During the Christmas season, we are happy to haul out the holly and put up the brightest string of lights you’ve ever seen. We even take a few moments to remember that first silent Christmas night when the God of the universe slipped into human flesh and was placed in a manger. We don’t normally think of a seven-headed dragon at Christmas, but according to Revelation 12, in the spiritual realm, that silent night was filled with fury as God broke into the realm of darkness with a Savior and Satan tried with all of his scheming to thwart the plans of God.
As I was studying for my sermon last week, in which I was talking about the realm of darkness from which God has delivered believers. I came across this passage and was struck at the Christmas imagery. I’m pretty sure that reality is not featured in your nativity scene or your Christmas cantata, but it’s just as real as the animals that were wondering what a baby was doing in their salad.
Revelation 12:1-5 says, “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.“
There is way more going on in this passage than just Mary giving birth to little baby Jesus. This is John getting a vision of the spiritual side of eternity. The woman could be seen as Eve and the child is her promised offspring from Genesis 3:15. She could also be the community of believers from both Israel and the Gentiles. This is the wonder of the book of Revelation. There is so much symbolism at work it will make your head spin.
There is one verse in Chapter 12 that really gives me comfort and joy. We see Satan and all of the powers of darkness raging against Jesus and his mother and we are told why his wrath is so great. The second half of verse 12 tells the story. “The devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Satan knows that his time is short. Like a cornered animal he flails about and tries to inflict as much damage as possible but he is defeated. This Christmas, we remember a pivotal event in this cosmic story and we long for the completion of all things. The kingdom of God is here and he reigns in the hearts and lives of his people, and we long for the day when Jesus will return to establish his rule and reign over all.
God has indeed given us a happy rest when we realize the gift that was given on the blessed Christmas day. The words of the 18th century English carol put it well:
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s
when we were gone astray.
“Fear not,” then said the angel,
“Let nothing you affright;
this day is born a Savior
of a pure virgin bright,
to free all those who trust in Him
from Satan’s
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.