“Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15).
DISARMED
In the garden of Eden, the Lord God had prophesied that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent: “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen 3:15).
The “powers and authorities” had their own weapons turned against them, leaving them with no weapons—light overcame the darkness.
What they meant for evil turned out to be good—the salvation of all those who look to Jesus.
Jesus was harmed and cruelly treated, mocked and nailed to a cross.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen 50:20).
The authorities saw Jesus as a threat and decided to teach everyone a lesson by hoisting Jesus up on a cross, so that everyone could see him, and learn a lesson. But this had the effect of lifting Jesus up high, and when Jesus is lifted up he draws men and women to himself.
“When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).
When Jesus is lifted high so that people can see him, those who look with an open heart cannot help but be drawn in by the beauty of Jesus, his meekness and grace appeals to us, his willingness to love reaches out to us, he is the sparkling jewel, the bright morning star, the lily of the valley. People who look are enthralled by Jesus; he is worthy to be praised.
Those who designed Christ’s death raised him up as a flag on a flagpole, or a banner on a hilltop, a banner which relates something of importance. “Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them” (Isa 13:2). Those who look to Jesus hear the call, he was raised up, just as Moses lifted the bronze serpent and all who looked to it were healed so all who look to Christ are saved from their sin.
The bronze serpent is indicative of the serpent mentioned in the garden of Eden, for “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).
Christ became sin for us, and sin died the death as Jesus died on the cross. Those who are new creations in Christ are no longer slaves to sin. The devil’s work has been undone by Christ’s death.
Jesus rose again in his resurrection power, he took sin with him to the lowest grave, and there it shall stay.
“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!.. you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate” (Isa 14:12,15-16).
Yes, Jesus has made, and will continue to make, a “public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross”.