Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
Christmas Eve, 1995
Revelation 12:1-9
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I. A tense time of year.
A. Christmas family squabbles are legendary.
Movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
Chevy Chase is visited by relatives in a recreation vehicle.
They are staying only a month.
Some of those kind of relatives may be here tonight!
(What do we do with them?? Take them to church!)
B. When everyone is together, tensions are under surface.
1) First Christmas was just like this.
2) Underlying tension of evil king trying to get baby.
3) But there is even more in view - cosmic combat.
a) Nativity sets have animals, Magi, shepherds...
b) One person who should be there, and is missing, is Satan.
II. More than meets the eye.
A. Christmas is actually a great battle.
1) In ancient times, earth was taken over by bad guys.
2) God wanted to get it back, but he knew there'd be opposition.
B. God's secret plan.
1) Do an "end run" - invade where they least expect it!
2) A pregnant unmarried teenager, an obscure village in a small
country, the God-man laid in a feeding trough.
3) God uses the simple things to confound the wise and powerful.
a) He still operates this way today.
b) God wants to conquer our pride and selfishness.
C. Revelation 12 puts Christmas in cosmic perspective.
1) Woman is either Mary or God's people (better).
2) Messiah is obviously in view. 12:5
3) Dragon tries to kill mother and child.
III. Bad guys and good guys.
A. The Dragon is Satan, the ultimate Bad Guy.
1) Satan tried to get Jesus throughout his ministry.
a) Slaughter of innocents, and flight to Egypt.
b) Temptation in wilderness.
c) Inspiration for Judas and cross.
2) Satan is real, though many doubt him.
Humorist Jeanne Robertson tells about a story that appeared
in Southern newspapers a few years back.
The story was about an unusual occurrence at the Porter's Chapel
Church near Erwin, N.C.
The devil was picketing the church one Sunday morning --
startling sinners, frightening small children, and exhorting
passersby to stay away from church.
Folks who passed the little cinder block church on N.C. 82 saw a
red-suited creature with forked tail marching up and down in
front of the church.
He carried a pitchfork in one hand and a sign in the other that
urged people not to attend church.
According to a deputy, people were frightened to death.
Little kids were crying and even some of the grown folks looked
a little upset.
It turned out that the "devil" was only the pastor in disguise.
I know what some of you are thinking.
It's usually the other way around - usually the devil is
disguised as a pastor!
The Rev. Floyd Turlington told Harnett County deputies that he
engineered the masquerade as an experiment in reverse
psychology.
"If you tell people not to do something, then they're going to
do it," he said.
What Turlington had not counted on was the panic that resulted.
Switchboards at the sheriff's office and the Erwin police
department flashed with frantic calls.
There was one interesting sidelight.
Turlington said that one passing motorist stopped his car and
said, "I just want to shake the devil's hand.
I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO HIS SISTER FOR A LONG TIME."
#2942
B. Evil king Herod.
1) "Let me know what you find." Matt 2:8
2) He then kills all the little kids in Bethlehem.
C. God.
1) He protects mother and child in wilderness. 12:6
2) Hints of flight to Egypt and Great Tribulation.
D. Angels.
1) They "hover" in the next dimension.
a) Michael takes on Satan here. 12:7
b) Gabriel announces birth of Messiah in gospels.
2) Takes faith to see them - only godly shepherds are aware.
IV. The good guys win in the end.
A. Once again, God does it in a cunning way.
1) Instead of an all-powerful general, he sends a baby.
2) Instead of a crushing battle, he dies on a cross.
B. The battle isn't over yet.
1) We are still engaged in it.
2) As long as peace is not on earth, we are at war spiritually.
C. Victory will come when Jesus returns.
1) Satan will be vanquished.
2) The Divine Baby shall rule the earth.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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