Breakthrough by Red Rocks WorshipSample

There will be victory here.

Life has natural rhythms of lament and celebration. These moments are important to acknowledge as both the valleys and the mountains have lessons of their own. This rhythm is built into the gospel narrative, showing us that while the waiting may feel endless and our hope may seem deferred, resurrection is coming. 

Sometimes we sit in the melancholy and despair of Good Friday, longing for the blazing dawn of Easter Sunday. Liberation seems trapped behind a stone, hope has been hung up on a cross, and the thought of overcoming feels like a dissipating dream. Why did Jesus have to spend three days in a tomb, in full submission to mortality? Paul and Peter both write of Jesus’ descent into hell; His divine rescue mission to fully incapacitate death. Jesus went to the furthest lengths to ensure that death would not have the final word. Several Christian iconographers over the millennia have depicted this beautifully by painting Jesus—straddling the abyss which separates the realms of the living and the dying—reaching out His arms to those who have been trapped in hell and using the rugged cross as a bridge. This gives us a thrilling image of Jesus throwing himself into the work of reconciliation. Our God fully identifies with us; He is not passive, withdrawn, or working from a distance. He is in the messy details of life, securing our freedom. We know that on the third day the work was achieved, and then the Savior arose. His resurrection was the confirmation that the mission had been accomplished, and the Kingdom of God had an immortal, immovable King. But then Jesus took it one step further. Rather than remaining on earth as the embodied Christ, He ascended into heaven and sent His Holy Spirit to permanently indwell in all of his creation. Paul writes about the importance of this act, identifying that the same Spirit which raised Christ now lives in us (Romans 6:10-11) and that this Spirit enables us to be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6).

So why are we so sure that we can sing about our breakthrough, even if it hasn’t happened yet? Why are we confident that liberation is coming? Our hope hinges on the reality that Christ is the victor, and that we have been filled with his Spirit. Experiencing breakthrough is a reality that is hard fought, but fortunately, all the heavy lifting has already been done. Whether we are experiencing the despair of a grave or the blooming light of daybreak, we know how our story ends. To sing “there will be victory here” is the birthright of every follower of Jesus.

REFLECTIONS/QUESTIONS: 

Do a simple image search for a few of the paintings depicting Christ’s descent into hell. Is this the picture you have of Jesus? What image do you most often employ-- Jesus as a transcendent Savior who sits above, distanced from his creation, or Jesus as a human bridge, in the trenches with his people? 

Consider an area in your own life that needs breakthrough, and let these historical Christian images speak to you about the lengths Christ would go for you.

If life follows this pattern of lament and celebration, valleys and mountains, or death and resurrection, where do you find yourself in the cycle? What are you learning in the midst of it?