Undercover Savior

I find myself awaking on Easter morning with the image of this painting in my mind. It was painted by a man who has become a dear friend, as I have so much of his art in my home. It hangs in my living room, between his paintings of the nativity - set in the springtime, with grass! - and the Sacred Grove.

I love what he does with light in his art, and this painting highlights his understanding of the Source of Light. The way he has painted this has given me new insight about the Savior of the world: I love that the greater light in this painting comes from inside the tomb. This subtly testifies of everything that is magnificent about Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ surprised the anticipating Jewish nation, waiting for their conquering Messiah 2000 years ago. Scripture prophesying his glorious second return caused them to anticipate a conqueror like their occupying captors had conquered them. Son of David, they expected another David, who would restore Israel to a nation of glory in the world - subject to no one.

But His quiet birth and obscure life had already disguised Him. Jesus Christ wouldn't come to conquer the nations until He had first reclaimed them from mortality. He came quietly and obscurely to show what a perfect life looked like, to continually give the atypical response, to love first - and always - and to show the first thing that needed conquering was ourselves.

Jesus came like an undercover agent to conquer not a nation - but death and sin - the enemies every mortal fights in a fallen world. He submitted Himself to death by going willingly into death - like any other mortal. He submitted to sin by going willingly into hell - like any other captive mortal.

He went into death - and hell - like any other mortal man who has had the mortal experience because of the Fall, who must pay the debt for his fallenness to the eternal, unchangeable, demanding court of justice.

But He wasn’t any other mortal.

Because of His perfect obedience, Jesus Christ had no debt to pay to justice. Because of His divine parentage, once inside the prisons of death and hell, He had the power to break out - from the inside. I heard a lecturer explain it this way, and my perception of what the Savior has done for me has been forever changed.

Jesus Christ went willingly into the darkness of death and hell - and because of His glorious, divine power, He opened the door for all the captives - for every single one of God’s captive children. He conquered, not by storming the gates from the outside with an unstoppable force, but by disguising that unstoppable force as an ordinary man, submitting to the same captivity as the rest of us, and going inside - of His own free will. Jesus Christ liberated the captives by becoming a captive Himself, and breaking out from the inside.

That means every single thing that holds us captive in this broken, fallen, mortal world is temporary. The prison doors were burst by the only One powerful enough to do it. He came inside the prisons of death and hell to get you. The door is open - and He has the power to pull you through it. If you were the only one who needed the rescue, He still would have come.

Our generous Father sent His perfect Son and fathered Him in the flesh - He sent Him to be a Man on the inside - experience everything we would experience - and with the power to break us out from the inside.

The door is open for all who are still inside, in the darkness. The Light followed us inside - into the darkness - and broke out, from the inside. The conquering Savior is now outside the prison He broke out of with His Divine power. He is free! He beckons us to choose freedom and follow Him out. Having stepped outside the limits of mortality which He willingly came into, He invites from outside the open door - “Come.”

Come out of your addiction. Come out of your anger. Come out of your loneliness. Come out of your pain. Come out of your sorrow. Come out of your despair. Come out of your bad habits. Come out of your pettiness. Come out of all the things that bind you, and keep you in darkness. Come. “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20).

The door is open. Come out.

The invitation hasn't been rescinded: Come out. Come up. Come home.

Come.

Jesus Christ is free, and He came to free us. The door is open! Light beckons from outside the prison - but there is light inside the prison. Jesus Christ brought His perfect light into the prison of death and hell to show us the way up, the way out - the way home. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The door is open. The captives have been set free. He is risen!

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

(art by Kirt Harmon: https://harmonart54.blogspot.com/)