Have you ever been given a backstage pass to a concert? Or maybe you watched a video that explained to you all the things that happened behind the scenes of your favorite movie. When you watch a concert or go to a movie, you’re hardly aware of all the things that happened – the directors, the producers, the people who are working the cameras and the microphones and the lights, the special effects crew, the actors and actresses and what they do to get ready – so many things happen behind the scenes that we don’t see as we watch the movie or the activity on the stage.
The same thing is true for the birth of Christ, or the “nativity” as we call it. It 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. Silent night. All is calm. But behind the scenes, all is not calm, all is not bright. How do we know this?
The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of what happened behind the scenes of the birth of Christ. This morning, we are going to take a look at that. And as we do, we will gain a fresh perspective on the birth of Christ. This part of the Bible also gives us a behind the scenes look at our lives today. God pulls the curtain back, and let’s us see what is really happening in the spiritual world that is just as real as the physical world in which we live. Let’s take a look, let’s go behind the scenes, and may God bless us as we do.
We find ourselves in the book of Revelation chapter 12. This book 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 John and the other Christians who were experiencing persecution, 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, and this is what John sees behind the scenes: “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 does 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.” Was this Mary? Yes, but not just Mary. Later in this chapter the Bible pictures her being chased by the Devil, and all of her offspring being persecuted by the Devil. Who is this woman? It’s the Christian Church. It’s Eve, and all the Old Testament believers and New Testament believers and you and me. For unto us a child is born, the prophet Isaiah says.
What else do we see behind the scenes… “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.” What is this? 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. He knew that Jesus would take away our sins, and save us from hell.
And so behind the scenes, Satan was doing whatever he could to stop that from happening. Remember all the things the Devil did to stop God’s plan of salvation? Before Jesus was born, Satan tried to destroy God’s chosen people with foreign nations like the Babylonians and the Assyrians. After Jesus was born, Satan was behind the scenes, using King Herod who sent his soldiers to Bethlehem, to kill all the baby boys, but Jesus escaped. 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.
Even though Satan didn’t want Jesus to be born, it happened: “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” The power of Jesus is mentioned here, how he would be the king, and not a shaky king that barely has control of his people. No, Jesus would rule with an iron scepter – he would be in complete and total control of everything, forever and ever. He would live the perfect life. He would die the perfect death on the cross. He 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.”
God pulls back the curtain, and we see all of these things happening behind the scenes of the birth of Christ. There is great evil, highlighted by the Devil. And there is great victory and hope, highlighted by the birth of Jesus.
This theme of great evil and great good lies behind the scenes of our lives today. After Jesus was born “The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of.” The believers are on the run. Satan pursues the family of God. This is persecution. Later in Revelation it says: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring-- those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
This is what is happening behind the scenes of our lives today. You might not always be able to see it, but there is great evil. Another part of the Bible 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 your life, doing everything he can to cause you to fall away from Christ. Why is there so much materialism as we try to focus our minds on Jesus? Why is our culture becoming more and more hostile toward Christianity? Why is there evil in our own personal lives – family problems and health problems and money problems. Is this all just bad luck? Or, is something happening behind the scenes? Here we learn that Satan is working hard to frustrate you and cause you to lose your faith. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “We are not unaware of the Devil’s schemes.”
God also wants you to be hopeful, and confident, and joyful. Yes, there is great evil behind the scenes of your life. But there’s also great good. Incredible good. This Jesus in the manger that most of the world ignores is your Savior. He has taken your sins away and has given you heaven. Jesus even promises to take everything that the Devil throws at you and twist it into something good. You are “taken care of” this part of the Bible says. Behind the scenes of your life, Jesus is there, the Son who was born, the one who rules your life and rules this world with an iron scepter. No matter what challenges the Devil puts into your life - whether it be persecution, or temptation, or a problem with your health or family or money, or anything else - whatever the challenge - behind the scenes of your life is Jesus Christ, and he promises to take care of you and bless you.
A pastor once visited one of his members, a farmer, and he found the farmer taking a break from his work and reading the Bible. The pastor asked him, “What are you reading?” And the farmer said, “The book of Revelation.” “Wow,” the pastor said. “That’s a pretty hard book to understand. Do you know what all of those signs and wonders mean that you’re reading about?” And the farmer said, “I don’t think the book is really all that hard to understand. I boil can boil it down to 4 words.” “4 words!?” the pastor exclaimed. “What are those 4 words?” And the farmer said, “Every chapter, everything I read, comes down to these 4 words – God wins. We win. That’s what this book means.” God wins. We win. Do you see it? Today, God pulls back the curtain, and what do we see? What’s happening at the birth of Christ. What’s happening in the world today? What’s happening in your life? Behind the scenes, you can boil it down to four words…God wins. We win. Amen.
