Christmas Peace. Through Superior Firepower.

The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. (1 John 3:8)

One of my favorite things about the Bible is that it is one unified story that points to Jesus. No matter where you are in the story, you can look back and look forward to see the remarkable way that God keeps his one story connected and moving forward to the glorious end, where his Son will return, and all those who believe in him will spend an eternity in the garden playland of the new earth and new heavens.

This is a particularly joyful adventure at Christmas. Lining up the texts to see the threads of salvation and victory that he is weaving.

Let me give you one of those threads — peace on earth through superior firepower, an unequal battle between the kingdoms of God and the devil.

From the very beginning, when mankind fell in Adam, God declares war,

Genesis 3:15 I will put hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.

Leap forward to the story of the offspring of the woman taking the next step on the field of battle,

Mark 3:22-27 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

And then on to the writer to the Hebrews, who moves the scene forward, painting in sharp relief exactly what the Prince of Peace is accomplishing by his incarnation: victory, through superior firepower. Destroying the one holding the power of death — the devil — and freeing all of those held in slavery all their lives to fear of the same,

Hebrews 2:5-18 For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But someone somewhere has testified:

What is man that you remember him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him lower than the angels
for a short time;
you crowned him with glory and honor
and subjected everything under his feet.

For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him. But we do see Jesus — made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone — crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.

For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God — for whom and through whom all things exist — should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying:

I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.

Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement, for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Paul sees clearly how the battle continues in this age, declaring,

1 Corinthians 15:24-26  Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death. For God has put everything under his feet.

One of Jesus’ closest disciples, John, near the end of his life, desires that the church of the Messiah not lose sight of who is winning this war, and why Jesus came on that cold night in Bethlehem,

1 John 3:7-8  Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.

And then Grandpa John presents the vision, the revelation given him by the angel, of where this story was all headed all along,

Revelation 12:10-12  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah
have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury,
because he knows his time is short.

King Jesus is a warrior who “has come to make his blessings known, far as the curse is found.” He has not gone quietly into the dark, it has been no silent night. The light is breaking into the darkness, and the darkness can’t overcome him.

So stand fast, hold high the cookies and cakes, enjoy the presents and profiteroles, delight over full tables and frocked trees — celebrate the season. Because every Christmas marks another progression in a war already won.

The accuser has been thrown down.
The devil’s works are being destroyed.
The last enemy is being abolished.
We have nothing to fear.
Because the house of the devil is being plundered, his head is struck, his time short, his pate soon on a pike.

Joy to the world, indeed.