The Woman, The Baby, and The Dragon
Who Do You Say I Am? • Sermon • Submitted
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· 1 viewThe nativity scene we know it may not have been as peaceful as we depict it. Looking deeper into Christmas we find there to be things both physical and spiritual that occurred at His Birth. What do they tell us about His return.
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Christmas More Than a Hollywood Fascination
Across the United States this morning there are people gathered around a tree, exchanging gifts over the celebration of Christmas.
In fact, about 93% of American households will today participate in a tradition that is millenniums old.
A large portion of celebrants are do not obtain to the Christian faith, and of the 63% of Americans who are professing Christians, a very small number of them profess in the Jesus of the Bible. Sadly, today will be one of the only days they will attend church.
The more we pry the more we might find Christians are not the only ones who believe in Jesus… In fact Christians, are one of three religions that believe in Jesus. Jews believe in Jesus… Christians believe in Jesus… and yes, Muslims believe in Jesus… the differences lie in what or who they believe about Jesus.
Today as we begin this new series, we will dive into who the real Jesus is… (Who Do You Say I Am?) and what a better way to start than by looking at the birth of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ birth was a kinetic event that impacted spiritual, and physical planes, His return will do just the same
Jesus’ birth was a kinetic event that impacted spiritual, and physical planes, His return will do just the same
The Signs Leading to His Birth
The Signs Leading to His Birth
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
Who is the woman
some attribute it to Mary (presents a closed mind as we progress)
she typifies this woman
some attribute it to the Jewish nation (closer but still a bit closed mind as we will see)
they typify the bride or body
What we see here on earth is a reflection of the events in heaven… Spiritual Church (perhaps the better explanation as we progress)
they are a figure of what we would later encounter
Her Clothing
She clothed with the glory of the Sun… what it must have been to carry the Son of God…(Sun of Righteousness Mal 4:2)
The moon under her feet can be attributed too the (teachers, prophets, law) this is that light can only be found in Christ
Crowned with twelve Stars
These symbolize the chosen tribes of God (the Jewish nation)
Travailing, getting ready to birth… Crying out to the creator...
Prior the arrival of Christ His people were crying out or His return
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
This dragon that now appears....
no initial identity but is understood to Satan as we will later see
He was waging war in the heavenly spaces… His tail wipes out a third of the Angels and where do they get sent??
He Stood Waiting for the Birth of the Baby
She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
some of the details missing are the death and resurrection
Abbreviates the birth life death and resurrection
v.6 The woman goes into the wilderness (a place prepared and abandoned)
When we look at the nativity scene all of this was already happening....
The chosen nation was crying for the arrival of the messiah
The red dragon was in the process of wiping out what he could
The baby was being sought to be destroyed
The War in the Heavens
The War in the Heavens
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Given insight into the war in heaven so we would be aware of the tactics
Michael and his angels fought back
His name means Who is like God
They fought until there was no longer room for him in Heaven… his access was revoked
The deceiver of all that is inhabited…
repeat…
The devil and all of his angels are now sent to (not hell, not the great lake of fire, not to any other place but…) to the earth
Job he is asked where he has been he repsonds by saying he’s been going to and fro between heaven and earth… after this He will no longer be able to return heaven
Tactic deployed by Satan
Tactic deployed by Satan
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
The devil accuses day an night
we sing songs about our incense rising day and night
the devil is working on accusing you day and night
Tactic deployed in heaven
Tactic deployed in heaven
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
The life death and resurrection of Jesus is now brought into frame
His birth created an enormous amount of activity
His death had Satan believing they had won
I used to think about the amount of evil that surrounded the cross.
Today I realize the darkness that surrounded wasnt the triumph call as much as it was the complete ejection of satan from heaven
The angels in heaven won for this reason
the birth of Jesus that the heavens, and the chosen nation were shouting for
The blood spilled on the cross
The testimony of those in Heaven
remember Michael (who is like God) that was his testimony
They were willing to lay their life down… how many of us today can say the same?
When we reach vv.12 there is rejoice in Heaven because satan and his angel have been removed...
then we see a warning to the inhabitants of the earth… satan has come down and will use these same tactics on you.... He will deceive… He will take whatever steps he can because he knows his time is short.
vv.13 we note the woman had already given birth and now is on the run from satan… she is protected from the serpent even when the serpent now is no longer just swiping his tail he is spewing out deception…
The earth comes to her rescue… Rem Rom 1:18-32 the creation tries to get progress truth...
Ushering in the Return
Ushering in the Return
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
The woman was the one to bring forth the birth of Jesus…
She is protected
The Serpent turns to the offspring… what is so precious about her offspring?
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The curse spoken in Gen tells us of the war that would hit our door step...
Today the enemy has taken up war against the church… those who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus
Once again we see the church (woman) in the labor pains crying out travailing… this time we are not crying for the arrival of Christ… we cry for His return.
Satan knows his time is short his efforts are reduced to deceiving all of the inhabited earth. He wants you asleep, he wants you to be a part of the people who claim to christianity but don’t even know Jesus
In this travail our ability to overcome is found in (a) the blood of the lamb… but also (b) the word of our testimony
Satan continues to accuse the inhabitants of the earth… but the birthing pains have set in today we not only celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ we confess in His return. And as those in Heaven did we must learn what it means to love not our lives even unto death...
That just as the birth of Christ was filled with a confrontation of powers, His return comes with a tremendous confrontation of powers once more.