Wonder Of Advent #23

Wonder of Advent #23

Behind the Scenes

Read: Revelation 12

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.

Revelation 12:4

DEEP WITHIN THE VISIONS of Revelation is a scene involving a woman and her offspring. We see highly symbolic images in this scene of Israel, Jerusalem, and Mary, the bringing forth of God’s nation, his chosen one, and all who would come to believe in him. There are hints of the primeval Fall and an ongoing war between the dragon and the children of God. We get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cosmic conflict involving what God is doing on earth and how the forces of evil are trying to devour his work. In one short chapter, we have the makings of an epic drama on the grandest scale. And Jesus and his people are in the midst of it.

However these word pictures are interpreted—and many are the interpretations—we unquestionably have an insider’s view of the spectacle of a spiritual battle, and there are certainly Christmas themes and images in it. In some ways, it’s a snapshot of the Nativity story, which itself is a snapshot of salvation history. A woman gives birth to a son as an enemy seeks to devour him, but the child is spared, and he accomplishes a great victory and rules the nations. In this larger-than-life drama, an enormous, earth-threatening danger is overcome.

This theme is echoed in our novels and movies again and again. An unlikely hero overcomes the greatest of enemies by destroying a powerful ring or attacking the massive empire that would allow evil to reign unchecked. There’s a reason these stories resonate so powerfully in our hearts. At their core, they are true. They are reflections of the invisible realities behind our visible world. And they always have a satisfying resolution because the real story does too.

Behind the softness of the Christmas story is a hard truth: Evil has thoroughly infected this world and continues to make headlines every day. The hope of Advent is that God is doing something about it and has actually overcome it. The story will continue to play out, but the ending is not in question. Though the battle rages, its outcome has already been decided. The dragon is cast down, and the child has won. And we have every right, even the obligation, to stake our lives on the hope of his promise.

Prayer

Lord, fill my heart with hope. Teach me the language of promise. Let my words reflect the victories you have won. Show me how to live from a position of overcoming. May your Kingdom grow—in my life and in my world. Amen.

REFLECTION

If Jesus has already won the victory, why does evil still wreak havoc in this world? How has God called us to overcome?

Prayer

REFLECTION

From the book