Ready:
"He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is, the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
-Hebrews 2:14-15
Set:
"I know that he's a competitor. I know that he does it the right way, and I have respect for him to that degree. But I'm not going to sit here and pretend like this isn't personal between us. There's a lot at stake." That is head wrestling coach Tom Brands from Iowa referring to his counterpart from Iowa State, Cael Sanderson, prior to their December 3, 2006, duel meet. Both coaches are in their first year at schools where they each became wrestling legends and won multiple NCAA championships. This was no ordinary duel meet, and it lived up to the hype with Iowa winning 24-6 with seven matches decided by two-points or less.
When Jesus Christ came to earth it was personal, and there was a lot at stake. He came to destroy the devil's power over you and me. At the cross, Jesus defeated the devil so we could have victory over death and over the devil's schemes. For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ there is the promise of true fulfillment in life here (John 10:10) and the promise of eternal life in heaven (John 3:16).
The lives of God's people were at stake, and Jesus went on the attack to win the battle we couldn't win over sin and death. Friend, know that the battle that Jesus came to fight against the devil was very personal. He died so you could live (1 Thessalonians 5:10)!
Go:
1. When in competition have you felt there was a lot at stake? Why?
2. How has Jesus' death for you impacted your life?
3. What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus?
Workout:
Romans 6:23
1 Corinthians 15:55, 57
2 Timothy 1:8-10
