Colossians 2:13-15

Nailed to the Cross

God made us 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. Colossians 2:13-14

Found guilty, Jesus was crucified. The notice nailed on the cross above his head declared, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

He died; the crime was paid for. He was buried.

But wait! On the third day he rose from the dead. He conquered death. He is alive! And what’s more …

When we were still dead in our sins, God made available to us new life in Christ: forgiveness of all our sins, cancellation of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us.

Guilty—no doubt about it. We are helpless to remove a single sin. But the notice nailed to Jesus’s cross had an invisible list attached—all the sins of the world. Written in blood across the list were these words: “Paid in full by the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.”

When Jesus rose from the dead, God cancelled the sins and made alive with Jesus all who by faith believe and are baptized in Christ’s name: they are buried with him and rise to new life (2:12-14).

Paul described the heavenly scene on Resurrection Day: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (2:15). A public display, invisible on earth, occurred in the heavenly realm. Like a general returning triumphant from battle, Jesus made a public spectacle and took away the power of the evil spiritual powers and authorities.

However, although the power of sin and death was broken, we still struggle against these unseen powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:11-12). We don’t see a sinless world, not even one sinless Christian. The devil, the Accuser, still comes and perches on our shoulders, where he hisses persuasive but powerless accusations.

But you can reject his accusations. You can claim victory, saying, “Praise the Lord, all my sins have been nailed to the cross—even the ones I haven’t committed yet—because Jesus took all my sins upon himself on the cross.”

And one day Christ will return in glory, and the evil spiritual forces will be destroyed forever.

DIG DEEPER

The KJV translates disarmed in Colossians 2:15 as spoiled. Christ spoiled the principalities and powers. This is the military term we hear used in “the victor took the spoils.” What did Christ take as spoils? Does that include you?

How can we face the Accuser with confidence according to Romans 8:1-11?

What analogy is used in James 5:7-8 to describe God’s patience to judge the world? How should we live in the meantime?

Nancy J. Baker

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