Good Friday, is aptly entitled! Know why? Jesus’s sacrifice for humankind sets every one, who believes in Christ and accepts Him as their Savior, on the path to heaven. Certainly, that is Good News! The cross and resurrection affirm that. 

But there is a lion (a desperate, hungry lion) roaming about seeking whom he may devour.  His diabolical deception and manipulation have set humankind on a path of destruction. His evil influence will attempt to convince us that God does not exist. Jesus was just a man, if he existed at all. Believing the Bible is for fools who desire to believe in myths and fairy tales. Or, this is a strong one; Go ahead and believe in God if you like, but don’t take Him seriously enough to pray and read His word every day. (The Bible exposes Satan and clues us in on how to defeat him. It’s no surprise as to why he is going to make sure you never have the time or desire to delve into God’s word or pray!)

Satan exerted powerful energy to block Jesus from becoming the Savior of the world. If you follow the close calls that if carried out would have destroyed the promised seed-line, it’s obvious God’s power thwarted Satan at every hand. At Jesus’s birth, Satan lunged forward in a failed attempt to kill boy babies that would have been around 2 years of age. The time the wise men told Herod they had been following the star. When that plan was thwarted, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. That failed miserably as Jesus called on the power of the truth of God’s word to rebuff Satan at every turn.  

Satan likely thought Jesus’ death on the cross was proof that he had won. Imagine his surprise when the resurrection scene exploded! Satan’s pride and bloodthirstiness to destroy Christ, likely blinded him from understanding or even knowing of God’s plan of redemption. 

Make no mistake, Satan is out to destroy us! God’s plan is to save us. Yet, we must choose which plan we are going to cooperate with. Please ponder this!