Luke 11:14-22
Christmas is a holiday that brings powerful, deep-seated memories to those who grew up with this celebration. It is a holiday that is much anticipated by children. One of my family traditions was to have an advent calendar that we took turns opening. The calendar was a picture of a Christmas scene, perhaps a picture of Jesus in the manger with shepherds and wise men looking in at Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Or perhaps it was a picture of Santa Claus and the elves making presents. In the picture were 25 little paper doors, one for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. When it was our turn to open the calendar, we had to look to find the door with that dayâs date on it and then when we opened it, depending on the calendar, there was a picture or some years, a piece of chocolate in the shape of some Christmas item we could eat.
Then at some point a week or two before Christmas, up would go the tree and we would decorate it with the family decorations we remembered from year to year. The day before Christmas, the tree began to fill up with presents under the tree and then, at least in our family, on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus would make his appearance after we had eaten a delicious steak dinner and we would begin to open the gifts.
My family had a minimum of religion involved in our holidays. We went to church on Sunday, but never on Christmas unless Christmas happened to fall on a Sunday that year. When Annie and I were married, we added the celebration of the birth of Christ to our Christmas traditions. We had a version of the advent calendar in which each day of advent, there was a verse from the Bible to read and a Christmas song to sing. We would stand around the piano and sing in three parts, the Christmas songs.
When I think of Christmas, I think of good food, a fire in the fireplace, music, relaxing without a lot of work to do, playing games. Christmas brings memories of peace and comfort. It is a wonderful holiday.
When we think of Jesus at Christmas, we associate those memories with him and think of a soft, gentle and comfortable birth experience. But was it soft, gentle and comfortable?
I have never been pregnant but I am told that in the late months of pregnancy, life can be difficult. I have ridden on a donkey and that was not a pleasant, comfortable ride. So to put a pregnant woman, in her last month of pregnancy, on a donkey and travel to Bethlehem – that must have been a difficult and uncomfortable journey.
The manger where Jesus was born was not really a manger as we see portrayed. It was a cave dug out of the hillside. There was a reason why all the rooms in the inn were full and this was still available. It was not a comfortable place to sit, sleep or give birth.
In material terms, this was not a soft, gentle, comfortable experience. But if we take time to think about it, this should not come as a surprise. With the birth of Jesus, the kingdom of God came crashing into this present age. In meteorological terms, when you have two fronts that collide, storms erupt. When a cold front meets a warm front, there are thunderstorms, tornados and the like. When the kingdom of God came crashing into this present world, storms erupted.
Herod was concerned that his political power was threatened and so when he received news that a âking of the Jewsâ had been born, he ordered the murder of every male baby two years old or younger.
It was the birth of Jesus who we picture lying so sweetly in the manger that was the reason these innocent boy babies were slaughtered by Herodâs soldiers. If Jesus had not been born, those baby boys would not have been killed.
When two fronts collide, storms erupt and people suffer the consequences.
Eight days after Jesus was born, he was circumcised and given the name, Jesus. Mary and Joseph waited forty days after the birth of Jesus for the time of purification to be completed and then took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to God. You have seen babies brought to the church to be presented and dedicated to God. We will have that opportunity later this morning when Osas and Elisabeth bring their son Joshua to be dedicated. This is a sweet moment in the life of the church. We are all smiles and full of good wishes and pleasant expectations.
When Mary and Joseph came to the temple, they found a man named Simeon or perhaps Simeon found them. It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. When Jesus was brought into the temple courts, Simeon saw them, took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 âSovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.â
33 The childâs father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: âThis child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.â
In the midst of this pleasant ceremony, Joseph and Mary heard words that could hardly have been comforting.
A cold front crashed into a warm front and a storm erupted. The birth of Jesus brought the kingdom of God crashing into this present age and this, Simeon prophesied, would cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. And in a second storm, Mary herself would suffer as if a sword were to pierce her soul.
From a human, material perspective, the birth of Christ was not the warm, comfortable, sweet experience we think of. It brought with it discomfort, suffering and turmoil.
In addition to this material world, there is a world of which we are mostly unaware. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devilâs schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
There is a spiritual battle taking place about which we know very little. Writers sometimes try to depict this battle, but how close they are to what is actually happening is anyoneâs guess. What we do know is that God and his angels are in battle with the devil and his demons. When writers write about this supernatural battle, they take their clue from a passage in Daniel in which Daniel received a visit from an angel who spoke to him
Daniel 10
Then [the angel] continued, âDo not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.â
We are not given details of this struggle but it is clear that there is a struggle taking place. Satan has power in this world so that he is referred to in Johnâs gospel as prince of this world.
Luke affirmed this when he recorded the dialog between Jesus and the devil who tempted him in the wilderness,
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, âI will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours.â
Satan was ruler of this world and when Jesus came, an attack was made on his kingdom.
In Matthewâs gospel, there is a line from Jesus that has been much debated.
Matthew 11:12
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
Some say this refers to attacks against Jesus from Herod and the Pharisees, others think this refers to the supernatural opposition to Jesus. Others think this refers to the struggle we face in entering the kingdom of God. I think all of these are part of the truth.
The kingdom of God did not and does not come easily into this world. The kingdom of God came with force into this world and began to confront the forces of evil. The coming of Jesus was a declaration of war against Satan and his forces. Opposition to the kingdom of God comes in the form of humans such as Herod and the Pharisees and in the form of supernatural opposition. And when we work to expand the kingdom of God, we engage in this battle.
This will be the third week in a row that I have quoted Jesusâ response to John the Baptist when John asked if Jesus was really the Messiah. When I read it this week, hear it as a list of the battles Jesus had won. Hear it as a list of victories over the prince of this world.
âGo back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
When the kingdom of God came crashing into this present age, two fronts collided and storms erupted. Storms erupted in this material world and in the supernatural world and so it should not come as a surprise how much of the ministry of Jesus concerned itself with this spiritual conflict.
Jesus fought this battle. If we are his followers, are we too to fight this battle? Can we follow Jesus and sit on the sidelines as this battle takes place?
In Matthew 28, just before his ascension into heaven, Jesus gave to his disciples what is known as the Great Commission.
Jesus came to them and said, âAll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.â
Jesus gave us his marching orders. We are to go out into the world making disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the family of God and we are to teach them what Jesus commanded us to do. What is it that Jesus commanded us to do?
There are two times in the ministry of Jesus when he sent out his disciples to do what he commanded us in the Great Commission. He began on a small scale, instructing just his twelve closest disciples and then he expanded this when he sent out seventy-two disciples in teams of two.
Jesus had been training these followers. He had demonstrated for them what they were to do. They had watched and learned and now he gave them a chance to do for themselves what he had been doing. Jesus had been engaging in battle against the prince of this world, taking victory after victory as he taught, healed and cast out demons. Now his disciples were to be his soldiers in the battle between the kingdom of God and this present age. What instructions did he give them before he sent them out?
Matthew 10
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
7 As you go, preach this message: âThe kingdom of heaven is near.â 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, he gave similar instructions and when they returned they were ecstatic
Luke 10:17
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, âLord, even the demons submit to us in your name.â
Jesus sent out his disciples and heard in their reports that the battle had been joined and that the devil would be defeated. It was no longer just Jesus against the forces of evil. It was now Jesus and all his disciples. It was Jesus and all who would follow him in time to come. And so Jesus in a metaphorical picture of the defeat of satanic powers responded to their reports
18 He replied, âI saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.â
I call this morning all Christians, all followers of Christ, all who are in the family of God, to pick up your weapons and join Jesus in this fight against the devil. Because Jesus is your Savior and Lord and because this is his battle, I tell you this morning that it is also your battle. You do not have a choice in this. You cannot follow Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind without engaging in this battle.
We are in the army of God, how then do we fight against the prince of this world for the kingdom of God?
First of all, let me tell you how we do not fight for the kingdom of God.
Our battle is not against men, women and children. Men, women and children are not our enemies. Our battle is against the supernatural forces in conflict with Jesus and the kingdom of God. Satan uses people without any concern for their welfare in his battle against God. God never gives up in his pursuit of his creation to draw them into his kingdom. He protects and cares lovingly for his creation as he battles.
Although we use the language of the military, there is no place for Christians to use force to advance the kingdom of God. The sword advances the kingdoms of men and women, not the kingdom of God.
As soldiers in the army of God, we follow the instructions of our Lord who taught us to
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
What are we to do in this fight to which we have been called?
We preach the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is near. You can enter the kingdom of God through a relationship with Jesus the Messiah.
Those of us who have been Christians for a while have often heard about the need to share our faith. We are not going to talk a lot about that this morning and there are helpful and unhelpful ways to share our faith. We share our faith by our actions and that is a powerful form of witness. But Jesus told us to do more than be a witness. He told us to go out into all the world and preach the gospel.
The word translated preach is in Hebrew associated with pouring out drops of wine or honey or water. When we preach, we pour out words and the words we pour out bring life. They nourish the souls who receive our words.
When we preach, when we pour out words of life, we are participating with Jesus in his battle against the prince of this world. And each time those words penetrate and someone enters into the kingdom of God, a great victory against the powers of darkness has been won.
We preach and we pray for healing and deliverance. I also donât want to spend a lot of time on this. We talked about healing in the series of sermons on Elijah and Elisha.
For twenty-five years of my Christian life, I thought that healing and deliverance were ministries for the lunatic fringe of the church. But to think that means the gospel accounts of Jesus and the book of Acts do not make a lot of sense when you read them. In Matthew 12 we read that Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute.
An argument ensued and the Pharisees accused Jesus of being from the devil because of what he had done. In Jesusâ defense he made this point:
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
The kingdom of God has collided with this present age and in the storms that have resulted, demons are cast out and people are brought whole and healthy into the kingdom of God. We are called to participate in this just as we are called to participate in preaching the kingdom of God.
We are to preach and pray for healing and deliverance. These are our marching orders.
Will you join in the fight?
Are you praying for those in whom the kingdom of God is about to burst forth? You may have someone in your family who is not a believer and you may have prayed for years for them. It is hard to pray day after day, week after week, year after year for someone. But I call you this morning to renew your efforts. There is a battle taking place for the lives of those around you. And you, as a follower of Christ, need to step into that battle and do your part.
If you are battling alone, find someone or a couple people who will agree to pray with you. When you are weak, another person in the group can encourage you and you can lean on their faith for a time. Pray and do not be discouraged. Pray week after week. Persevere in this battle.
My oldest sister came home from college in 1968 and informed us she had become a Christian. We did not react enthusiastically. And of all of us, I was the most critical. She says she went to bed in tears some nights because of what I said to her. And yet I was the next one in the family to follow her into the kingdom of God.
If the person you are praying for is antagonistic, do not be discouraged. The antagonism means he or she is thinking and reacting and in such a life, a battle is taking place. Persevere. Find others to join with you in praying for that person.
Begin each day by praying to be open to the opportunities God will present to you. Tell God when you start out your day, that you want to be in the battle with him. You donât have to advertise for opportunities, God will bring them to you. And when an opportunity presents itself, do not be afraid, do not be timid. Step forward and share your faith, talk about the kingdom of God that has come near. Pray for that person to enter into the kingdom of God.
There is a guardian in the Hilton forĂȘt that Annie and I have befriended. One morning when we came he pulled up his pants and showed a sore on his shin. He had gotten infected and the flesh was rotting. So when we went home, I came back to the forĂȘt with some bandages and antiseptic ointment. I cleaned out the wound and then dressed it. Each morning when we came, I put new dressings on his leg and it healed.
Ever since then, from time to time, he motions to me (since I do not speak Arabic) about some part of his body that is hurting and I pray for healing in the name of Jesus. I donât know what happens but I take it as an opportunity God has presented and it is up to God to communicate with Ibrahim.
Donât be afraid to pray for healing for someone. Enter into the battle. Do what you can to help the kingdom of God enter this present age.
In our Thursday night prayer meeting a couple months ago, a man came who I did not know. In the middle of our singing praise songs to God, he began to make choking noises as if he was having a difficult time breathing. He got down on his knees and then stretched out on the floor and began to move his body in what would be described as a writhing motion.
We did not know exactly what to do. I had read in books about this but was seeing it with my eyes for the first time. Since then I have been told that what we saw was classic manifestation of demonic possession. To tell you the truth, we did not do a very effective job in dealing with this manâs possession. But the next time we come up against this, I trust we will be more effective soldiers for Christ in combating the demonic forces present.
The kingdom of God has come and is coming. Fighting for the kingdom of God is not easy but it is what God has called you to. Tell Jesus today that you want to fight with him. Get up out of your comfortable chair on the sidelines and step into the action. Fight for the kingdom of God.
We celebrate this Christmas the coming of Jesus into the world. His coming is more than sentimentality, it is the declaration of Godâs intent to take this world from the prince of this world. Engage in this battle.
