IN HIM: The Greatest Rescue
On July 4, 1976, the day the US celebrated
its 200th birthday, an Israeli expatriate took a phone call that would change
his life. A student in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he went by the name Ben Nitay,
an Americanized version of his original name. On the phone was his younger
brother, calling with grave news. It concerned their older brother Yonatan, or
Yoni. At 30 years old, ruggedly handsome and newly installed as the head of
Israel's elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit, Yoni, in the early hours of that
day, led a
raid to rescue more than 100 Israeli hostages held at Entebbe,
Uganda.
The rescue mission had been astonishing, and
the hostages were free. The leader on the ground, Yoni, had been killed in
action. Their brother was dead. Ben Nitay, born Binyamin
Netanyahu, drove seven hours to Cornell University in
Ithaca, New York, where his father taught. The 26-year-old was determined to
break the news to his parents himself. "I could see my father pacing back
and forth. And all of a sudden, he turned his head and saw me. He looked
surprised but immediately understood and let out a sharp cry.
The family flew in virtual silence from the
US to Israel for the funeral of the son and brother who
had already been garlanded as a military hero and was now about to enter the
national mythology. The Netanyahu name would take its place in the Israeli
pantheon and, in the process, open up a path that would take young Binyamin to
the top of Israeli politics."[1]
Over two thousand years ago, another son and brother, a young Jewish man of 33,
offered his life to pull off the Greatest Rescue in human history. The Apostle
Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, writes about how that recuse mission was
unfolded. In Him: The Greatest Rescue. Colossians 1:9-14
We continue our "In Him" series from the book of Colossians, exploring the incredible spiritual
blessings found in Christ for all who believe in Him. Today, we will learn
about The Greatest Rescue Mission in Christ and how that impacts our daily
Christian life.
To understand the gravity of the rescue
mission and appreciate its benefits, we must consider the perilous place we
once lived in and the safety we will enjoy eternally.
Colossians 1:13-14, "For he has rescued
us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he
loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." NIV. NASB reads,
"For He rescued us from
the domain (authority) of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom
of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
These verses inform us that God conducted a
significant rescue operation at some point, delivering people from the dominion
of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. The NLT reads, "For he
has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom
of his dear Son." This translation suggests that there are two
kingdoms—one of Satan's and the other of God's. God is the only King we have
with an enduring Kingdom. All Satan has a dominion, or "power and
authority." Let's examine the dominion of darkness and its influence.
I. The Dominion of Darkness
During my preaching, you have likely heard me
discuss God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Satan repeatedly. But did you know
that a lot of Churches and Christians reject the reality of Satan?
Barna Group research in 2008 notes, "Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that
Satan is not a living being but is a symbol of evil."[2]
In the 1995 film Usual Suspects, Kevin Spacey says, "The greatest trick
the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," Why this
confusion? What does the Bible say about Satan? Let's explore.
Consider the following scriptures that
explain the origin and fall of Satan. Isaiah 14:12-15 indicates Satan was
created as a holy angel. Ezekiel
28:12-14 describes Satan as having been made a cherub,
apparently the highest created angel. He became arrogant in his beauty and
status, wanting to sit on a throne above God (Isaiah
14:13-14; Ezekiel
28:15).
How did Satan fall from his high position? It
was Satan's pride that led to his fall. Notice the many "I will"
statements in Isaiah
14:12-15. Because of his sin, God
permanently removed Satan from his exalted position and role. Though he was
cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above God. He
counterfeits all that God does to gain the worship of the world and encourage
opposition to God's Kingdom. Satan is the ultimate source behind every false
cult, world religion, and system. He will do anything to oppose God and those
who follow Him.
Satan wages war against God
and God’s people in the spiritual realm. This is how Paul describes this
Spiritual Warfare: Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.” Satan influences the systems and governments of the world
through his evil agenda to commit evil against God and people.
He will have dominion or
power over the disobedient at an individual level. Eph 2:1-2, “And you were
dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” Under his control,
people commit sins by engaging in acts of darkness. (Rom 13:12-13). All of us
once were disobedient to God and walked in darkness (John 12:35), not knowing
where we were going. We were all subjected to the wrath of God and were in
danger of eternal destruction. Who would deliver us from the domain of
darkness? God, being rich in mercy, conducted the greatest rescue because of
his great love for us. Eph 2:4.
II. In Him: The Greatest Rescue
Colossians 1:13, “For he has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness.” This is the greatest rescue operation that God ever
conducted to deliver people from the power and authority of Satan. This rescue
did not happen without bloodshed. It took the life of God’s only beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, who died on the cross. Through his blood, he paid the penalty for
our sins. Gal 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a
curse for us.”
Paul never wants believers to forget who was
behind this greatest rescue, saying, “In Christ, we have redemption and the
forgiveness of sins.” Where are we transferred to once we are rescued from the
dominion of darkness? Into the Kingdom of Light, of God’s beloved Son.
III. The Kingdom of God's beloved Son
Vs. 13, “For he has rescued us from the
domain of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves.” This
is where all the believers in Christ live today, while we are still alive in
this world. When we die, we will live in His eternal Kingdom when he
establishes it on the second return of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Jesus
becomes our true King, and we become the citizens of His enduring Kingdom. What
is God’s Kingdom like? It reflects its King.
It is the Kingdom of Light, where no darkness
or evil will exist. It is the Kingdom of Love, where there is no fear and
hatred. It is the Kingdom of righteousness and justice, and injustice has no
place. It is the Kingdom of Peace; unrest and anxiety will not exist.
It is the Kingdom of Joy, where sadness and
sorrow will flee. It is the Kingdom of eternal life and health. Sickness and
death are dealt with once and for all. That is the kind of Kingdom that Jesus
taught us to pray when he said, “Let Your Kingdom Come.” That is the Kingdom
Jesus preached about and commissioned us to preach. Matthew 24:14. As
the citizens of God’s loving Kingdom, let us enjoy its benefits now. However,
as heavenly citizens, let us work hard
to lead as many people as possible to believe in our eternal King, Jesus
Christ.
