A great 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. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its 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 it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” … Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. Revelation 12:1-5a,17 NIV
“Away in the manger, no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head. The cattle are lowing the poor baby wakes”… to see a red dragon staring into his face.
I’ll bet you have never sung a Christmas carol like that. Can you imagine if Hallmark made a Christmas movie from the verses in Revelation? That might be one I’d watch.
Instead of love-struck couples, beautifully adorned in red and green, joyously decorating the town’s Christmas tree, or Victorian-clad carolers strolling through the snow flurries, the camera would pan in close to the creche to reveal an ugly, seven-headed, ten-horned, red dragon champing at the bit to devour the newborn.
We joyfully celebrate the birth of a sweet babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger, surrounded by cute, Disney-style cartoon animals. Angels sing his praises from glory. The shepherds kneel to worship him. The little drummer boy breaks out in a solo to rival Ringo Starr.
However, the Son of God who innocently nursed at His mother’s breast was, in fact, a mighty dragon slayer. This isn’t the narrative recited at our candle-lit Christmas Eve services, but maybe it should be. With all that is going on in the world today, the Church would do well to preach Christ, the Conqueror.
As I write this, the world is watching the 24-hour news coverage of the horrific attack on Israel, and I am sitting in the waiting room of a crisis mental hospital, praying to God they will admit my grandson, whom my husband and I are raising due to his mother's drug addiction and neglect. Evil has reared its ugly head, both in Israel and in the lives of Jesus’s followers.
Jesus’ birth was the catalyst of war between heaven and hell. The battle began with a baby's cry in the little town of Bethlehem and was won at his resurrection from Golgotha’s grave. Although the evil one no longer has the power he thinks he has, he’s not going down without a fight.
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus (Revelation 12:17 NIV).
We all face challenges and fight some kind of battle. Every. Single. One. Of. Us! We might experience mental illness, financial troubles, health problems, marriage, or family issues. Whatever the conflict, let’s be honest: The nasty red dragon still wants to hurt us. Warfare is hard and can bring us to our knees. Thankfully, there is no more perfect place to be than on our knees in prayer.
I want to write a new Christmas carol. One that accurately depicts the story of Christmas: Jesus was born to die and conquer a dragon who tried to devour Him and then turned his attention to us. But God! God intervened and overcame him, and we can, too, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
My testimony is this: the body of Christ is alive and well. During this current struggle with my grandson, I have seen Christ’s faithful ones come around my family to help and support us. Without them, this battle would be so much harder to wage. This is the story of Christmas: we will overcome!
Thank you, Jesus! Because You have taught us to be unified and to do the “one anothers,” my grandson will get the help he needs, and my family will be protected. By Your grace, we will overcome the enemy’s schemes that try to defeat us. The battles we fight are Yours. This Christmas, as we celebrate Your birth, may we also celebrate Your victory over evil. Amen and Hallelujah!
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