18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Jesus has the keys! Do you remember when you were a teenager and you wanted to drive the car? That car represented freedom, adulthood, independence and many other things. If you had the keys, and money to put gas in the tank, the world was at your fingertips, as long as you didn’t go anywhere other than home and school. For me the keys meant I wouldn’t have to wait for a ride, or walk the miles home. It meant I had extra time to do some other things I wanted to do. I also remember when I got the keys to MY first car, the one I owned, not my parents. Now that was freedom. Then there were the keys to our first NEW car. And then the keys to the first home we owned, after 30 years of payments of course, but at least part of it was ours. Our kids still remember that house as their favorite house. Keys are powerful things, opening doors of opportunity and advancement. They also represent greater responsibility and accountability. Keys used to be a very rare item. The only doors that had locks were to government buildings and places where valuables were stored. The symbolic “Key to the City” points back to that time. For many, the only key was the one that locked the gate in the wall of the city. There were no other locks, no need for them. Anyone who came over the wall was not supposed to be there. And you wouldn’t steal from your neighbors, they were like family. I know that sounds a little strange to our modern ears, but that was the way it was. There is one place not many people are trying to climb over the wall to get into, death and Hell itself. In fact, those who are there would love to escape, but they are unable to. The one person who did was Jesus. That is because there was nothing in His life that deserved that place. His resurrection from the dead proved that. He has the keys. If you want to escape death and Hell, ask Jesus. Knowing Him means that you get the privileges of the keys without having to pay the price.
The Arnold Journey 