The Mystery of Christmas

1 Corinthians 2:7 NET

Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

On this Christmas Weekend, I would like to Invite you to STOP SCROLLING for just a few minutes and instead use those minutes to read something that I felt compelled by God to share with my friends.

There’s a deep and wonderful mystery to Christmas that often gets lost in all the noise of the season and for the few that will take the time to read this, I hope the Holy Spirit uses this to awake something wondrous inside of you that makes Christmas a bit more special this year.

‌ Isaiah 9: 6-7 ‌ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. ‌ ‌ During the Christmas season many will read this passage from the Prophet Isaiah and we will remember that this promise was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus. We’ll have visions of Shepherds in the field, Angels singing in the Heavens, a babe in a manger and Wise Men with gifts. ‌ It is a beautiful scene indeed but it is missing a very important aspect of the story. ‌ We love reading this passage from verses 6 & 7, but that passage is set against the backdrop of verses 4 & 5 which reads: ‌”For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.” ‌ The Midianites were a cruel, brutality oppressive people. After crossing the Jordan in the Promised Land; Israel, God’s Chosen people, abandoned God and were living in Spiritual Rebellion.

Because of this rebellion and betrayal of God, the Israelites were under horrible oppression from these cruel enemies. So much so; that this time had become a part of the collective memory of the nation, just as Egypt was.

God in his mercy, had compassion on his people and sent a deliverer in that day by the name of Gideon.

This is the story that God chooses to bring to his people’s minds when he promises a Son. A story of brutal oppression and hopelessness that was so great, the memory was burned into the collective minds of his people. ‌

Christmas is about the fulfillment of great promises and the execution of a plan that was a great mystery.

The first Christmas day, the birth of the Lord Jesus was a rescue mission. It was a special ops insertion of the Commander of the Angel armies, the Captain of the Lord’s Host, the Most High God himself, behind enemy lines.

His true purpose was to reveal God’s faithfulness to his promises, His great love for us all AND to PICK a FIGHT with the Enemies of our souls.

Jesus, the Promised Son would with great cunning, courage, love and skill, once and for all deliver mankind from the brutal and cruel oppressors we know as the Rebel of Eden and the Fallen that had followed him. ‌ In the Garden, where the fall and slavery of mankind to sin and death first began, a promise was made to Satan.

In case you are unfamiliar with that promise, I was made here in: Genesis 3:14-15 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” ‌ The Rebel of Eden knew, this day would come because he knew WHO it was that was making the promise. ‌ Wars had been fought for thousands of years. Blood had been shed; starting with that of Abel’s in an effort to thwart this promise, and now in the most unlikely of ways the One who made that promise in the Garden comes as a baby laying in a manger.

This Son grows to be a man, lives 12,227 days in perfect obedience to the Father and then purposefully PICKS a fight with the Rebel of Eden and his followers.

In a stroke of the purest of genius (we are dealing with the creator here) this promised Son allows himself to be put to death in a most brutal and publically humiliating way possible. He takes upon himself the full cost of our Sin and Rebellion and willfully gives himself as our ransom.

See, It was always a part of the greatest rescue mission ever, that the conquering King, the Messiah would give his life for us, but that mystery was hidden from our enemies. For if they had known this, they would never have killed him. 1 Corinthians 2:7–9 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ‌ Oh, how the Enemies of God must have rejoiced on the day they killed him and how quickly their rejoicing turned to fear and anger when He showed up in Sheol, snatched the keys of death, hell and the grave from their hands and then walk out of that borrowed tomb resurrected, alive and soon to ascend to the Father’s right hand, having all Authority In Heaven and Earth given to him, because he stripped it from them. ‌ Much like God did in the Days of Midian, Jesus shatters the yoke of our slavery. He breaks the Rod of our Oppressor and the curse of sin is finally removed.

Everlasting life, a return to the Life-giver himself, now freely given to those who would by faith accept the work that had been done and in a love fuel by God’s grace give their loyal allegiance to the Anointed Son of God who accomplished it. ‌ In Gideon’s day the Israelites rejoiced when they heard the Midianite king had been captured and killed and that their days of oppression were over.

How much more, when we celebrate this day we call Christmas, should we rejoice?

The Angel’s declaration on that night said, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people, today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.”

As you celebrate the Christmas event this year, it is my hope and prayer that you see it in the light of the what was once a great mystery, once hidden from our enemies for our sakes and is now to us revealed.

That to us all, a Son was given. A Son who would faithfully fulfill a promise that was given. A promise to rescue us and restore us once again to himself, the One who is truly our“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

For those of us who are in Christ, let the season be filled with our rejoicing and grateful love towards Him. Let us stand in awe of the revelation of a mystery so great that God the Father made sure it stayed hidden until all had been accomplished and our freedom was secured. ‌ If you have not yet given yourself to him and accepted Him as your savior and King, I pray you understand the true Mystery of Christmas and receive the gift of Freedom, Peace and Joy that the Lord of Christmas Offers. ‌ ‌ Merry Christmas to All!