Thoughts from the cross 112424

Slaying the dragon

all throughout scripture there are images of chaotic forces that seek to disorder what God has put in order so that good might flourish in his creation

there is the chaotic water in the beginning, the wild and waste, the formless void

God puts that in order and hovers over the deep as though he has put it in its place

he creates the creatures that are terrifying in the mythos of the people of the world but God rules over all the dragons and serpents and sea monsters

the monsters will come throughout the story and they will try to return to the disorder and drag humanity back with them

the serpent in the garden, the Satan, the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, the giants the rulers who are after the stars all of these representing the opposers who try to disorder God’s order

the writers of the OT all anticipate one who will come that will finally put an end to the monsters of chaos and disorder

when Jesus comes he comes healing the sicknesses that the people have no ability to stop

he calms the storm and walks over the water, just as God did in the beginning

he faces the opposer in the wilderness and overcomes his distortions of what God has said

he faces satan speaking through his close friend in Matthew 16- after revealing that he came to die

his friend unknowingly tempts him with the same thing Satan does in the wilderness, that if he really has power he can do what he wants how he wants

and finally he allows himself to be taken to the cross so that he might have victory, that we might have the same victory through him

that we can be washed clean of the guilt we have from siding with the forces that disorder the world

that who I was that hurt the good God made and deserves to be punished for that can be transformed in the one who lived only for that good