment He spoke those words all of hell shook—something changed.  But worry soon gave way to relief as He breathed His last and died.  I had won again!  I had swallowed up the Son in the greatest penalty suffered in history, death.  It was over, finished and I reveled in the joy of my victory!

The sealing of the tomb seemed to seal my victory.  And yet, something was wrong.  In heaven, there was an eerie absence of mourning.  It was more of a quiet sense of confidence, of anticipation.  I shrugged it off as being nothing more than the quiet anticipation of the return of a Son who had failed in whatever mission He had been sent to perform. 

Saturday,
Suddenly, all of heaven broke loose in hell.  I stepped out of my throne room only to see my demons on their knees, bowing their heads to a cloaked figure coming towards me.  The closer it came, the more I felt myself being pulled to the ground by a power I had not felt for centuries.  I fought with everything I had to remain on my feet but fell to my knees as I demanded to know the meaning of this intrusion.  As the cloaked figure removed His hood, terror gripped me.  It was Him, the Son!  But He was dead; He was defeated; He was a failure.  He held out his nail-scarred hand and spoke only two words, “The keys.” 

Surrender the keys to my kingdom, never.  But I had no choice, my shaking hand gave Him the keys to my kingdom.  He turned without another word and left.

Go ahead, take the keys I don’t need them anyway.  This is my kingdom and as long as death reigns supreme on the earth I will reign with it.  I will always rule the realm of death.  And it is in that realm the Son now lived.  He had died; I had seen it and He was finished!

Sunday,
I was still reeling from the encounter with Jesus.  I heard another agonizing cry ring throughout the catacombs of hell.  I stepped out into a blinding light.  There was no light in hell!!  Then I realized it was coming from heaven.  But it just wasn’t light, it was power, it was His power being unleashed like never before.  I had witnessed His power during the days of creation but even that was nothing compared to what was being demonstrated now.  But why?

The tomb!  I screamed in terror as I rushed towards the garden.  But as I approached, I was abruptly stopped by the archangel himself, Michael.  What was he doing here?  I was forced to watch helplessly as the stone was rolled away and the light seen in heaven now surrounded the entrance to the tomb.  My immediate thought was that the Father had come to claim the body of His Son and the multitude of angels surrounding the tomb were to form the funeral procession.  But then a figure appeared at the entrance to the tomb.  It was the same cloaked figure I had bowed down to the day before.  The Son of God was alive!  The angels applauded and the light from heaven formed a spotlight upon the Son as He came forth from the grave. 

Then I understood.  Death was the key to my kingdom and now because of the resurrection, He held the key.  My kingdom’s power was defeated.  I had stood by while the Father won salvation for humanity through the life of His Son. 

As I turned to walk away and formulate my next move, Michael just stood there looking at me as he held a large chain in his hand.  Finally, he said, “Lucifer, it’s not over yet.  We’ll meet again soon.”

Easter is about victory. A victory we are invited to share in through faith in Jesus Christ. Hear the words, accept the reality, and share the victory: “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  He is not here, but He has risen.”

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