In Revelation 12, John reports a vision of a woman in the throes of labor, about to give birth. The woman, he says, was “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (v. 1). He goes on to tell us that the woman “gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (v. 5). The scene John describes is of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, whom God had promised through the prophet Isaiah, saying, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…” (Isa. 9:6-7a). He, Isaiah had also said, would “strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins” (Isa. 11:4b-5).
John’s description of the woman giving birth, and Isaiah’s prophecies regarding the son she would bear, call our attention to the wondrous events that took place in a makeshift barn carved out of the side of a hill near Bethlehem some 2000 years ago as a young woman’s cries in the pain of labor gave way to the cries of her newborn son, who had come in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies not only to rule the world with a rod of iron, but first to surrender his life on a wooden cross as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
While the vision John describes in Revelation 12 has as its focal point that glorious moment when, with the birth of Jesus, the curse of sin began to be reversed, it also offers us a much wider view of a great struggle that has been going on since the fall of Adam and continues today. The woman in John’s vision doesn’t only represent Mary. Her crown of twelve stars indicates that she also represents Israel, to whom the promise of the Messiah was given, and through whom the Messiah would come, in fulfillment of that ancient promise to Abraham, the father of Israel, that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). But, in John’s vision, as the woman, Israel, is about to give birth, a great red dragon appears, waiting for the child to be born “so that he might devour it” (Rev. 12:4).
What John’s vision reveals is that, behind the quiet scenes we cherish at Christmas time, of the baby Jesus lying in the manger attended by Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, wisemen and various animals, there lies a much more grim picture of the great spiritual battle between God and his eternal purposes, and Satan and the forces of evil, who are quite literally hell-bent on preventing his purposes from coming to fruition. The Christmas story includes that side of the picture as well, as Herod attempted to destroy Jesus by sending an army to slaughter the children of Bethlehem. But, just as Mary and Joseph escaped with their child to Egypt, foiling Herod’s evil plot, John tells us that when the child in the vision was born, he “was caught up to God and to his throne” (v. 5) and his mother “fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God” (v. 6a).
Later in John’s vision, the dragon was conquered by the blood of the lamb, referring to Satan’s defeat by the death of Jesus on the cross. Having been cast out of heaven, however, “the dragon became furious with the woman and went to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (v. 17). We, the church, are the woman’s additional offspring, who have been born into the family of God by our faith in Jesus Christ, and are now joint heirs with him of his glory. What that means for us, however, is that as we pause in a few weeks to celebrate Christmas, and to remember that miraculous night when the eternal Son of God took on human flesh and was born into this world, the great spiritual battle taking place behind the scenes on that night still rages. Though he is already defeated, Satan’s fury is unleashed against us and his one objective continues to be to prevent God’s purposes from being fulfilled in us.
In view of that, we must be prepared to stand firm in the power of the Holy Spirit, equipped with the spiritual armor that has been provided for us (Eph. 6:10-18), “and when [we] have done all, to stand!” (v. 13). And though the enemy of our souls rages against us, let us take heart in the fact that he has already been defeated and the day is coming when he will be cast into the pit, never to rise again! Then, as God promised through the prophet Isaiah, the child who was born in that makeshift cave will sit “on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7)!
Pastor Jon
A Christmas Reflection and a Word of Thanks
As we enter the Christmas season, I find myself thinking about the sheer wonder of what we celebrate. Not simply the familiar images of shepherds, angels, and a manger—but the profound truth at the center of it all: that the eternal Son of God stepped into our world, not out of obligation, but out of the depths of His never-ending love.
Christmas reminds us that God reaches out to us. To those who think they are strong and to those who know they are weak. He calls to the elevated and to the humble. To those who appear impressive, and to those who seem ordinary. He offers Himself to those who seem to have everything, and to those who feel bereft. He offers salvation to those who don’t yet see their own sin and to those convinced of their guilt. The birth of Christ is heaven’s declaration that God is not distant. He is not uninterested. He is not waiting for us to climb up to Him. Instead, He comes down to us. He enters our darkness with His light, our weakness with His strength, and our brokenness with His healing grace. May we have the grace to understand our lowly state and desperate need of Him.
This year, as my family and I reflect on the journey the Lord has brought us through, our hearts are filled with deep gratitude for the community God has given us at Troy Christian Chapel. You have blessed and strengthened us through your prayers, encouragement, generosity, patience, and support. You have cared for our family during difficult moments and walked beside us in ways that have reminded us that the church is far more than a gathering on Sundays. It is a true family created and shaped by the grace of God. And we thank God for each one of you.
So, as we celebrate Christmas this year, may we remember that the same God who came to us in Bethlehem continues to come to us today. He still saves, still adopts, still heals, still calls, still leads, still strengthens, and still invites into His mission and celebration. As we move into the year ahead, my prayer is that we would continue to grow together as a people shaped by His love, grounded in His Word, and eager to share the hope of Christ with our community.
From our family to yours: thank you. Thank you for your faithfulness, your love, and the privilege of serving alongside you. May the peace of Christ fill your home this Christmas season, and may His joy carry us into the new year with hope and expectation.
In Christ,
Pastor Brian