CHRISTMAS SUNDAY MESSAGE
"Overwhelming Christmas Time Trials And The Angelic Conflict"
(Matthew 1-2; Luke 2)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

This past week, I talked with believers in our Church who are dealing this Christmas with challenges they view as monumental:

(1) A Christian who teaches in a public classroom reported to me that he had to announce to his class that one of its students' parents died while smoking in bed. His cigarette had lit the bed sheets and the man had burned to death.

When the teacher announced this tragedy, a number of students in the class laughed! Fortunately, the deceased man's daughter was absent from the class at the time, but the teacher was astounded!

This school teacher wondered: "How am I supposed to BEGIN to teach a class where its students don't have the same conscience, the same value of human life as I have?!"

(2) I called one of our Church's senior citizen shut-ins this week, and let the phone ring her requested 10 times. She didn't answer, so I concluded that she was at a Christmas party in her housing unit. I called later and she picked up the phone, b reathing heavily. She had fallen on the floor when I had rung before and was unable to get to the phone. Nurses aids were now with her, but she was feeling awful.

What is this lady going to do now that her health is failing to where she is vulnerable to the decisions of others around her?! She dreads moving to a convalescent center--how will she cope?!

(3) Nadine and I received a pamphlet this week from a Nepauger with the latest theory on Connie's Chronic Fatigue: some believe it may be related to the polio virus. Outbreaks of Chronic Fatigue are noted following polio vaccinations. On the other hand, the psychiatrist at the Institute for the Living thinks CF is all psychological, and that our whole family is suffering from repressed anger to cause Connie's condition!

How then are we to deal with this illness that doctors seem unable to identify or address effectively? Are Nadine, Greg, Joanne and I supposed to feel guilty over harboring some sort of repressed anger and get some help? What should we DO?!



(We turn to the "Need" section in the message . . . )



Need: "Regardless how HARD I try to make this Christmas into something really special, problems in relationships, finances, housing and even health appear unsurmountable! WHY?!"
  1. Christ's birth was surrounded by uncontrollably dangerous events that could easily have DESTROYED Him and His earthly family!
    1. Government taxes fostered a housing/health crisis for them, Lk. 2:1-7.
    2. Herod's reaction to the coming magi resulted in the nativity family's need for a sudden flight into Egypt to save Jesus' life, Mtt. 2:1-14.
    3. In returning to Israel, Joseph was troubled over where to settle Jesus: Bethlehem was Messiah's town--his Hebrew conscience knew that, but Archelaus' reign made the town perilous, Mtt. 2:22; Jn. 7:41-42.
  2. We know from Scripture and secular history that the nativity family's uncontrollable difficulties came from the angelic conflict:
    1. Revelation 12:2-5 informs us that Satan positioned himself to block Israel so as to destroy the Messiah as soon as He was born.
    2. From Scripture we know routes Satan takes to perform such works:
      1. Matthew 4:8-9 reveals that Satan controls the earth's kingdoms: he thus controlled Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great and his sons!
      2. Matthew 4:5-6 shows that Satan knows Scripture. Satan knew Micah 5:2 taught that Christ was to be born in Judea's Bethlehem.
    3. We apply this input to see how Satan threatened Christ at Bethlehem:
      1. Satan biased Caesar to disfavor Herod, and as the murderer that Satan is, probably timed Herod to begin dying slowly 3 years before Christ's birth, Hoehner, Chr. Asps. of Life of Christ, p. 17; Jn. 8:44.
      2. Next, he tempted Herod's sons to vie for his throne. Insecure without Caesar's favor, and stressed by dying, Herod executed two sons 2 years before Christ's birth and changed his will, Ibid., p. 22!
      3. Satan increased this family infighting in Judea near Herod's death, so deeply disturbed Herod changed his will AGAIN, Ibid., p. 22.
      4. As such wills needed Caesar's permit, Caesar read the unfavored Herod's will changes to mean problem instability in Judea. Caesar then scheduled Judea's census near Christ's birth to gain control if anarchy arose after Herod's expected imminent death, Ibid., p. 23.
      5. Thus, Satan's acts put Jesus in harm's way at His Bethlehem birth:
        1. Near her delivery date, Mary faced Judea's Bethlehem taxation crowds with the consequent health care deficiencies, Lk. 2:7.
        2. She also faced deep depression in giving birth in these stressful conditions without friends to possible grave results for her baby.
        3. All Satan needed was the magi from Rome's rival, Persian lands asking for the NEW King of the Jews to incite insecure, son-killing Herod to kill Bethlehem's infants to protect his will and avoid more problems with Caesar, Mtt. 2:1-12! (No wonder all Jerusalem was troubled by the magi, Mtt. 2:3!)
        4. In returning from Egypt to what he as an orthodox Jew knew was Messiah's town, to Bethlehem, Joseph's conscience could have impelled him to settle there in spite of cruel Archelaus' reign, all to Christ's harm, Mtt. 2:13-23; Jn. 7:41-42!
  3. However, in each potentially disappointing, dangerous crisis, God countered with provisions to edify and help the nativity family:
    1. God sent angelic messengers to inform the needed parties about intercepting Herod's infanticide effort (Mtt. 2:12; 2:13-14) and about directing Joseph to settle in Nazareth--not Bethlehem, Mtt. 2:21-23.
    2. God sent angels to motivate extrovert shepherds to celebrate Jesus' birth, making the occasion culturally encouraging for Mary, Lk. 2:8-19. This would counter her getting depressed to Jesus' benefit!
    3. God inserted Himself into man's affairs to edify when the magi arrived: He warned the magi to avoid Herod right after they gave their gifts so Joseph could finance his Egyptian sojourn, and had Joseph flee to protect his family as soon as he had received their gifts, Mtt. 2:12-13!
Application: If we face great obstacles to happiness in family, business, social contacts or government dealings this Christmas, see the source as the angelic conflict (Eph. 6:12 with the context of Eph. 5:22-33; 6:1-4; 6:5-9; 5:1-18a respectively) . To DEAL with it, escape Satan's domain and enter God's kingdom by (1) believing on Christ for salvation from sin, Jn. 3:16; Col. 1:13; 1 Jn. 5: 18. (2) Then fellowship with God via (a) confession of sin (1 Jn. 1:9) and (b) dependence upon the H oly Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23) to (c) obey God's Word for immunity from Satan's plots, James 4:7. (3) Then, as God speaks today by Scripture, keep reading God's Word to STAY on top of crises to deal with them, 2 Tim. 3:16-17. (4) GOD then provides what (a) friends and (b) money we need (c) WHEN we need these to make our Christmas time a blessing!

Lesson: Though Satan's opposition was a big reason matters were so trying for the nativity family that first Christmas, Go d's intervention to (a) inform, to (b) bring helpful supporters (shepherds and magi) and (c) supply all financial needs by precise timing kept them going.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 If anyone has reason to be under the weather this Christmas, and that due to humanly unrestrainable, overwhelmingly tragic obstacles, it is a young man named Mike.

A while back, just after he was married, Mike fell in a construction accident and was paralyzed over most of his body. As he lay in the special care unit at Hartford Hospital, a concerned Christian asked me to visit Mike and his father. They are from rel igious but unevangelical church backgrounds.

I remember walking up the hall to Mike's special care unit and spotting his young wife pacing back and forth outside the unit door. She seemed in a daze, wondering what life held for her, but she was totally unwilling to leave the area as long as her groo m lay paralyzed and helpless in the special care unit.

I entered and talked briefly with Mike, knowing that I had to be careful in what I said so as to edify in spite of the problems Mike was then facing. I told Mike that God cared a lot about his welfare, and that I would surely remember him in my prayers.

I recall privately asking the Lord for Mike's commitment to Christ and that of his family and driving away from the hospital overwhelmed with Mike's needs! It was a devastating experience!

That was around a year ago. Since then, Mike has gone to reading a King James Version Bible and talking to Jehovah's Witnesses. In making contact with the Christian who first introduced me to him, and due to his own reading, though not a Christian, Mike decided that there were problems with the Jehovah Witness beliefs. He asked for input from the Christian on an important topic, and I sent the Christian copies of a Sunday School series we did on Christology. Those notes with Mike's reading led him to dis miss the Jehovah Witnesses in search of the truth of God's Word. As yet, Mike may not be saved, but he is close--very, very close!

He is also very happy! He now calls this Christian his friend!

God has the power to counter the numerous financial, relational and spiritual challenges posed by the angelic conflict to reach out to a young man who has every reason to be bitter and defeated this Christmas. We need to turn to Scripture, obey it and let God do the rest to handle that conflict for us!