The Apostle Paul referred to the wages of sin as death, describing it as the final enemy to be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26). Communities celebrate a heroic king’s victory over a tyrant to reinforce the idea that good ultimately triumphs over evil. However, the significance of Jesus’ death extends far beyond this truth. On Good Friday, it was not an evil person who was executed, but a sinless person, crucified in accordance with God’s incredible plan established even before the foundation of the world.
Whom Has Death Exercised Its Dominion Over?
When the demise of the mortal body is perceived as a consequence of sin, it is indeed striking to recognize that death has dominion over all people, including those who have not sinned.
Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. – Romans 5:14
Unaware that death holds ultimate authority over them, people placed their faith in their virtuous deeds as a means of attaining salvation (Mukti). Consequently, while they remained oblivious to their true adversary, the inevitable death, they exerted considerable effort to cultivate peace within their hearts through the performance of various rituals and good deeds. Additionally, they firmly subscribed to the belief that both their past and present actions—whether commendable or reprehensible—would significantly influence their future, in alignment with the concept of karma. With this we should understand that death influenced everyone regardless of their virtuous or immoral actions, it is apparent that righteousness is not derived from any man but is bestowed by God.
The First Adam and The Second Adam
Though Adam did not sin directly, disobedience also cast a shadow upon him, leading to the reign of death over him. He has become a pattern for Jesus, who bore the sins of many, despite being sinless Himself. The crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross is regarded as a victory of good over evil, with many believing that a righteous person was sacrificed for the benefit of sinners. While this perspective holds true, it is essential to comprehend the process by which a sinner is forgiven, in order to genuinely accept the forgiveness of sins offered to us through Jesus on the Cross. The Scriptures consistently affirm this truth, as evidenced in the passages that follow:
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! – Romans 5:15 (NIV)
While we recognize and accept the transgression of the first Adam, it remains challenging for us to fully comprehend and embrace the grace of God bestowed upon us through the second Adam. It is effortless for us to acknowledge our sinful nature and readily affirm that all have sinned, thus placing ourselves under the dominion of death, which is the consequence of our transgressions. However, we often reject the grace of God that offers us eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Do We Reject the Grace Of God?
The response to this question is that, undoubtedly, we do not dismiss the grace of God; however, we are also not utilizing His grace for the purpose for which it has been granted to us by our Heavenly Father. We are all cognizant of the Scripture which states that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20). In this context, we increasingly rely on His grace as we continue to sin more. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that this sin perpetuates the reign of death, a reality we tend to overlook. In essence, we do not concern ourselves with facing eternal death for the sake of the transient pleasures that sin provides. God cautions that by utilizing falsehoods as our sanctuary, we enter into a pact with death (Isaiah 28:15).
We often fail to fully appreciate the gift of God’s forgiveness, which we do not merit. Instead, we may at times exploit the grace of God as a shield for our transgressions and, at other moments, perceive it as a license to persist in the sin that has already been absolved by God’s mercy, granted through the obedience of His Son, even unto death upon the Cross.
Triumphing over Death
As we have previously noted, death exerts its dominion over all people, regardless of their deeds, whether virtuous or wicked. The just God, who sustains both the righteous and the unrighteous on this earth, has credited us with righteousness through the righteousness of His Son, Jesus, who has triumphed over the death that held sway over all mankind. The process by which God imparts life to us, when we were ensnared in our transgressions, is succinctly explained in the following verse:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. – Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
God sent His Son to this world as our brother to bear our sins, and in this process, Jesus relinquished His relationship as both Son and Father, lamenting to God, as He had lost the privilege of addressing God as His Father.
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). – Matthew 27:46 (NIV)
This has been regarded as the fourth Word of Jesus on the Cross, accompanied by a detailed explanation regarding our deliverance from eternal death. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews articulates this as follows:
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. – Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV)
Though the death of Jesus on the Cross symbolizes His role as our substitute by bearing our sins to deliver and permanently pardon us from sin, there exists an astounding truth in His crucifixion: the last enemy of mankind, death, has been conquered by Jesus, rendering it powerless over mankind since the moment of His crucifixion. Should we regard this act as the source of forgiveness for our sins—an assertion we believe yet may not grasp fully—or do we recognize that Jesus has liberated us from eternal death, which had authority through the law upon which we once relied? It is through His grace that we, too, have become conquerors, as Jesus triumphed over death, the final adversary.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NIV)
There is nothing in this world that makes us righteous except for the love of our righteous Father God, which was accomplished on the day of the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus. The forgiveness of sin carries unchangeable significance; it represents the victory over eternal death and the gift of eternal life. Therefore, let us not disregard the grace of God revealed to us by reverting to our previous sinful ways, once again placing our reliance on the law, which instructs us to abstain from and adhere to various regulations, the power of death. Let us not relinquish the victory that Jesus has achieved on our behalf!
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:37 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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