Christus Victor
April 3, 2024
Fr. John Riccardo
Beloved: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.
1 John 5:1-6
Especially at times like these, that is, the Easter octave, I’m increasingly reminded of how we have domesticated Jesus. Reminded of it and saddened by it. As the great author and teacher Peter Kreeft has put it, we have “undone” the miracle of Cana. We have turned wine back into water. We’ve turned the ultimate G.O.A.T. into a tame little kitten. A declawed one at that.
Yes, Jesus is kind and gracious, merciful and compassionate, patient and forgiving. But note well the words in 1 John: “conquers,” victory,” “victor.”
Any mention of Jesus without the words Victor, Champion, King, and Lord are incomplete.
Easter is supposed to be a time to remember this. To proclaim this. To let it transform us from people who want to get out of here and escape to heaven, into disciples who are empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to build for the Kingdom of God by bringing His powerful love and merciful triumph into every area of life. I fear many Christians have been so numbed by a well-intentioned but potentially very dangerous watered down version of the Gospel that we have forgotten that Jesus didn’t rescue us from the world but for the world. As N.T. Wright has put it, the message of Easter is not, “Jesus is raised from the dead, you will be too one day. The message of Easter is, “Jesus is Risen, there’s work to do!” What work? Bringing the kingdom of God into any and every sphere of life that the powers of darkness (the only enemies we have) have disfigured and marred.
We need to remember that Jesus on the cross was not only suffering for us and revealing for us the true identity of our Father (a good Father!); He was also engaged in battle against the powers of darkness. We need to remember that Jesus on Holy Saturday was not just sitting idle waiting to pop up from the dead on Easter Sunday; He might have been out of view to Mary and the disciples, but He was not “gone.” He had descended into hell. He had entered into the domain of one He called “the strong man.” This was necessary because in the drama that is human life there are not two figures “on the stage” – God and us – but three figures: God, us, and the devil. And while many, including many clergy, remove the devil from the story, in doing so they take it upon themselves to think they know better than the Son of God, who is not somehow culturally conditioned or not up to speed on the latest psychological insights. The devil is real. To declare otherwise is to contradict, well, God.
Early on in His public ministry, Jesus had taunted Satan saying, in effect, “I am going to break into your house” (cf. Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21-2). And then, at the very moment when it looked like He had been utterly defeated, Jesus did it! When He descended into hell, then was fulfilled the Psalm that says, “Lift up your heads O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors!” What gates? What doors? The gates and doors of hell. And why? So that the King of glory may enter? And who is this King of glory? “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! … The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” (cf. Psalm 24:7-10).
And He has fought – and won – for us.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
April 2024
For the clergy and lay leaders who will be joining us on campus for a Leadership Immersive.
For our Board of Directors meeting.
For our Episcopal Advisory Committee, Board members, benefactors and prayer partners.
For our Rescue Vancouver LIVE Revival planning.
For all those bringing The Rescue Project to their homes and parishes around the world.
For God’s protection upon Fr. John Riccardo, our team and our families.