The Victor

What determines a victory? A better score? A favorable outcome? Defeating the enemy? In our day and age, we don’t see much of the latter. The enemy is often an unclear description. But in the days that have long passed, the enemy was clearly defined. Battle after battle has been fought throughout history and, generally speaking, there is a one side that emerges victorious. Maybe that’s where you find yourself today. Battling day after day against something that you can’t define. Something that continues to press against you. Maybe you feel the strain of it as you move through the weeks. Maybe you’re in need of some kind of victory to change the course for you. To turn the tides of the battle into your favor. Or for a hero to fight for us when we can’t anymore. For the believer, we have that champion. And the reality is, the battle is already won and we know the victor. The author of Hebrews writes it this way:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up (Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT).

Our champion is Jesus, who endured the cross because of a joy that awaited Him, and us. But how can that be so? Pastor and theology professor Geoff Holsclaw explained that in this verse joy refers to the fact that Christ was able to share with us, as believers, the delight experienced eternally within the Trinity. Through Him, we experience the joy that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share in one another’s presence. Because of this, Jesus was willing to endure the physical and spiritual agony of crucifixion (Brad Baurain, The Triumph of the Cross). Our champion has initiated the faith that we have. He perfects it within us through the Holy Spirit so that we can be connected to our Heavenly Father. We still face troubles and trials. There are days that we struggle, for sure. But the Good News today is that the battle is already over. The victory belongs to Jesus because of the cross. However, the cross in Jesus’ day was not a religious symbol, but a tool for executing criminals. God’s purpose for the crucifixion was thus a well-hidden mystery. If “the rulers of this age,” both human and demonic, had understood, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). When Jesus died on the cross, they thought He’d failed and they’d won, but the reverse was true (Brad Baurain, The Triumph of the Cross)! Think about that, the world and the enemy believed they had won. That the mission of Jesus failed, but the reverse is true! Jesus emerged from the battle victorious! He is our great champion, who endured the worst, so that we might live. Whatever we face today, know that we have a champion on our side. There's power in the mighty name of Jesus. Every war He wages He will win. I'm not backing down from any giant 'cause I know how this story ends. Yes, I know how this story ends. I'm gonna see a victory (Elevation Worship, See a Victory).