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The General who became a slave. The Slave who became a gladiator. The Gladiator who defied an empire.
I love the Christmas story!
No, I have not lost my mind. I know, that doesn’t sound like the Christmas story that we typically hear. Sadly, because the Christmas story that we typically hear is not really that accurate.
Christmas is the story of a divine rescue mission; the launching of a revolution; an act of war. Jesus invaded to set mankind free from the curse know as sin and the enemy’s kingdom of darkness. He came to introduce a new “empire” that he called the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is simply God’s rule, God’s government, God’s heart and life for His people – the life for which God created us.
The General of the Hosts of Heaven, God himself, became a baby, the humblest form of mankind. He grew to become a warrior, the Mighty God, to announce the day of vengeance of God against the kingdom of darkness. He defied the empire of the enemy of our souls to set us free from the chains of sin, death and the enemy.
And what was the nature of this new “Empire” Jesus came announcing and demonstrating?
Isaiah 61:1-3
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Mankind had been bound by the chains of sin since Genesis 3:6. We had been alienated from our Heavenly Father. We needed rescuing badly. Jesus came to set us free from the power of the enemy so that we can live the life that God has for us. No more do we need to be bullied by the enemy of our souls who wants to steal, kill and destroy all that God has for us. Jesus came to bring us life – abundantly.
The enemy was so incensed by this divine rescue mission that he used Herod to commit genocide by killing all the boys 2 years of age and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. It’s beautiful to know that Jesus came to announce peace and goodwill as the savior of mankind, but it was because mankind was in bondage to sin and Satan; we had – and have – a very real enemy. Jesus came as the Mighty God to settle the score with the enemy and break us out of the prison of sin we were trapped in.
And He did just that. We have been set free by Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are alive and no longer beholden to the enemy of our souls. We can now live in freedom and life. However, the enemy will contest his defeat to find out if we have truly appropriated all the life, hope, strength and Truth Jesus purchased for us through His divine rescue mission and the launching of the revolution known as the Kingdom of God.
So, I am wishing you a great Gladiator Christmas. May you remember and marinate in all that Jesus (our Glorious Gladiator) purchased for you in His divine rescue mission when the General became a slave, the slave became a gladiator and the gladiator defied an empire.
Merry Christmas!
Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Colossians 1:13,14
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”