Jesus Always Had the Upper Hand

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: A Shift in Worship
2. Israel’s Arrogant Rejection of Grace
3. The Fault in the First Covenant
4. The Purpose of Sacrifices
5. The Virgin Birth and Sinless Nature of Jesus
6. Jesus Fulfilled the Law for Us
7. Rejection by Men, Victory in the Spirit
8. Jesus Had the Upper Hand on the Cross
9. The Triumph in Hell
10. The Prophetic Resurrection
11. Declared Righteous through the Resurrection
12. Communion and Closing Blessing

Introduction: A Shift in Worship

Pastor Leonard opens by sharing how he had a different worship set planned, including Keith Green’s song “Hear the Bells Ringing.” But God redirected him at 9:30 that morning to focus on Jesus’ love. He emphasized Philippians 2:7-9: "But made himself of no reputation…and given him a name which is above every name." The heart of this sermon is not only the Resurrection but the declaration that Jesus loves us and has fully fulfilled God’s plan.

Israel’s Arrogant Rejection of Grace

Pastor Leonard brings us to Exodus 19:8: "And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord."

He explains that this was not God’s original intent. God wanted to relate to Israel the same way He did with Abraham and Moses—through grace. But the people, in arrogance, said, “We will do,” insisting on a performance-based relationship. They rejected personal intimacy with God and delegated it to Moses. In doing so, they chose the law over grace, and this led to the establishment of the Ten Commandments and 613 ceremonial laws—not as God’s ideal, but as a concession to their hardness.

The Fault in the First Covenant

Pastor Leonard then points to Hebrews 8:7-8:

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

The fault of the covenant wasn’t with God—it was with the people who couldn’t keep it. That’s why a new covenant was always God’s plan. Pastor Leonard emphasizes that the first covenant (the law) was never meant to make anyone righteous. If it were faultless, there would have been no need for Jesus.

 He also reads Hebrews 10:8: "Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;" God never desired rituals and sacrifices. They were implemented only because the people failed to live by grace. He allowed the sacrificial system so their sins could be covered temporarily—but it was never His pleasure.

The Purpose of Sacrifices

Pastor Leonard describes watching a classic film on the life of Jesus and being struck by the vivid depiction of animal sacrifices in the temple. Though the temple was glorious, the people missed the heart of God. God took no joy in endless offerings. The system was necessary only because man couldn’t uphold the covenant.

 He explains how sacrifices worked: animals like lambs, bulls, or rams symbolically bore the sins of the people. The blood would cover their sins for a year. When God looked down, He saw the blood—not the sin—and He could bless them. But Israel corrupted even this, turning to idols and false gods, abandoning the covenant entirely. Jesus came to change that. Fully God and fully man, born of a virgin so as not to inherit Adam’s sin nature, He came to be the final, perfect sacrifice.

The Virgin Birth and Sinless Nature of Jesus

Pastor Leonard shares a powerful revelation: Jesus had to be born of a virgin because the bloodline—and thus the sin nature—comes through the father. Medically, the father's DNA determines the blood in the fetus. If Jesus had been born of a human father, He would have inherited the same sin nature as all men. Instead, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born 100% man and 100% God—sinless.

 This qualified Him to redeem humanity. Pastor Leonard reminds us that Jesus didn’t come merely to be an example—He came to be our substitute. To do that, He had to live under the law and fulfill it perfectly.

 He quotes Matthew 5:17: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to complete it on our behalf—fulfilling every command, every ordinance, every requirement.

Jesus Fulfilled the Law for Us

Jesus, being righteous and holy, fulfilled the entire law—every one of the Ten Commandments and all 613 ceremonial laws—because we couldn’t. Pastor Leonard emphasizes that Jesus lived the life we couldn't live. He didn’t come to give more rules; He came to fulfill them all for us.

 Despite living sinlessly, Jesus was rejected—by His own people, by the religious leaders who should have recognized Him, and even by His own high priest. They accused Him of blasphemy for calling Himself the Son of God, for forgiving sins, and for claiming to be the Messiah. They charged Him with treason and ultimately sentenced Him to death.

Rejection by Men, Victory in the Spirit

Pilate, recognizing Jesus’ innocence, still allowed the crucifixion to happen because of pressure from the crowd. Even though Jesus had done nothing wrong, the people demanded the release of Barabbas, a murderer, instead.

Jesus was beaten, whipped, mocked, and crucified. Pastor Leonard vividly describes His suffering—the crown of thorns, the ripped flesh, the nailed hands and feet, and the insults hurled at Him while He hung on the cross. It appeared to everyone watching that Jesus had lost.

 But then comes the Holy Spirit’s revelation: Jesus always had the upper hand. To prove this, Pastor Leonard turns to Colossians 2:14-15:

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

Even as He hung bloodied on the cross, Jesus was stripping demonic powers of their authority. He triumphed on the cross. The crucifixion wasn’t defeat—it was victory.

Jesus Had the Upper Hand on the Cross

While the world saw a beaten and humiliated man nailed to a cross, heaven saw the victorious Lamb of God fulfilling the divine plan of redemption. Pastor Leonard emphasizes that the religious leaders, the Roman soldiers, and Satan himself believed they had triumphed over Jesus. But the truth was revealed through the Spirit: Jesus was the one with the upper hand.

 He reads again from Colossians 2:14-15 to emphasize. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Jesus, in that moment of apparent defeat, was actually triumphing. He took our sin, our guilt, and the ordinances that condemned us, and nailed them to the cross—rendering Satan’s accusations powerless.

The Triumph in Hell

Pastor Leonard moves into the unseen realm—what took place after Jesus’ death. He shares that Jesus descended into hell in our place, just as prophesied in Psalm 16:10: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Satan believed he had finally proven Jesus was not the Son of God. He remembered tempting Jesus in the wilderness by saying, “If thou be the Son of God…” Now, seeing Him in hell, Satan thought he had won.

 The demons—perhaps even the very ones cast into pigs by Jesus—mocked and celebrated. But they didn’t realize they were part of God’s plan. Pastor Leonard then quotes Isaiah 53:10-11: "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

God was pleased—not in Jesus’ suffering, but in what it accomplished. Jesus bore our iniquities to justify many. Satan had not defeated the Son of God—he had played directly into God’s hands.

The Prophetic Resurrection

The scene shifts again—this time to resurrection. Pastor Leonard references a rarely quoted Old Testament prophecy of resurrection from Hosea 6:2: "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us, and we shall live in his sight."

This resurrection wasn’t only Jesus’ victory—it was ours too. We were raised with Him, and in Him we now live. He reads from Romans 4:25 – 5:1: "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Jesus’ resurrection declared us righteous. It proved the work was finished. It completed our reconciliation with the Father and granted us eternal peace with God.

Declared Righteous through the Resurrection

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that Resurrection Sunday is not just about Jesus rising from the dead—it’s also about our declaration of righteousness. Because Jesus lives, we are justified. His resurrection is proof that the payment for sin was accepted and that we now stand blameless before God. He reinforces this truth with Romans 4:25 – 5:1 again: "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

 Pastor Lori then shares from 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 to expand this glorious truth: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Jesus was the first to be raised in incorruptible glory, and we who believe will follow. This is the believer’s ultimate hope—not just forgiveness, but a future resurrection and eternal life with God. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Jesus’ resurrection declared us righteous. It proved the work was finished. It completed our reconciliation with the Father and granted us eternal peace with God.

Communion and Closing Blessing

To conclude the message, Pastor Leonard and Pastor Lori lead the congregation in Holy Communion. They recall Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, as He took the bread and the cup to symbolize His body and blood. Reflecting on Romans 10:9-10, they encourage anyone watching to receive Jesus Christ as Lord:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Jesus’ words—“It is finished”—weren’t vague. He truly finished the work. He gave His body to make ours whole and shed His blood to cleanse us forever.

 The celebration ends with gratitude. Gratitude for the cross, the resurrection, and the righteousness now freely given to all who believe.

We hope this article blessed you. Share this powerful Resurrection Sunday message with others so they too can know the truth: Jesus always had the upper hand. Through His death and resurrection, we are made righteous, restored, and fully at peace with God. Celebrate the risen King—and the freedom He purchased for you.