On several occasions, I have read a fictional story by Max Lucado called "Cosmic Christmas". It's a story about what it might have been like the night that Jesus came to earth. It speaks of a "war" between God and Satan, with Satan doing everything in his power to prevent Christ from being born. But then while reading Ann Voscamp's book "The Greatest Gift", she made mention to the Revelation Nativity which is found in the 12th chapter of Revelation verses 1-17 and I was intrigued to find out that maybe Max's story wasn't too far fetched....
A great and wondrous 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 his heads. His 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 he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,out of the serpent's reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Tonight as you celebrate with your family the coming of Christ I pray that you look on it in a different way. The celebration of Christ's birth was a "war" between God and Satan. As Mary was preparing to push and give birth, Satan was waiting to devour Him. But as He crowned, He was seized and thrust to the throne being crowned the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! And then after one last attempt, the darkness of evil was thrown out of heaven and defeated! All is calm, All is bright!
You see, even Satan knew what Jesus' coming to earth was going to mean. The greatest enemy to God - one of His fallen angels - knew what God in a manger meant to the world. But the difference between us and Satan is that we can rejoice in His coming! Tonight, remember that God fought a battle for you and He won. He is our Knight in shining armor and has defeated the dragon! He loves us more than anything and He sent His one and only Son to prove it!
Merry Christmas! Joy to the World!
~Donna
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