Advent Day 23

...through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14b-15)

You have no doubt already read about the connection between fear and death in this devotional series. Connecting the two in our daily lives doesn’t take much thought. Peel back the layers of fear in life, and we will eventually arrive at the reality of death.

But here, the author of Hebrews goes further––not only connecting fear to death but death to the devil and slavery. As slaves to sin, we find ourselves in fear of death and under the power of the devil.

Our sin results in death, which brings with it fear, all of which the devil knows and wields to his advantage. On and on, this cycle continues so that life itself must be defined by death.

Yet sin, death, and the devil––that unholy alliance which brings with it fear––don’t stand a chance against our God. Into this ongoing cycle of defeat, our God not only breaks in from the outside but breaks out from the inside. This is why the advent of Christ is so important. “For as by man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21).

We are saved from those things we most fear because our God goes through them to the point that he suffers their defeat. This defeat, which takes place on the cross, ultimately makes him victorious when he rises from the grave. As Martin Luther says, Christ dies a “death against death” so that all that is connected to it—including our fears—is destroyed once and for all.

And now, his victory and all of its spoils are given to you. You are no longer cut off from his sight. You are no longer a slave to sin, death, or the devil. You are no longer one who lives in fear but one who lives in God’s lovingkindness, covered by his righteousness and with the promise of his eternal life. This is the gift of the Christ child for you.

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