Paul the apostle desired
that the Colossian church members know who Jesus was and what He did
for them. He told the Colossians they were “circumcised”
spiritually, buried with Jesus through baptism, made alive again by
His resurrection, and all the “handwriting of ordinances”
against them were “blotted out” and nailed to the cross upon
which Jesus suffered and died. In chapter two and verse fifteen of
his letter to the Colossians, Paul shows how Jesus defeated the
spiritual “principalities and powers” which were against
the Colossians where we read:
he made a show of them
openly, triumphing over them in it.
The verse begins, “And
having spoiled principalities and powers,” Paul
begins with the phrase “having spoiled”
which means “to wholly put off from one's self, to strip off
for one's self (for one's own advantage), despoil, or disarm”
“principalities” which
means “beginning, origin, the person or thing that
commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader, that by
which anything begins to be, the origin, or the active cause” “and
powers” or “ones who have rule, choice, liberty or
authority”. These “principalities and powers” were the
ruling representatives of the kingdom of darkness which came against
Jesus and who thought they were victorious over Him upon the cross.
Even Satan himself thought the cross was the end of Jesus, however
Jesus “spoiled”, despoiled and disarmed his futile attempt
to eliminate Him.
The verse goes on to say, “he
made a show of them openly,” Rather
than defeating Jesus, Jesus “made a show of them”
or “made and showed as an example” these “principalities
and powers” who were against Him
“openly” which means “freely, unreserved,
frankly, without concealment, without ambiguity or circumlocution;
free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness and
assurance”. Jesus “openly” defeated the plot of those
who were not only against Him, but also against everyone whom those
“principalities and powers” desired to destroy.
Finally
the verse says, “triumphing over them in it.” In addition
to making a “show of them openly”, Jesus was also
“triumphing over” or “having causative force or victory
over” “them in it”. Though the cross was meant by
“principalities and powers” to be that which defeated
Jesus, it became the pinnacle and symbol of Jesus' triumph and
victory over Satan and his foes. The Greek word for “triumph”
is “thriambeuĊ”
and by implication means “to celebrate over, rejoice over, and have
festivities over”, and Paul wanted the Colossians to know there was
great cause to celebrate what Jesus did for them on the cross.
When we take the time to
meditate upon these words, perhaps our minds will imagine the forces,
“principalities and powers”, which were against Jesus, and
no matter how large that force of beings was or how powerful they
were, Jesus made an example of and triumphed over them. Jesus' power
is ultimate, and when we realize He exercised it not only that these
“principalities and powers” would be defeated in His life,
but also in ours, we cannot help but bow our heads and our lives to
His All-Powerful mightiness. As the old hymn says, “All hail the
power of Jesus' name, let angels prostrate fall”, and may we
join in their worship as we are only beginning to understand what He
did for our salvation.
Next
time Paul writes about laws for eating and drinking,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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