"And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” Rev. 12:3-5
We do well to remember that Christmas did not go unopposed. Not by a long shot. The baby in the manger was, in actuality, the safe landing of a King. The King. His birth was the cosmic invasion that changed everything. C.S. Lewis put it so, so well:
“One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe – a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin…Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong… we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
I love his thought, “Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise…” Fact of the matter is - Christmas is the celebration of the greatest undercover operation this universe has ever beheld. Think of it:
The King slips into enemy territory under cover of night, disguised as a helpless infant of two Jewish teenagers. The drop-off zone is ingenious. He lands in an obscure, out-of-the-way village called Bethlehem. On top of that, He is not even born in the local inn but in a nearby stable (which essentially was a cave.) His first night He slept in a feed-trough with straw as His mattress. What kind of king was this? A very different kind of King to be sure. A king who wielded His power through the most unlikely of scepters – breathtaking humility. Phil. 2:5-8
As soon as he hits the ground, two Special Ops forces go into action. Special Ops force number one is composed of the “down and outs” of the day - lowly, despised Jewish shepherds. Their mission? To announce to the world that Operation Salvation is a “go”. “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” Lk. 2:17
The second Special-Ops force was made up of the “up and outs” of the day – wealthy, highly-esteemed, Gentile wise men. Their mission? They arrive about two years later to worship the King Whose star they had been following. “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Mtt. 2:11 But they did more than worship. I love what Dr. David Anderson, president of the Grace School of Theology (http://www.gsot.edu/ ), says about this. He notes that Joseph is about to take his family to Egypt for the next couple of years. The Egyptians were fierce separatists and Joseph could never have made a living in Egypt as a Jewish carpenter. The money which came from “their treasures” is what kept the family alive during their time in Egypt! The goods being delivered, Special Ops force number two then returns home...mission accomplished.
Not long after the landing however, there are casualties. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men." Mtt. 2:16 What would cause a well-established king to so fear an infant child? Only one reason – Satan himself. “And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” Herod no doubt was powerfully influenced by the dragon to destroy the King in disguise. But the One destined to “rule all nations with a rod of iron” had landed safely and was beginning preparations for His own campaign which would ultimately crush the head of the dragon. Gen. 3:15
Lewis is so right. Christmas is rightfully a time of great celebration and joy. But let us never, ever forget that most of all it is “the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” You see my friend; the two Special Ops forces have done their job. We are now God’s “boots on the ground”, if you will. Let us pick up where the shepherds and wise men left off. First and foremost, let us follow in the footsteps of the wise men and be great worshipers. May a white-hot love affair with our Redeemer be the unrivaled, preeminent pursuit of our lives. Then out of the fullness of that pursuit, let follow the lead of the shepherds. Tell everyone who will listen that Operation Salvation is no longer a “go”, but a “done.” Can there be any greater use of our few, short days on this spiritually war-torn world? I think not. Merry Christmas my friend!
Flashpoint: Follow the lead of the shepherds and wise men. Not just at Christmas but all year long.
