Christ the Conqueror

In the first century, a great military victory achieved by a Roman General was celebrated with a triumphal procession. What a grand moment for the General. If the senate found the victory worthy of such designation, the General became the man of the hour. The Roman Senate voted to give the General a triumph. The triumph consisted of a triumphal procession that paraded through the city. Today our parades are celebratory in nature. A homecoming parade matriculates through town with the football team on full display. There is much joy and celebration. The band marches, school organizations organize floats, and youth sports teams gather to be paraded through town in great celebration. The triumphal procession was a celebratory moment for the General. The parade consisted of the spoils of war, depictions of conquered lands, prisoners of war, the General’s soldiers and family members, and at the very back on a specially made chariot was the General. The parade could last more than a day depending on the length of the parade, which was determined by the amount of war spoils. Everything in the parade was a testament to the strength, power and might of the conquering General. The reigning conquerer was on full display for the the world to see. The apostle Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” In this triumphal procession referenced by Paul, Christ is the reigning conqueror on display for the world to see His greatness, power, and glory. In His triumphal procession are His captives. Those captives were former enemies of God and now, by the grace of God, have been reconciled to God. The Bible says in Romans 5:10, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Christ Jesus is the conqueror who conquers the hardened and sinful hearts of man and brings them into a wonderful relationship with God the Father. He puts His spirit in our hearts and we are moved to run to God as Father instead of cowering in fear. Perhaps, you need to experience Christ the Conqueror in your life. He conquers sin, lust, pride, bitterness, selfishness, addiction, and every vice that will leave us feeling empty and defeated. “But thank God! He has made us his captives and contniues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.”