Sermons from Moorpark Presbyterian Church

A Power Encounter

by Dave Wilkinson

Hebrews 2:14-15, Revelation 12:1-9

December 20, 1998

1998 seems to be a year to remember great invasions. In the theaters beginning this Wednesday, "The Thin Red Line" well help us relive the brutal battle for Guadacanal. Last summer we got Stephen Speilberg’s powerful "Saving Private Ryan" -- a story of D Day.

In the early dawn of June 6, 1944 a great army began to land on the beaches of Normandy. Almost five thousand ships carrying more than two hundred thousand soldiers came upon a captive Europe. For days afterwards, men and supplies, heavy artillery, thousands upon thousands of pounds of explosives were brought in to assist in that massive invasion of liberation. Rumbling tanks, screaming fighters, and pounding artillery marked that D Day. By contrast, think of God and His invasion of earth. The only sound you hear is a baby sleeping in His mother’s arms.

God invaded this planet but He did so as a baby. His invasion was a quiet invasion. This is the wonder of Christmas. Lying in a cattle trough in a cave that was used for a stable behind a hotel in Bethlehem of Judea was God in human flesh. Here is history’s pivotal point and the only sign we have of it is a baby lying in a manger. In the words of Frederick Buechner: "The word became flesh...Ultimate Mystery born with a skull you could crush one handed. It is not tame, it is not touching, it is not beautiful. It is uninhabitable terror. You can only cover your eyes and shudder before it, before this: "God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God -- who for us and for our salvation" as the Nicene Creed puts it, "came down from heaven."

Hebrews 2:14 says of the incarnation of Jesus: "Since the children share in flesh and blood: He Himself likewise also partook of the same."

Do you realize what that means? If you want to get a feel for the depths of Jesus’ sacrificial step, imagine you becoming an ant-- thinking with an ant’s brain and feeling with an ant’s feelers. And imagine doing it, not just for a day, not just for a year, not just for 33 years; but becoming an ant forever. In some ultimately unsearchable way God the Son took up into His person humanity - forever:

Why did God become a human being? Why Christmas? Two answers stand out in Scripture. The first is revelation. Last Sunday we looked at one aspect of this revelation -- that God has actually experienced what it means for us to be us. God knows us intimately. But God also wants us to know Him intimately. That couldn’t happen by God just writing flaming letters in the sky. It couldn’t happen through mere words. As John says at the start of his Gospel, the became flesh. If God wants us to know Him, He has to put Himself into terms we can understand. That’s what He did. As we watch Jesus of Nazareth at work, at play, talking, laughing, crying, touching, reaching out, turning the tables of money-changers, holding little children in His arms, comforting the bereaved, we see the character of God revealed in ways we cannot miss.

The second word that answers the question "why Christmas?" is redemption. Scripture says that God

the Son became a man to rescue men and women from captivity and to lead them into what Paul calls the glorious liberty of the children of God. It is this intention to rescue us from captivity that I want to work with today.

Now some of you will find what I am going to develop very disturbing. It is very offensive to our modern concepts of human life. It runs against the modern vision of reality. But just for today, as a Christmas gift to God’s word, I ask you to entertain the possibility that the modern world-view: is not the accurate one -- that it fails to see the true picture.

I want to explore three basic tenets of what the Bible says about the human crisis.

First, the Bible says that human beings are in bondage. Most people agree with that. But the Bible goes on to describe that bondage. Behind all the identifiable chains - drugs, alcohol, racism, exploitation of the poor by the rich, tyrannical leaders, wars, violence - lie the deeper chains of sin, death, and the powers of evil.

U Thant, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, asked this question: "What element is lacking so that with all our skill and all our knowledge we still find ourselves in the dark valley of discord and enmity? What is it that inhibits us from going forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest of human experience? Why is it that, for all our professed ideals, our hopes, and our skills, peace on earth is still a distant objective seen only dimly through the storms and turmoil of our present difficulties?"

Maybe we are fighting the wrong battles. Maybe we fail to grasp the hideous nature of human bondage. Paul warns the church in Ephesians 6: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." We’ll explore these verses in detail next summer. John the Apostle writes "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (I John 5:19).. Jesus said "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who sins is a slave of sin" (John 8:3).

The second tenet follows on the first. It is that we cannot free ourselves. Now other world-views, both religious and secular suggest we can. But that is because they understand the nature of the bondage differently. A materialistic child might say that the problem is that he didn’t get the toy he most wanted for Christmas. The cure is to take it up with the grandparents. A Communist would say the bondage is oppression of the workers by the capitalist bosses. The resulting slogan in Marx’s Manifesto was "workingmen of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains." If we are slaves because of ignorance we only need to get educated. If we are captive to our five senses, we need only develop new-ones or deny them altogether. But the Bible says that we are in a prison of sin, death and evil. We are no match for those powers. We are no match for death. If we are going to be set free, it must be from the outside.

Liberation has become a highly fashionable theological idea. The liberation theologians of South America and elsewhere focus attention on people’s need for political and social deliverance. Liberty and freedom are presented in terms of human salvation from inhuman regimes and oppressive structures.

I can understand the attraction of preaching that gospel. I’ve spent some time with the very poor of Mexico and I can see the attraction of the message. But the Bible makes it abundantly clear that even if all forms of oppression are removed from human experience, we will still be crushed and broken by a far greater power than that exercised by loveless megalomaniacs, selfish employers, or indifferent politicians. In other words, the worst tyranny is within. It’s not our environment. It’s us.

An author who was researching the subject of evil in America called talk-show host Maury Povich to ask him if he had a readout on his audience's perspective on the rise in certain types of extreme criminality. Povich had a shocking answer. He said that until recently people excused such criminal acts as child abuse by blaming psychological preconditioners. However, he said, it seemed to him that people were no longer buying these self-exonerating theories as they once had. And he could even pinpoint the moment of change: When Lyle reloaded.

What did he mean by that? He was referring to Lyle Menendez, who, having emptied his shotgun into his parents, watched his mother crawl in her own blood as she begged him to spare her life. Instead, he went out of the room, reloaded his gun, and came back to calmly finish her off. That, said Povich, was the turning point for most viewers of his program. They knew this defied excuse.

In the same way, one of the most remarkable conversions to Christianity was that of the poet W.H. Auden. In 1940, Auden entered a movie theater in a predominantly German section of Manhattan where the Third Reich’s filmed version of its conquest of Poland was being shown. Every time a Pole appeared on the screen, the angry screams of the crowd would resound in the theater. "Kill him ...Kill them!" they would shout.

Auden left the theater tremendously shaken and confounded by this experience of unmitigated hatred he had witnessed. There was no place in his humanistic framework to find a solution to such a moral plague. There was nothing in his philosophical system that could even explain the existence of such inhuman passions holding the minds of well educated, well-dressed people in its grasp. He had come face to face with evil where he believed evil should not exist. That experience in the theater led to Auden’s Christian conversion -- for only Christianity provided an explanation for the depravity he had witnessed and also an effective cure for the depravity.

The Bible says that we human beings are slaves to a complex interweaving of enemy forces. Three words recur in the Bible's description of that web - sin, death, the powers of evil.

The first enemy is sin. It is a hostile, destructive, inward power which will always prevent us from being the people we might genuinely want to be. To meet our need of purification, Christ came as a priest to offer the sacrifice of himself. Verse 17 of Hebrews 2 says that Jesus made expiation for the sins of the people.

The second enemy is death. Death is the direct and inevitable result of sin. It is not the process of dying that holds the most terror, but what happens afterwards. Death is like a scorpion. It carries its real sting in its tail. For after death comes the judgment. Scripture affirms it and conscience inwardly knows it and fears it -- whatever people say outwardly.

It is this fear that has led billions of people, from the most primitive to the most sophisticated, to invent and practice all kinds of rites and rigorous disciplines designed to lessen the punishment and suffering that they fear awaits them on the other side of death. And all this effort accomplishes is to add another religious slavery to the original bondage of the fear of death.

Religion can’t save us. Only God can free us. Only He is a match for the enemy forces occupying our world The Gospel says He wants us to live free . But how does He free us? If He were to storm the compound with force we hostages might be harmed in the process. Can God negotiate? The powers of evil are bent on destroying God Himself. They will not negotiate the release of the hostages unless they can have Him.

So God designed the most amazing rescue plan ever conceived. He decided to make His way into the compound where His loved ones were being held Once inside, He could then make a way of escape. But how can He get inside? If He were to arrive on the scene in all His glory the enemy would see Him, realize the end was at hand, and immediately murder all the hostages.

So God comes by way of infiltration. He smuggles Himself inside. He comes through

the womb of one of the hostages: He is born into the prison. He becomes one of the hostage. The angel said to the shepherds on the hills outside the village of Bethlehem: "Behold I bring you good news -- for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Rescuer, who is Christ the Lord'!

Things begin to heat up right away. Somehow word of the infiltration leaked to the captors. Herod, ruler of Judea, heard that a King had been born. Out of fear lest he lose his kingdom, He ordered all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem to be murdered. Herod was a wicked man. Thousands of people, including members of his own family -- a wife and two sons -- were murdered at his command. To exterminate babies was of little consequence to Herod. He was a power hungry man. He was open to power from any source. He got it from the enemy of God and placed himself into the hands of Satan as a willing tool. That’s what is depicted in that "strange to read on Christmas Sunday and Sheri must have read the wrong passage" from Revelation 12. Revelation 12:4 is about Herod and Satan and Christmas.

Herod stands as a testimony to the fact that, at times (not all, but some) powerful human leaders and institutions can become puppets in the hands of the powers of evil. The enemies tried to abort the rescue plan. But the attempt failed. Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt. When it was safe to return they settled in Nazareth. There the "Rescuer become a hostage" literally disappeared into the woodwork as a carpenter -- living the normal life of the other hostages.

When He was about 30 years old He began to make His move. "The time is fulfilled; the Kingdom of God is at hand." Throughout the next three years He encountered those evil forces in various forms. They suspected why He had come. The unclean spirits cried out: "what do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" (Mark 1:2).

The tension kept mounting. Then prideful, power hungry, religious leaders fell prey to the enemy. Some of the Pharisees and Sadducees joined forces to rid the compound of this Man.

Their conspiracy worked. The forces against Jesus succeeded in getting Him crucified, murdered. And from all indications God's liberation plan had failed. Jesus' closest disciples felt that it was all over. Their hopes were dashed - "hostages forever." The Rescuer was dead. But God knew that the powers really wanted Him, not the hostages. So, in His love, He exchanged Himself for the hostages. As Jesus put it, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:5).

Can you imagine Death roaring with laughter at the thought that the baby in the manger was going to dethrone death and evil? And can you imagine Death and its powers of evil sneering when Jesus was hanging on the cross.

But then Death's confidence and sinister laughter were pierced with the startling realization that Death and the Devil had been tricked. The quiet invasion had just won the decisive victory. Why? Because Jesus Christ in absorbing the sting of death disarmed death and evil. Dr. Peter Josuha once said, "When death stung Jesus Christ, it stung itself to death." And when that God-man rose from the grave, the saying became true: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord."

In the last century a man with a very charismatic personality and a magnetic speaking ability was traveling around England presenting himself as Jesus Christ returned to earth. He claimed to heal the sick, to restore sight to the blind, and to perform other miracles. He managed to gather an impressive following. One evening he was lecturing in a great hall in London, when in the distance could be heard the sound of music, growing gradually louder and closer. A Salvation Army band was approaching the hall. The little group of musicians entered the hall, tubas and trumpets blaring, and they marched right down the center aisle to the speaker's rostrum. The Salvation Army captain motioned to the musicians, and the music ceased. Then he turned to the speaker and asked, "Are you really the Christ? Tell us plainly." "Yes," replied the speaker. "I am the Christ returned to earth." The captain looked at him steadily for a long moment. Then he said to him, "Very well, then. Show us your hands."

That’s the place to look for the truth. For the incarnate God voluntarily, yet painfully, gave Himself into the hands of humanity's captors. The captors celebrated - for they not only had Him, but now no one could ever free the hostages. But to the surprise of the joyous captors and to the surprise of the saddened hostages, He blew a gapping hole in the prison walls. He rose from the grave. Death could not hold Him down. There is no grave deep enough to hold Him captive. He dealt a fatal blow to the powers of sin, death and the devil. For sin's penalty had been paid, and the devil's threat of death was defused. And He began leading the hostages, one by one, out of prison into the newness of life with Him.

Why did God become man? Why Christmas? Because no other power than God Himself could accomplish redemption. Jesus has robbed death of its anguish by defeating the one who constantly makes use of it. The New Testament makes it clear that the coming of Jesus was the beginning of the end for the devil. Hebrews 2:15 says flat out that Christ has overcome the devil's power -- "that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."

I can hear the question you are asking. If, at the cross of Christ, the devil was rendered powerless, why does he still seem so powerful? Peter writes in his first letter that even since the cross , the devil still stalks around the entire world like a roaring lion, constantly looking out for someone to devour. How can that be true and what Hebrews 2:15 says also be true? How can something be powerful and powerless at the same time?

To me it’s like Craig MacFarland’s dog. I met Craig when I was in eighth grade and used to go to his house to watch "Rocky and Bullwinkle" -- I mean I went there to study. The first time I went to his house I opened the gate to find myself confronted by the largest and most vicious dog I had ever seen! It barked furiously and then leapt towards me. I stood there helpless and terrified until, to my immense relief, I saw that this massive, angry dog was chained to a huge stake set in concrete. The chain was a long one and the dog had considerable freedom, but not enough freedom to reach me. I saw I could easily make it to the front door. From then on, whenever I went to Craig’s house I really didn’t worry about his mean dog. I just always checked to make sure that the stake and the chain were still in place.

At the cross the enemy of our souls, the devil, was made impotent, limited and chained down. When he has 'bitten' us it is usually because we have been far too near.

Christ's victorious death robbed the devil of his earlier power and stranglehold over people. Ultimately, the devil will be destroyed completely. But until then believers need to recognize that his power is only a limited power.

It’s not over yet. Someday there will be another invasion. Only this one will hardly be a quiet one. Jesus Christ will one day return to invade this world with force and full glory, with universal recognition. Then it shall be in fact that "the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And he shall rule forever and ever."

The angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby..."

How can we adequately respond to the Christmas news? There are many ways, but I want to suggest just one. This is one of awe and wonder leading to adoration and praise. Don't let the mystery, the glory, of what happened at Christmas in Bethlehem pass you by this year. Take the time to think of what took place there. Then go out of your way, as did the shepherds and the wise men, to praise and adore Him who is the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Do you really feel the absolute uniqueness of Christmas? God became man. And what He did in that event is the single most important event of history.

I realize that this sermon has been an unsatisfactory Christmas Sunday message for some who are here today. It’s not a very sentimental message. It’s about invasions and death and evil and Herod and liberation. This message has been Christmas with a edge. Well the gospel tells us that Christmas does have an edge. The Letter to the Hebrews that describes the incarnation in such powerful words is certainly a New Testament book with an attitude.

I love the sentiment of Christmas. I’m a sucker for sleigh bells, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and gingerbread. All of those things make me feel good. But none of those things can save me. Only God can save me. And I will never truly praise Him for what He has done for me until I understand that Christmas was an invasion where the work was consummated at the cross.

Don't let all the activities of this time of the year submerge the glory of Christmas. Take time to thank him for his invasion of love, and especially take time to allow Him to invade your life with His life, that He might be your Lord and Savior.

I believe God wants for each one of you in this room the greatest Christmas gift you will ever receive, and it is this: He wants you to know that he came to earth as a baby to do His work of salvation as a man for you. If you were the only one who ever lived, you would still be the reason for the quiet invasion. Your whole life can be radically changed if you really know that.