You don’t need to answer these questions out loud.
I’m going to ask you to be honest with yourself:
• Do you ever grow tired of hearing sermons about Christmas?
• Do you kind of glaze when you know you are about to hear the same story you’ve heard so many times?
• On the flipside, what was the most remarkable Christmas sermon you ever heard?
• Personally, I grew weary of the commercialization of Christmas about 30 years ago.
Today, as we move into the Christmas season, let’s be reminded of the importance of the birth of Christ.
BODY
Think about this:
• Religious oppression
• Political extremists
• Plots to kill leaders
• Cities seized, pillaged and burned
• Civil unrest
• Mass terror
• Mass murder
• People murdering their own families
• Widespread surveillance
• Political and religious retaliation
• Fracturing nations
Sounds all too familiar right?
Any given day on the news feed!
According to at least two historical, non-biblical accounts, this was the exact environment at the time of Jesus’ birth.
It was a dark world!
In fact, it had been 400 years since God spoke through the prophet Malachi.
Spiritual darkness reigned.
But as we are told in Ecclesiastes “nothing new under the sun”.
Todays message is titled “An Act of War”
We are going to be looking at two key passages.
Revelations 12: 1-16 (save v.17 for later)
Isaiah 9:6-7
But first, let’s look at the nativity scene as described in second chapter of Luke.
Luke 2:4-14 (read from my bible)
We’ll return to v13-14 in a bit.
Think about this:
The religious leaders at that time had information at their fingertips that had been passed down for centuries, God’s word through the prophets of this very event.
Foremost from the prophet Isaiah, but listen to Gods Word found in Micah 5:2
“but you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, The One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (ask others to read theirs).
Knowledge of scripture alone is not enough to discern the Lord’s leading.
They had all the knowledge of scripture that was available to the religious leaders.
However, they lacked discernment because spiritual darkness and conflict imprisoned them!
The political leaders were also in spiritual darkness.
It took wisemen from the east, to give Herod the Great the heads up of what went down!
Once Herod realized the wisemen weren’t going to tell him where the Child King was, he inflicted a murderous campaign on all male children 2 years and younger.
This was foretold in Jeremiah 31:15 “This is what the Lord says, A cry is heard in Ramah-deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted-for her children are gone” and revealed in Matthew 2:18.
A great deal of this spiritual darkness was due to a fractured nation.
The political and religious leaders were so caught up in themselves, they were blind to what God was about to do!
That is exactly where Satan wanted them.
Herod the Great was continually paranoid that someone would overthrow him, and he had reason to be paranoid.
There were 4 groups competing for leadership and power in the region.
1) Pharisees-who were traditional and legalistic
2) Sadducees-opposed strict legalism but embraced Mosaic Law.
3) Essenes-the scribes that penned the Dead Sea Scrolls and prayed that God would over-throw Rome.
4) Zealots- they sought violent over-throw of Rome.
A dark world indeed.
But in Luke chapter 2 there’s this feeling of everything being right with the world!
It caused me to think:
What would be the perfect town?
Would it have:
• All the right retail stores?
• Restaurants of all flavors?
• Entertainment 24/7/365?
• Clean public restrooms?
• Freshest, most organic food at the markets?
• Low crime and violence?
• Perfect weather?
Ironically, about the only thing Bethlehem had on the above list was a very mild climate.
Here are a few interesting facts about Bethlehem, some of which I was not aware:
• It is only a handful of miles south of Jerusalem.
• Known as the City of David: David was born there and anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel.
o How appropriate that the King of Kings would also be born there?
• At the time of Jesus’ birth, it is believed that the population was no more than about 300 people.
• Bethlehem means “house of bread”.
o I find it interesting that Jesus called Himself the “bread of life”.
• Mild climate made it perfect for orchards and vineyards
• It was also where lambs were raised for temple sacrifice. See the symbolism there?
• Rachel, who we read about earlier in scripture, was buried there and her tomb still exists near the entrance of the city.
Bethlehem is rich in history.
Perhaps not a perfect city as we envision, but God deemed it the perfect city for our Savior to be born.
Christ was brought into this world under humble circumstances that few witnessed, but His return will be seen by all the world!
Again, such a peaceful picture of the nativity as depicted in 2nd chapter of Luke.
But I don’t want us to fall asleep in the lullaby of the nativity.
Let’s go to Revelation 12:1-16
It’s kind of a long passage, but it is describing the spiritual warfare that is going on at the exact moment of Jesus’ birth.
(Read from my bible, save v 17 for later)
So much going on here. I won’t pretend to understand it all.
I would like us to read two verses side by side in a couple different passages:
Let’ start with Genesis 3:14-15 (read from my bible)
Then read Revelations 12:2 (and say “in Genesis v 16, God tells the woman she will experience pain in childbirth”)
Read Revelations 12:4-7 again.
Read Genesis 3:15 again.
Now check this out:
Luke 2:13 “and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
V14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.
Some scholars believe that this sudden outburst of praise was because the woman gave birth to the Child and the devil couldn’t stop it from happening.
Christs’ birth was An Act of War that God launched on Satan! And we know who is victorious.
Satan knew he was defeated, but let’s look at v. 17 to help us understand how intense Satan’s attack is on us, especially at the time we celebrate Christmas.
V17: “and the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her off-spring (watch this), who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”
Wow!
We see what was happening in the spiritual world, but at the same time in the physical world, in how Satan was using Herod the Great, to slaughter innocent children in the attempt to slay Jesus.
Herod was an Edomite, which was a rival nation.
Although, Israel and Judah had suffered at the hands of the Edomites, when God sent Moses through the Edomites land, He instructed Moses not to mess with them.
I couldn’t help but speculate that had God instructed Moses to destroy that nation, wouldn’t a lot of innocent lives have been spared?
Have you ever wondered why God hasn’t destroyed something for you in your life? Such as an enemy or a disease?
In those times we must cling to Jeremiah 29:11 “for I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
For some people Christmas time is not a season of joy.
Sometimes it is a season of stress.
Whether it be financial stress,
Or because there doesn’t seem to be enough time to get things done, decorate, wrap gifts, prepare food, etc.
Or due to the loss of a loved one during the Christmas season.
Stand with me as we read Gods Word, and I pray this will bring you peace and comfort.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (read from my bible)
A child is born (human) a son (Hebrew context: anointed one) is given (God) Gave His only begotten son.
And His name will be called (in Hebrew “called” means “addressed by name”)
Wonderful (in this Hebrew context it means “miracle”
Counselor (advisor/resolver)
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
But in our world of darkness, let us focus on the light this Christmas and every Christmas.
If you are taking notes, you may want to write down these scriptural addresses:
Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned”
Perfect scripture for the times we live in!
John 9:5 Jesus said “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world”.
Psalm 18:28 “For you will light my lamp, The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness”
Matthew 5:16 Here’s a good one for the season “Let your light so shine, before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
1 Peter 2:9 “but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”
And lastly, one of my favorite verses in the NT
John 1:5 “and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it”.
That is such a deep, powerful and hope filled verse for us.
Allow Jesus to be your light as we move into this season, and every season
-To those of you online, make it a great week and be a blessing to someone-
