Dwayne Wedderburn | Jesus Christ Our Redeemer

Prior to man's creation, salvation's plan was complete. God knew that man would have sinned and decided to be our saviour. The decision was made by Him long before creation, that Jesus Christ would become man, enter into our sinful world, and become the perfect sacrifice to meet the righteous demand of God, the ransom required for sin.

In God's first conversation with Adam and Eve after they sinned, He signalled strongly His predestined solution to send Jesus to defeat Satan and redeem man. After issuing the punishment for sin to Adam and Eve and outline the punishing curses, He declared His solution to our dilemma. He declared that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. The battle was immediately set in array between Jesus and Satan for man's eternal destiny.

God indeed announced the outcome of the battle celebrating victory as He indicated that Satan's head would be crushed, subjected permanently to defeat, residing always in a crushed state under the heels of Jesus.

Miraculously Jesus entered the womb of the Virgin Mary defying the biological laws of human conception, having no earthly father, thus disqualifying Himself from man's sinful inheritance. At His birth, a great stir began in the heavens, angels echoed praises announcing His birth. Simultaneously an unrest sparked in the palace of Herod. Satan entered Herod's heart giving him the mandate to kill Jesus. His attempt failed, after killing all males two years old and younger, Jesus was not to be numbered among the dead. However, He was ushered by angelic direction to Joseph outside of Herod's jurisdiction into the safety of Egypt. He lived a sinless life.

RESISTED TEMPTATION

After fasting for 40 days and was at His absolute weakest point, He was tempted by the devil. After three solid rounds of temptation, the devil was defeated and left Jesus for a season. Jesus thereafter did notable miracles daily, casting out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead. He preached the gospel to the poor and established His Kingdom amidst the resistance from the enemy's camp.

After several failed attempts to kill Jesus, He decided it was time to lay down His life and to take it back up again. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Jesus decided when the time came, to pour out His life on Calvary as an offering for all the sins of lost humanity. He yielded Himself to be arrested, scorned, mocked, beaten and crucified. He died so we can have access to salvation through His blood. He was buried and while in death defeated Satan. In the greatest spiritual battle known to man He went down into hell and took away the keys of death, hell and the grave from Satan, defeating him in his own domain and taking away his authority. No force of hell could keep Him dead. With triumph, He conquered death and marched out of the domain of death securing eternal life for the redeemed. He quickened and reentered His body, which was dead, clothing it immediately with immortality to house His divinity.

He rose triumphantly over death, empowered His disciples with the Holy Ghost, equipping them to carry on His work in greater measure, to be His ambassadors here on earth and to continue the advancement of His kingdom while destroying the kingdom of darkness.

As we preach the Gospel in Jamaica and all around the world many souls say yes to Jesus daily and the kingdom of darkness suffers defeat. As we heal the sick, as we cast out demons, as we raise the dead, as people respond to the gospel and are delivered, and as their names are written in the lambs book of life. As we work the work of Him who sent us while it is day God is glorified and the kingdom of God advances. The glory of the Lord is covering the earth and the Holy Spirit is poured out without measure. Indeed, the kingdom of heaven is established and the kingdom of darkness, Satan and all his agents are defeated daily by the saints.