BiblicalInsights.net

May 24, 2022 a male, 18 years old, shoots his grandmother and then proceeds to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX and kills 19 children and two school teachers.  He is shot and killed by a boarder patrol officer. The community and nation are stunned and shocked.  This tragedy will be scrutinized in many ways over the next few days.  The nagging question is why? What was the motive of the shooter?  The specific details of this question remain unanswered at this time.  However, the evil represented in the actions of this person is not unfamiliar.  He is not alone in being in the grip of Satan.  Jesus states, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
The Lost
Those who give themselves over to sin become corrupted by that sin.  They are capable of horrendous acts of violence against themselves and others.  Those outside of Christ are empty souls.  Five words characterize them.  The first word is deceived.  They are not guided by the truth revealed by God.  They are guided by strong delusions.  When we reject God’s truth, we enter into darkness.  Darkness is the second word.  Those in darkness are ignorant of the truth.  In darkness, the understanding is compromised and these individuals are guided by perverted thinking.  Paul states, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind.  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Eph. 4:17-19).  The third word is destruction.  Sin always destroys.  Sin always corrupts.  Sin always brings condemnation from God which results in damnation.  Corrupt minds produce corrupt works.  The fourth word is despair.  Despair captures the essence of life without God.  It brings meaninglessness and hopelessness.  This defines even further those who manifest empty souls.  The last word is death.  But, this is not physical death, it is spiritual death.  The spiritually dead are separated from God due to sin.  The corruption and destruction caused by sin ruins the mind and heart of man.  These people are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).  Paul further characterizes those who are spiritually lost, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (Eph. 2:2-3).
The Saved
God offers us a better life.  Christ was manifested to give us life and more–the abundant life (John 10:10-the spiritually optimal life).  This better life begins with enlightenment.  We must know the truth.  We must know God and His Will.  God has revealed Himself in two great books:  His created world and His Word.  The ultimate quest of the human heart is to know God!  To know God, we must seek Him diligently (Acts 17:27).  He is not far from every one of us.  Second, we must follow the Light.  Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12).  Jesus said, “he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  Being a disciple of Jesus is wholly transformative.  “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6).  This transformation begins with our spiritual conversion.  When we obey the gospel we put our trust in the Lord and set our affections upon Him and obey Him.  We repent of our sins.  We confess Christ that He is the Son of God.  Then, we are baptized (immersed) into the name of Christ for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38).  Undergoing this new birth (John 3:3-5), we become new creatures (II Cor. 5:17) to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).  The old man is crucified.  The new man is adorned (Eph. 4:20-32).  Now, we have hope in Christ.  We have new meaning and purpose.  We are defined as God’s children (Gal. 3:26-27).  We are productive, perfected, and promised everlasting life.  We are alive in Christ Jesus!  Empty souls give way to enriched and empowered souls. Once again, Paul declares, “But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:4-5).
Too many follow the god of this world to their own destruction.  Too many company in the darkness.  When our hearts are shocked by the darkness, it is the time to run to the Light.

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12).  Jesus taught that His disciples were the light of the world (Matt. 5:14).  Christians derive their light from Christ.  He is our example or pattern (John 13:15).  Christians must imitate Jesus.  The concept of imitation of Christ is a key component of the Gospel of John.  The idea of imitation comes from the Greek word mimeisthai.  We get our English word mimic from this Greek word.  The word mimic can be used in a negative sense in which case it means to mock.  The word mimic can also be used in the positive sense of to imitate closely.  Followers of Jesus imitate closely His mind and life.
The Divine Mimesis
In John 15:9, Jesus states, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”  God loved Jesus.  Jesus loved God.  “But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.  Arise, let us go hence” (John 14:31).  Jesus manifested His love for the Father through obedience to the will of the Father which involved His death upon the cross.  The love between the Father and Son is a pattern for our love.  This is the love of oneness, i. e. oneness of the divine nature.  God the Father and His Son are one in essential being and will and purpose.   Christians seek to manifest the divine nature in their own lives (II Pet. 1:3-4).  “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  God is holy and He calls us to be holy.  God is love and He calls us to manifest love.
Discipleship Mimesis
In John 15:9, Jesus said that as the Father loved him, so he loved His disciples.  Jesus loved His disciples (John 13:1, 34; 15:12).  The disciples loved Jesus (John 14:15,21).  Jesus’ love for them became a pattern or example to them.  That love manifested itself as selflessness and a willingness to sacrifice His life in their behalf.  Jesus defined love in the act of selflessness and sacrifice demonstrated at the cross.
Believer Mimesis
The disciples are commanded to love each other as Jesus had loved them.  “This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).  Every disciple of Jesus becomes an example to every other disciple in love.  Every disciple, by loving, increases the power of love in the fellowship of those of like precious faith.  The church is strengthened and blessed by love.  The nature of this love is forever defined by Jesus.
Neighbor Mimesis
Every disciple of Jesus must love his/her neighbor.  “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39).  In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus defines who our neighbor is.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbor is “the one who stands in need.”  Love is manifesting mercy to our neighbor.  When we love our neighbor, God’s love is now demonstrated to the world.  In this concrete way, Christians are the light of the world.  They take the light of love shown by Jesus to them and manifest it to those who stand in need.
The Power of Imitation
Jesus is our example (I Pet. 2:21-23).  We imitate Christ–duplicate, replicate and become like Him.  The effect is spiritual and moral transformation.  Jesus defines who we are (identity); what we do (conduct) and what we are (character).  The result is that we bear the image of Christ to the world–“Ye are the light of the world.”  The light of truth and righteousness is now present in the world through every true disciple of Jesus.  The light of love is now present in the world through every disciple of Jesus.  Only true disciples of Jesus Christ bear the light of truth and love to the world.  “As he spake these words, many believed on him, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).  When we walk in the light of truth, we become the light of the world!

In Luke 22:53, Jesus states to those who had come to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”  Jesus spoke these words to the chief priests and elders and captains of the temple who came to arrest Him.  He understood the significance of the moment.  His time had come.  The forces of evil were converging in this historic moment and He would soon face death by crucifixion.
The Foe
The evil forces at work in this world as listed by Paul in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The foes we face are spiritual in nature.  Satan and his angels (Matt. 25:41) form part of this evil force.  If the warfare is spiritual, then the weapons must also be spiritual in nature to fight against it (II Cor. 10:4-6; Eph. 6:10-18).  This evil force is organized.  Paul mentions principalities and powers which refer to the various dominions of evil.  He mentions the rulers (plural) of the darkness of this world which refers to Satan and his allies.  The foe is a powerful evil force.  Powerful, but yet limited.  Satan’s powers are limited by God.  Satan cannot coerce people to sin.  Also, he does not share ultimate authority with God.  Satan is always depicted in Scripture as being in subjection to God’s power.  The power that he exerts is evil or wicked.  He opposes truth and righteousness.  He is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he tempts people to commit all manner of sinful acts.  The existence of this foe is proof that there is objective evil in the world.  The enemy of truth and righteousness is knowable.  He is revealed by God through God’s holy Word.  We can know Satan’s methods of operation.  Finally, Satan does not do his work alone.  He has individuals (ministers) who, being deceived, help carry out his evil schemes (II Cor. 11:14-15).  Jesus finds Himself in the midst of an evil scheme to take His life.  Judas would betray Him.  The chief priests and elders would have Him arrested.  The scheme was diabolical and effective.
The Force
The arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was the culmination of the conspiracy made between Judas and the chief priests and elders among the Jews (Matt. 26:14-16).  Judas, a friend and apostle of Jesus, betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver.  Judas was a thief (John 12:4-6).  He was covetous and selfish.  Satan was working in his heart.  The chief priests and elders were religious leaders among the Jews.  They also permitted Satan to use them.  In Matt. 27:18, we are told that they delivered Jesus because of envy.  They generated lies about Jesus accusing Him of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God and of insurrection because He claimed to be a king.  Jesus was the Son of God and He was and is the King of kings! Later, the governor of Judea, Pilate, would condemn Jesus to death even though after examination, he could find no fault in Him.  Pilate proved unjust and acted to do what was politically expedient.  Satan was working in his heart too.  Evil converges through a friend and disciple, religious rulers, political figures and the people controlled by them.  This convergence of evil in the hearts of men found its object in Jesus Christ.
The Fortification
How did Jesus handle this moment?  He was fully aware of what was transpiring (spiritually aware).  He knew the enemy and how he worked.  He recognized the power of darkness in the people who had betrayed him and were arresting Him. Jesus committed Himself to Him that judges righteously (I Pet. 2:23).  He trusted God.  He trusted in the Word of God.  He remained true to Himself.  He did not became like his enemies in order to defeat them.  His speech was pure and his conduct righteous.  He manifested meekness, self-control, love, and forgiveness (I Pet. 2:22).  He sacrificed Himself for the higher purpose of saving mankind from sin (I Pet. 2:24).  He fulfilled the noble purpose for which He came into this world.  Jesus knew that He would ultimately prevail.  He had the promise of God that “he could lay down his life and take it up again” (John 10:16-18).  Jesus would destroy the power of Satan (Heb. 2:14).  The power of darkness is shattered by the power of light!
Will you come to the light? (John 3:18-21).  While men love darkness rather than light, the power of God’s love can overcome the darkness in the human heart and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we can be reconciled to God and walk in the light as He is in the light!