Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1314061
32 INVASION Revelation 21:1-7 Invasion. That's probably not the first word that comes to mind when we think of Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son on the day of his bir th. Babies are essentially helpless human beings with no capacity or strength to do what is necessary to survive on their own. They aren't threatening at all unless, of course, you consider losing the possibility of a solid night's sleep for the next couple of years a serious threat to your mental and physical health! The bir th of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, was different. His bir th marked the day that God invaded the territory held by Satan since Adam and Eve's rebellion in the Garden of Eden. None of Satan's minions could stop this one who had been born in Bethlehem from deposing the Prince of Darkness; not the pathetically paranoid Herod the Great, nor the spiritually blinded and power-hungry chief priests, Annas and Caiaphas, nor even the neurotic Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.The bir th of Jesus was God's D-Day, the beginning of the cer tain end to Satan's reign of terror. That's why Advent invites us not only to celebrate the bir th of Jesus but to anticipate the ultimate victory of Jesus. D-Day's behind us; V-Day lies before us. On that day, the final Day of the Lord, Satan's defeat and humiliation will be complete. On that day, sin, death, and evil will be no more. On that day, there will be no more weeping, no more pain, no more brokenness, no more loss, no more disease, no more racism, no more deprivation, no more injustice. The invasion is over, the territory taken back, the evildoers judged righteously, the rightful King reigns and we will have life in the unmitigated presence of our God, life in its most magnificent fullness (Rev. 21:1-7, 21:21-22:5). If you have a manger scene nearby, go pick up the little figure of the baby Jesus. And then allow a wry smile to cross your lips and say aloud, "Satan had no idea what he was in for when you were born. Yea, come quickly, Lord Jesus!" Mark Young President DECEMBER 25