A.G.I.R.

– Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

Realizing the
Complete Victory
of Christ

© Andréas Andersson 2013

Three words that changed history

• Hanging between heaven and earth, with His hands and His feet
pierced by big nails and with all the sin and the guilt of mankind
weighing on His shoulders, Jesus of Nazareth spoke three words
that would change world history: ”It is finished.”

• ”It is finished” – what was the meaning of those three words?

What was it that Jesus had finished or completed? And what does
that completion mean to you and me today, 2,000 years later?

• Dear friends, I can assure you one thing: Once we get a hold of
the true meaning of these three words, it will change us forever!

• (PRAY THAT THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION WILL

REVEAL THE MEANING OF THE WORDS ”IT IS FINISHED.”)

© Andréas Andersson 2013 1

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

A unique mission
• The words ”It is finished” refer to a mission that Jesus was sent
here, to the earth, to carry out; a mission that no other prophet
or teacher in any other religion has ever accomplished – or has
even claimed to have accomplished.

• Jesus received this mission from His Father, God. And He didn’t
only go half-way. He didn’t only complete 75 % of what God had
called Him to do. He went all the way and completed everything
that the Father had called Him to do; if that hadn’t been the case,
Jesus would not have been able to say, ”It is finished.”

• So, what kind of special mission was it that Jesus had received?
In order to understand that, we need to rewind the DVD and go
back to the very beginning: the creation of the world.

The fall of man and its consequences

• The Bible says in Genesis 1 that God created man in His own
image, for an eternal relationship with Himself. That was God’s
magnificent plan for all of humankind!

• The sad part is that the very first human beings turned their back
on God and broke the relationship with their Creator. That’s how
sin came into the world; sin represents everything that breaks our
relationship with God, all that stands between us and Him.

• Sin upset the harmony of the creation. It destroyed the perfect,

divinely designed order, and fundamentally changed the
conditions of the human existence.

• (SHOW POWERPOINT ”THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FALL OF

MAN.”)

© Andréas Andersson 2013 2

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

The consequences of the fall of man (PPT)

• Sin leads to separation from God. Romans 3:23 makes clear that
we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

• As a consequence, mankind and all of creation have ended up

”under the sway of the evil one,” according to 1 John 5:19.

• The human nature has become self-centered, pleasure-seeking

and rebellious. In Romans 7, the apostle Paul calls this fallen
human nature the flesh.

• The world has become an ungodly place, characterized by the

fruits of the flesh, as described in Galatians 5:19-21.

The consequences of the fall of man (PPT)

• Death has made its triumphant entry into the world. Humankind
has lost the eternal life in God’s presence. Romans 6:23 says that
”the wages of sin is death.” It’s a spiritual law: every time we sin,
no matter how small or innocent the sin may look, we reap death.

• Sickness and suffering have become part of our lives. We have

been deprived of the good health, the constant joy and the
perfect harmony that God intended for us. If you don’t believe
me, just read the book of Job!

© Andréas Andersson 2013 3

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

God’s plan of salvation

• That was the bad news. Now, listen to the good news:

• God is love – 1 John 4:16. He could not leave humankind in this

hopeless and miserable state. So, He decided to launch a plan of
salvation.

• First, God chooses a people, called the Israelites, and gives them
special orders. He tells them to be a blessing to all other peoples,
demonstrating God’s love and holiness to the whole world, so that
everyone can get to know and obey the One true God.

• Then God makes an amazing promise to the Israelites. He says,

”One day, I’m going to send you a person, known as the Messiah
– the anointed one. He will deliver man from the slavery of sin
and its consequences, and restore his relationship with Me.”

Prophecies about the Messiah

• In the Old Testament there are many different prophecies, or
divine predictions, about this Messiah.

• One of the most well-known prophecies is found in Isaiah 53. This

prophecy was written 700 years before Jesus was born. Let’s read
verses 3-5. (READ ISAIAH 53:3-5.)

• Did anyone say that prophecies are not specific? These verses
give us a detailed account of what Christ endured on the cross –
and why He did it. Remember that they were written many
hundred years before Jesus was born!

• The many prophecies about the Messiah created an anticipation

among the Jewish people. At the time of the birth of Jesus, they
were eagerly waiting for this God-sent savior to show up.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 4

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

The Messiah: Jesus of Nazareth

• That’s why it’s so interesting and fascinating to see how Jesus
begins His public ministry in His home town Nazareth. Let’s read
from Luke 4:16-21. (READ THE VERSES.)

• Wow – what a bold declaration of who He is and why He has

come! The entire life and ministry of Jesus were about two things:
1) proving that He was indeed God’s promised Messiah, and
2) fulfilling the world-changing mission of the Messiah.

• An important part of Jesus’ ministry was all the ”signs and

wonders” that He did. ”Signs of what?” you may wonder. Signs of
His true identity and mission as the Messiah of the world!

Why Jesus was killed

• Why do you think Jesus was killed?

• Was it because He had offended the religious leaders? Was it

because He had started His own movement and had become a
political threat?

• No, that’s not why Jesus was killed.

• The reason why Jesus was sentenced to death by the Jewish

leadership, the Sanhedrin, and executed by the Romans, was that
He had claimed to be the Son of God – which means that He had
claimed to be equal to God. This was, according to the Jewish
religious leaders, the worst kind of blasphemy.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 5

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

Back at the cross

• Now we’re back at the cross, where Jesus is hanging with all of
humanity’s sin and guilt upon His shoulders.

• What is it that takes place during these critical hours – something

that is ultimately confirmed two days later, when Jesus rises from
the dead and walks out of the tomb?

• Here is the answer: Through His death and resurrection, Jesus of

Nazareth completes His mission as the Messiah by winning
humankind’s greatest and most important victory ever: a total
victory over every power that wants to enslave us and keep us
separated from God, from the eternal life and from all God’s
purposes for our lives.

• (SHOW POWERPOINT ”THE COMPLETE VICTORY OF CHRIST.”)

The complete victory of Christ

• Remember the picture with the bad news? Here is the picture with
the good news!

• John 8:36 says, ”if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”

• When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive a

new citizenship. We move from one kingdom to another. Jesus
rescues us from the domain of darkness and transfers us into His
Kingdom of light!

• Our sin is taken away, so that our relationship with our Heavenly
Father can be restored.

• We are delivered from the slavery of the flesh and of the world.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ”if anyone is in Christ, there is a new
creation.” We receive a new nature and a new Spirit.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 6

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

The complete victory of Christ

• We are delivered from death. ”The wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23.
We will live in God’s presence forever!

• We are set free from sickness and disease. By the wounds of

Jesus, we have access to divine healing, says Isaiah 53.

• Last but not least, Jesus rescues us from a life without meaning or
purpose. In John 10:10, He promises us life in abundance! That
doesn’t mean that we’ll never encounter trials or hardships. But in
every circumstance we face, Jesus will provide the power, the joy
and the peace we need to get through victoriously.

• (SHOW POWERPOINT ”CHRIST’S VICTORY IS OUR VICTORY.”)

Christ’s victory is our victory

• It’s important to understand that the victory that Jesus won was
our victory. It wasn’t God’s victory – God has always been
superior to the powers of the darkness, He was never intimidated
or threatened by the devil! God is the Creator of the universe; He
has all the power in heaven and on earth, all the time!

• But you and I were prisoners of the dark world, because we had
”sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So, Jesus had to
fight for us and defeat the powers of the darkness on our behalf!

• That’s why it says in 1 John 2:13, ”I am writing to you, young

men, because you have had victory over the evil one.”

• I have not died on a cross to defeat the evil one. But Christ has
defeated him on my behalf; His victory has become my victory.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 7

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

The victory has already been won

• Today, thanks to Jesus, you and I have authority over the powers
of the darkness!

• Today, thanks to Jesus, you and I have access to all the promises
in God’s Word!

• God’s message to you today is: ”It is finished!” The enemy is

defeated. The victory has been won, once and for all – and you
are free to enjoy its fruits!

• This is something that we need to remind ourselves of every

single day, because the enemy keeps firing his lies at us; lies such
as, ”God doesn’t like me,” ”God can’t forgive my sins,” or ”God
doesn’t want to heal me.”

Christ’s offer
• This is how much God loves you! (OPEN YOUR ARMS IN A
GESTURE THAT REPRESENTS JESUS ON THE CROSS.)

• Jesus has already carried all your sin, all your guilt, all your
sickness and all your despair upon His shoulders and nailed
them to the cross!

• With His own, precious blood, Jesus has purchased for you a ”life
in abundance” – a life full of joy, love, power, and peace, in the
midst of all the circumstances surrounding you.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 8

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

Challenge
• Will you accept the gift that God is offering you today?

• Will you receive the abundant life flowing to you from the cross?

• Will you let it fill you and transform you?

• And will you pass it on to your family, to your colleagues and to

the people in your community?

• Will you tell these people the good news: that Jesus has already
carried everything they’re wrestling with – their anxiety, their
despair, their fear of death – so that they may be free to lead a
life of peace, love, and joy, both here on earth and in eternity!

• Let’s thank God together for the complete victory that Jesus won
for all humankind! (LEAD IN PRAYER.)

Questions for group discussion

• What are some important lessons from the teaching?

• If Jesus really has defeated the powers of darkness, why is there

still so much darkness in the world?

• Are there dark powers in your life that you need to renounce, in
order for God’s abundant life to fill you?

• What does the complete victory of Christ mean to you today?

Are you living daily in His victory? Why/why not?

• What would your life look like, if every morning you reminded
yourself of the victory that Jesus has won for you and your
fellow humans?

© Andréas Andersson 2013 9

 A.G.I.R. – Realizing the Complete Victory of Christ

Questions for group discussion

• What steps could you take to make the victory of Christ a more
concrete and powerful reality:
a) in your life?
b) in your family’s life?
c) at your work place?
d) in your local community?

Prayer in small groups

• Thank God for His complete victory in Jesus Christ.

• Ask for God’s forgiveness for sin and renounce the powers of
darkness.

• Receive the abundant life offered by Jesus.

• Ask for wisdom, courage and power to make the victory of Christ
a concrete reality in the family, at work, and in the community.

© Andréas Andersson 2013 10