In thinking about the death of Christ, there is a last being who was involved in the execution of Christ. This being was Satan. While the world around us at the present time are concerned with placing the blame for Christ's death on someone, we need to realize that the purpose for Christ's entry into the world was to save man from the power of Satan.
In the beginning God placed Adam and Eve in paradise. He gave them tasks to perform, a way to enjoy their lives and only one prohibition. The character of the Devil comes out in the opening passages of chapter three of Genesis as Satan, in the form of a serpent tempts Eve to violate this command. "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Gen 3.1). As a part of this conversation, Eve was deceived into thinking that violating God's command was a good thing. As a result sin entered into the world as both she and Adam ate of the fruit that was forbidden to them.
Christ talks about the character of the Devil and describes him clearly for us. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8.44). Satan displayed himself as the enemy of God from the very beginning and sought to destroy the goodness of God in those things that God had provided for mankind.
As Christ neared the time of his arrest he spoke of the Devil and the power that he had at that time to indirectly accomplish the will of God in offering Christ as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. As Christ prepared his disciples for his death he told them, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14.30). Satan was already at work in his ability to influence those who were open to his devices. Judas, because of his own evil nature (John 17.12) had betrayed Christ. As they ate the Passover with Christ, the Lord told them that one of them was to betray him. He then informed them that the one who would betray him was one who would be eating with them. John then records, "And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly." (John 13.27). Judas betrayal of Christ then set the forces into motion that would bring about the death of the savior.
In spite of the efforts of Satan to destroy Christ, this had been God's plan. In the Garden of Eden, god told Satan that there would be enmity between the tempter and the Son of God, the Devil would be able to bruise the heel of Christ, but that Christ would bruise Satan's head, or destroy his power. (Gen 3.15). The world, and the ignorance of mankind put Christ on the cross. This was a plan that not even the Devil understood. Paul states, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Cor 2.7-8). Peter informed the Jews on the day of Pentecost that this had been God's plan, and that God had raised Christ from the dead. Peter states, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Acts 2.23-24). In his resurrection, Christ destroyed the power of the Devil. The writer of Hebrews states, " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2.14). All have sinned in God's sight (Rom 3.23) and as sinners were are all worthy of death in God's sight. However, the sacrifice of Christ provided the means of escaping this condemnation when we submit to God's authority and render true obedience to the Gospel. The "good news" of salvation. We are reminded that there remains an influence in the world that still seeks to destroy us. Paul states, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Cor 4.3-4).
TLC