Christmas From Revelation

All right....Merry Christmas.

Like I say every year....I’m not gonna preach in that Christmas suit...or else you all would not be paying attention to a single them I’m saying. So...if you missed it...you have to wait till 2025.

Hey before I share a little bit about why we’re here....and what’s the purpose of this and all that....First – can we give another thanks to Mario Perkins for leading our Kid’s reading time.

Okay...now those of you who are part of our church, you might not know this...those of you who are, you should know this....okay here’s what you should know....Mario Perkins is actually kind of a big deal right now...and that’s because he was in the Superman movie trailer!

In fact here’s a picture.

- Pic 1.....

- Pic 2....

Now I show that to say...while he seems nice....look at how mean he is towards Super Man! So we need to be careful!!

No...i’m joking....the reason, I wanted to show those pictures is actually to transition in to what I want to spend just a few moments here talking about this afternoon and that’s by asking this question....who here loves Super Hero Stories?

Anybody? Maybe you have Super Hero movie fatigue...but we all love the concept of Good Overcoming some unwordly Evil right?

Like isn’t that the plot of every super hero movie....there’s an alien or a monster or some powerful enemy that’s threatening the good of humanity...and some hero needs to step in on behalf of the world and save the world...we love those stories, right?

Well here’s why I think we love these stories. We have a deep longing....all of us...to see the brokenness of our world healed.

All of us....I would say even anarchists...dictators....evil rulers....the ones who we do disagree with....at their core....they want things to be a certain way.

There is an enemy...in need of being vanquished.

And while the world labels this enemy in different ways....and some would even say we ourselves are the problem....what the Bible teaches is that there is an otherworldly enemy and his name is the devil. (pause) And he is the source of every evil and every problem known to man.

And book of Romans....in Romans chapter 8, we won’t turn there right now...but the bible says that all of creation...that includes us is longing for what’s called redemption. Say it with me.

Okay, teenagers and preteens this is just a big word that means being saved.

There’s something inside us that longs for the world to made right and for what’s broken to be fixed. (Pause) And friends, this is not only why people love super hero stories....but this why I think people love the Christmas story.

Because at it’s core....it’s the story of redemption. (pause) It’s the story of someone outside of our own world....stepping into our world....and saving us from an other wordly enemy.

Namely, Jesus...who was God and created everything...saw that we were in need of saving from the curse of sin that was brought into the world by the devil....and he didn’t remain distant but came down to our world and defeated the enemy...so that now if we put our trust in Him we can live forever.

But here’s the problem.

Often this amazing story of redemption....the biblical story of redemption...is just lumped in with the other super hero stories like Batman and Spiderman and Superman, right?

Like there’s fun stories...but there’s no way it’s actually real, right?

Well here’s what I want you to know this morning. (pause) The story of Christmas....is actually way more incredible that we realize, and belief in what it means eternality and what it means for us personally should change everything about us.

Okay...this is what I want you to take away from this service...the kid’s choir is fun....the games are fun....the Christmas suit was something....but this is what matters the most.

BELIEF IN THE ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE AND PERSONAL RELEVANCE OF CHRISTMAS SHOULD TRANSFORM US.

I want to just briefly unpack those two phrases....eternal significance....and personal relavance..

What is the eternal significance of Christmas...and why does it matter to each of us personally....that’s what I want to look briefly at..and I want to do this is a different way than maybe we’ve ever heard the Christmas story and that’s by looking at the Christmas story from the book of Revelation.

You say...I didn’t know the Christmas story was in Revelation...well it is and I want to read it in just a second, so if you have a Bible turn to Revelation chapter 12. (pause) If you don’t have a Bible that’s okay – just listen....but if you have one I want to encourage you turn there....but while you’re turning there let me ask you a question.

What is this? Someone yell it out. A Nativity scene.

- Describe (we have one in our window)

Okay there’s two problems....anyone know? 1. Wisemen 2. There’s no dragon!!

Anybody ever seen a nativity scene with a dragon?

Well check this out. I’m gonna read it from Revelation, and I’m not gonna break this fully down....we went through the book of Revelation at the start of this year.

- So lets read....reading from the NLT

- Actually let me say one more thing....the song the kid’s sang.....

Okay, lets read.

Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.

Okay, sounds kind of like the Christmas story....The thing about the moon and the 12 stars was kinda weird....but I’m tracking.

3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth.

Okay...what....now we’ve left the realm of traditional nativity scene’s right?

He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.

Okay....don’t get lost...let me just make it real clear...what’s this saying.

The woman in the story is the nation of Israel in th Old Testament...and spoiler alert...the dragon is a figurative representation of the devil. Okay, and so this is prophetic imagery...it’s showing us that this woman...is gonna give birth to a son who will rule everything...but the devil doesn’t want it to happen.

And if you’ve read the bible....you know the whole Old testament is the story of the enemy trying to stop the messiah from coming, right? But then the promised one – Jesus – is finally born...but he’s only on the earth for like 30 something years and then what happened...verse 5....he’s snatched away in a sense as he goes back to God.

Okay let me read just a little more and then I’ll make it real clear and show you why this matters.

7 Then (I don’t think this is chronologically....i think John is being shown something that happened before all of this) there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

What in the world is all this about....friends this is the Christmas story as seen from the heavenly realms. (Pause). What this passage....I know it can be confusing angels, fighting, a woman a dragon...this is phrophetic symbolism, but what I want you to know is this....The Christmas story is part of an eternal conflict that has been happening since before the world began.

You say....oh that’s crazy talk....it sounds like you believe in batman and superman and all that...well I know it’s unpopular...but this is what the Bible teaches.

That all of the sadness we see in the world is the result of this eternal conflict. (pause) And that in the story of Christmas...while there was a baby in a manger...and all seemed calm and bright, behind the scenes the devil who Revelation describes as this dragon...I’m not saying there’s literal dragons on earth....but the devil was scheming trying to destroy the baby!

And ultimately that baby would grow...and would die...but he wouldn’t be destroyed, because he would defeat death....and ascend up into heaven where he sits now at the right hand of God waiting to come back.

Do you believe this? Because here’s where it get’s personal...this is our second point. The Bible teaches us that this battle is still going on. Jesus has clinched the victory. But he hasn’t returned yet....and while he tarries...did you see what that last verse said that we read? It says:

The devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

Friends, as this war continues...Satan knows the end of the story...he can read Revelation too...he know’s he’ll be defeated...and in the mean time he’s trying to mess things up worse and worse...and here’s what you need to know: EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS ON ONE SIDE OF THAT ETERNAL CONFLICT.

This is why it’s personal because each of us is involved. (pause) When you pass the manger scenes...when you hear the Christmas songs...do you realize that what we’re celebrating was a milestone moment in an eternal conflict in which you are involved and which I’m in involved.

But here’s what makes the story so amazing. (paue) our final point.

THE CHRISTMAS STORY PROVIDES US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THE WINNING SIDE OF THE CONFLICT.

Look at verse 10 one more time....it says: 10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. Verse 12....it says Rejoice!!!

Brothers and sisters...the war may stretch back into eternity past, but the war has been won!

This is what Christmas is about!! The one who was prophesied about from the beginning of time...was God himself who was born in a manger....and now if you put your trust in him...that’s all you have to do....if you say Jesus I want you to be the King of my life, and you truly give your life to him....then you’re on his team...and when he comes back again...and when he defeats sin and death forver...that’s Revelation 19 to the end of the book...you should read it....when he comes back he's not coming back as a baby in a manger...he’s coming back as a conquering King....and he’s coming back with a tattoo on his thigh saying king of kings and Lord of the Lords and the age old conflict with the dragon will be over...but if our faith is in him....than our story is just getting started.

And that’s why we rejoice in the story of Christmas.

Do you rejoice because of the eternal truths...or do you find yourself trying to force yourself to rejoice because of the warm fuzzy feelings of the season?

This isn’t a fairy tale...this isn’t a marvel or D.C. super hero fun story to distract us from the pain of this world.

This is truth...the truth that the God who created time and space, broke time....split history in two and stepped into our story on the holiest of nights....so that we could be holy like him.

- Gonna sing...

And so as we prepare listen to this song....this is part of the sermon...let me read this quote in closing. One of the best quotes on the incarnation I saw this holiday season that hopefully captures both the eternal significance and personal relevance of that Holy night 2000 years ago:

“Christ who in eternity rested motherless upon the Father’s bosom and in time rested fatherless upon a woman’s bosom, clasping the Ancient of Days had become the Infant of Days. What deep descent from the heights of glory to the depths of shame; from the wonders of heaven to the wickedness of earth; from exaltation to humiliation; from the throne to the tree; from dignity to debasement; from worship to wrath; from the halls of heaven to the nails of earth; from the coronation to the curse; from the glory place to the gory place! In Bethlehem, humility and glory in their extremes were joined. Born in a stable! Cradled in a cattle trough! Wrapped in swaddling clothes of poverty! No room for Him who made all rooms! Not place for Him who made and knows all places! Oh, deep humiliation of the Creator – born of the creature, woman! But in His descent was the dawn of mercy. Because we cannot ascend to Him, He descends to us.”

This should cause us to fall to our knees. This is what should change us.

So let’s listen to these words maybe with new ears...as we listen to the song O Holy Night.