The Character of Christmas

from December 2022

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The Character of Christmas

by Brent Goodge

We love to read of the angels singing to the shepherds in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. Matthew’s edition presents Christ as the Baby King worshiped by royal emissaries. But have you ever read the Christmas story in Revelation? Both Matthew and Luke presented the Bethlehem story as the Messiah’s arrival to earth. The emphasis of both is to convince the reader that this Baby in the manger was the Prophesied One.

John’s Christmas presentation, found in the book of Revelation, doesn’t allow the reader to dwell on the bleating of sheep, the poetic Magnificat, the glorious music of the angels, or the magi from the East. You can read it in Revelation 12:1-5. Satan, the dragon, was standing ready, waiting for Jesus to arrive on earth, so that he could “devour” Jesus “as soon as (He) was born” (Revelation 12:4).

Revelation’s Christmas story gives us the backstory that Luke and Matthew did not include. Satan and one third of heaven’s angels had been expelled from heaven for rebellion against God (Revelation 12:4). Satan had heard the promise God made to the woman in Eden that One of her seed would crush his head (Genesis 3:15). And Satan was anxiously awaiting the day the King of the universe would step foot on Satan’s territory, where Satan was sure the Creator would be an easy Prey.

Did the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit know Satan’s plans? Of course. What kind of parent sends their child to certain death? What kind of God sends Himself to certain death? What kind of God do we serve? We worship a Creator that once made us in His image (Genesis 1:26; Revelation 14:6,7). And One who committed Himself to the prospect that He would do whatever it took to restore His image in us. Christ was “slain, from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

And so “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” Immanuel, demonstrating to us the glorious loving character 18 // December 2022

of Almighty God (John 1:14; Matthew 1:23). Through Herod the Great, Satan did try to kill Jesus as soon as He was born (Matthew 2:16-18). But in the ignominious death of Herod, God demonstrated to satan what his own fate would be (Matthew 2:19).

The story of Christmas, as the entire story of salvation, is simply a contrast of character. Satan, the king of selfishness (Isaiah 14:12-14), set himself against Jesus Christ, the King

of Selflessness (Philippians 2:5-8). The serpent’s apparent victory, striking the heel of his Creator on Calvary’s cross, was the event that would crush Satan’s own head (Genesis 3:15).

Decisions have consequences. The king of selfishness will die an ignominious death as his vassal King Herod did (Isaiah 14:16-20; Ezekiel 28:18,19). And the King of Selflessness will spend eternity worshipped by those He died to transform, knowing if He could go back, He would never have chosen any other path (Philippians 2:9-11; Isaiah 53:11).

Whose character are you praying to receive this Christmas?

About The Author Brent Goodge lives in Whitfield County, and will never ever understand why God was willing to die to save him.