World conquest has been the objective of kings, emperors, rulers, and dictators from the dawning of time. Over and over again great empires have arisen to fling their armies ruthlessly on their fellow creatures in order to gain their objective, to place one man on the throne of the world. None have ever succeeded; none ever will.
And yet the world has been conquered. One Man, without an army, without human aid, without human strategy, without the loss of one life, has conquered, and is now waiting to take over command.
One morning, as it began to dawn, He stood by the side of an empty tomb. All power in heaven and earth stood vested in Him.
Did I say He accomplished this without the loss of one life? Then I am wrong. One life was lost, but it was His. Blood was shed, but it was His. Agony and suffering was endured, but He alone endured it. A battle was fought, but unlike all other would-be world conquerors, He alone knew who to attack, and He alone was strong enough to attack the one who up to His coming was the actual world ruler.
Think of the wars that have been fought, of the millions that have perished. Think of the blood that has been shed. Listen to the sound of martial music, the thunder of thousands of horses, the roll of the drums, the cries of the wounded and the dying, and then remember it was all for nothing. Satan looked on and laughed as men slew their fellowmen by the millions.
From the day that man fell in the Garden of Eden, the absolute authority of Satan as god of this world was never challenged. Weapons stronger than man could forge were needed. No man born of woman could now hope to succeed. As every child was born into the world, Satan could lay his hand on its head and say, “mine.” But help was forthcoming, and in due time a baby lay in a manger at Bethlehem. The birth of that child caused the greatest joy in heaven, and the greatest consternation in hell. For the first time, Satan found he could not claim a child as his own, for this child had been born sinless.
All the powers of hell were marshalled to destroy Him, but all was useless. The child grew and waxed strong; the overshadowing power of God Almighty was upon Him. Satan saw in that child the One who would one day overthrow his kingdom, wrest from his hand the scepter of authority, and lead out from his power a great number that no man could number. From the moment of His birth, every shaft that hell could forge was leveled at Him. All was useless. He stood alone in the wilderness, and there endured every form of temptation that Satan could devise. Satan offered him the world. He would even sacrifice that, if only he could break down the sinless Man who stood before him. Satan knew his time was short. If he could not crush this Man, then this Man would crush him.
Only one sin would suffice to bring Him under Satan’s power, and ruin forever the chance of redemption for humanity. The time was drawing near, and although Satan made every attempt possible, Christ could say, as the shadow of the Cross fell athwart His path, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (John 14:30). And so at last the battle joined, and the Christ, having lived a perfect, holy, sinless life, was able and entitled to offer Himself without spot to God to make a way whereby God could be just and justify the ungodly.
Behold Him as He hangs naked, bleeding and alone. He conquered, not with force of arms, not by riding over the bodies of His enemies, not by taking the lives of others, but by giving His own. Heaven looked down, hushed to silence; more than twelve legions of angels stood ready to come to His aid; all heaven watched while one Man, single-handed, and alone, engaged all the forces of Satan. Then from the darkness of the cross, the cry of the mighty Victor arose: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
It echoed through the courts of heaven and blended with the millions of voices raised to extol the Victor. It echoed through the caverns of hell and all there knew that the death-knell of Satan was being sounded.
As the sun rose and illuminated that Figure standing in that garden, it revealed the first world conqueror. From the world He had redeemed, He ascends to heaven. For the first time in the history of the universe, a Man is seen entering heaven, clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. His hands, feet, side and brow are bearing the honored wounds of the battle. No one dare stay His entry — the everlasting doors swing open, and slowly He proceeds through the gathering and exulting millions. He approaches the very throne of God, by whose side there is the empty seat He vacated thirty or more years before. He ascends the throne and takes His place at the right hand of God, and He is there now — waiting until His enemies be made His footstool, for “He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet.”