He Cut The Knot Of Death

A REASON TO WORSHIP
He Cut The Knot Of Death

In Greek mythology we find the legend of a little village which was constantly attacked by barbaric tribes of the surrounding area. The villagers did not know how to defend themselves successfully.

The Myth Of Gordius
One day a stranger named Gordius came and organized an effective defense of the village and its inhabitants. In order to honor Gordius, the villagers made him their king. Now Gordius, a wise man, decided before his death to leave his subjects a symbol of the cohesion and strength which would unite them after his departure.

Bringing a chariot to the outside of the village, he made a great knot around its axle. This knot proved to be very complex, especially since the ends of the rope were nowhere to be seen. As a result, no one knew where to begin in order to untie the knot Gordius had made. He himself called it the Gordian knot. By this means Gordius proclaimed his supremacy, and that of his descendants, over the village, as no one else could become the leader of the village unless he was able to undo the Gordian knot.

One day Alexander the Great came with his army to the outskirts of the village and asked about the significance of the strange knot tied to the chariot axle. He was told the legend of the Gordian knot. After looking at it for awhile, he suddenly unsheathed his sword, swung it over his head and split the knot with a single stroke. “This is how I undo the Gordian knot,” the illustrious general proclaimed. He then went forward with his army into the village.

The Truth Of Christ
The legend of the Gordian knot shows how the power of an object contributes to the power of its possessor. Thus death in the hands of Satan allowed him to overcome until Christ came into the world. No one had succeeded in untying “the knot of death” which had entered the world through sin after Adam’s disobedience. But by His atoning sacrifice, Christ cut the “Gordian knot” of death in an unexpected and marvelous way. The Prince of life, was made sin in our place and underwent the judgment of our sins. Is He not far greater than Alexander the Great?

Christ conquered death! In the words of Paul to Timothy, “He has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10 NIV). Our Savior has literally rendered death inactive or powerless.

Christ also conquered Satan! He became man, took part of flesh and blood, “that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb. 2:14-15).

Since Satan and death have been conquered, we have no more reason to fear them. We may rather say, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). It is true that Satan has not yet been crushed under our feet (Rom.16:20). Nevertheless, each of our struggles against him and the powers of darkness may be the occasion of a victory for the glory of our Lord.

Death itself remains a sad, sorrowful reality. But for those who fall asleep in the Lord, it becomes the means of a more glorious life with Jesus Christ, the Firstborn from among the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. In the meantime, we are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37). What a reason to worship our Savior and Lord!

By Richard Pigeon