Put another way, by his own death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus put death to death and destroyed “the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Because he died and came back to life, Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:18) so that “death no longer has dominion over him” (Rom 6:9).

In Christ’s earthly ministry, the Jewish people were expecting him to raise an army like any earthly kind would in order to resuscitate the Davidic kingdom (e.g., John 6:15). This was on their minds when Jesus entered Jerusalem in a royal “parousia” mounted on a donkey:

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” (John 12:12-15; emphasis added)

But the kingdom which the Messiah was about to win through conquest (e.g., John 16:33) as he rode into Jerusalem was much, much bigger and far more important than a realm centered in a tiny country on earth. It is a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36), but instead a whole new creation.

Christ Jesus purchased life eternal for his people on the cross after that ride into Jerusalem! Put another way, by his own death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus put death to death and destroyed “the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14).

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