This week we are going to get a behind the scenes look at the Nativity, the Cross, and Life. God is going to pull back the curtain and show us what was really happening in the spirit world that isn’t so evident or obvious to us who live in the physical world. We’re going to look at a chapter in the book of Revelation to get our backstage look. Today, we look at the Nativity, the birth of Christ, in Revelation chapter 12… (SLIDE 2)
NIV Revelation 12:1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
The birth of Christ seems like a peaceful event – it’s night time, there’s the stable, Joseph and Mary are there, the baby Jesus is lying in a manger, sleeping in heavenly peace. (SLIDE 3)Silent night. All is calm. But behind the scenes, God shows us here, all is not calm, all is not bright.
Before we look at this vision, we should think about this book in general. Revelation is a very unique book in the Bible. The Apostle John is the writer. He had been banished to an island by the Roman government – a prison sentence – because he would not stop talking about Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. There he was, all by himself on that island, and then Jesus appeared to him. Jesus wanted to encourage him and the other Christians who were experiencing persecution at that time, so he gave John a behind the scenes look at what was happening in the world. The first 11 chapters of Revelation are filled with signs and pictures that symbolize things and teach us about God.
In verse 1 of chapter 12, Jesus pulls back the curtain back, and this is what John sees behind the scenes: (SLIDE 4) “A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” What was the sign or symbol that John saw? A woman. Now, who did this woman symbolize? Lots of people think that this was just the Virgin Mary, because the next verse says, “She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” Is this Mary? Yes, but not just Mary. See how she has the 12 stars on her head? Later in this chapter the Bible pictures her being chased by the Devil, (SLIDE 5) and all of her offspring being persecuted by the Devil. Who is this woman? It’s the Christian Church. The woman represents the sum total of all believers. It’s Eve, and all the Old Testament believers – the 12 tribes of Israel – that’s why she has 12 stars on her head - there are the 12 Apostles, and all believers today, including you and me. If you think about it, she symbolizes you.
When Mary was about to give birth to Jesus, it looked like it was just her giving birth to Jesus. But behind the scenes, it was the family of God was giving birth to Jesus, from Eve to Abraham to us. For unto us a child is born, (SLIDE 6) the prophet Isaiah says.
But all is not calm, all is not bright – look at what else we see behind the scenes…(SLIDE 7) “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.” Who is this sign? Other parts of the Bible tell us that this symbolizes the Devil. Behind the scenes of the Nativity, the Devil was there. He’s pictured here as a very powerful creature: “His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” And what was this powerful creature, Satan, doing behind the scenes at the birth of Christ? “The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.” Satan was doing everything he could to destroy God's plan of salvation. He knew that when Jesus was born into the world, the end was near for him.
And so behind the scenes, Satan was doing whatever he could to stop God's plan of salvation. Before Jesus was born, he tried to destroy God’s chosen people with the Babylonians (SLIDE 8) and the Assyrians. After Jesus was born, Satan was behind the scenes, using King Herod who sent his soldiers to Bethlehem, (SLIDE 9) to kill all the baby boys, but Jesus escaped. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Satan tempted Jesus, (SLIDE 10) as he tried to stop God’s plan of salvation. He attacked Jesus through the Pharisees and Sadducees, (SLIDE 11) and through Pontius Pilate and the Romans soldiers. We don’t always see Satan in the life of Jesus, but he was always there, behind the scenes, trying to derail God’s plan of salvation.
But God's plan came true: “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” (SLIDE 12) The power of Jesus is mentioned here, how he would be a king, and not a shaky king who barely had control of his people. No, Jesus would rule with an iron scepter – he would be in complete and total control of everything. He would live the perfect life. He would die on the cross. And then, just when Satan thought that he had won, Jesus would rise from the dead and ascend into heaven, where he would rule the world and give forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who would believe. This whole amazing victory of Jesus is summed up by these words: “And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” (SLIDE 13)
Here God pulls back the curtain, and we see all of these things happening behind the scenes of Christmas. There is great evil, highlighted by the Devil. But there is also great victory and hope, highlighted by the birth of Jesus.
These two themes are still behind the scenes of Christmas today, and really behind the scenes of your life. Everything you see, everything you experience - behind the scenes there are 2 things - there is Great Evil. And there is Great Victory and Hope. Think about it - behind the scenes of your life, there is great evil. Another part of the Bible (SLIDE 14) says that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The Devil is working behind the scenes, doing everything he can to cause you to fall away from Christ. Why is there so much materialism as you try to focus your mind on Jesus? Why is there so much stress in your life? Why is our culture becoming more and more hostile toward Christianity? Is this all just bad luck? Is our culture just going through a bad phase right now? Why are you tempted so much to sin? Is there something happening behind the scenes that you can't see? The answer is yes, according to the Bible - behind the scenes, there is great evil, there is the Devil, and his ultimate goal is that you would lose your faith in Jesus Christ and go to hell
But there is also great good behind the scenes of your life. (SLIDE 15) This Jesus in the manger that most of the world ignores is your Savior. He has lived the perfect life for you and has taken away every one of your sins. He has defeated the Devil, and today he takes everything that the Devil throws at you and twists it into something good for you. You are “taken care of” (SLIDE 16) the Bible says. When something bad happens to you, you can remind yourself that behind the scenes, Jesus is in control. When you face the death of a loved one or your own death, you can rejoice that heaven is waiting for you. All these things are real and exist behind the scenes of your life, made possible(SLIDE 17) by the Son who was born, the male child who rules your life and rules this world with an iron scepter.
Remember those two themes – great evil, and great good. They will come up again, as we look behind the scenes of Good Friday, and as we look behind the scenes of your life today. Let’s pray…
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding us today of all the things that happened behind the scenes at Christmas. Help us to remember that this great evil, and great good, are still happening today. Help us to be careful and cautious, because the Devil is real. But help us also to be hopeful and confident, because you also are real, and you are with us and blessing us. Amen.
