When the King of Kings comes into your life things aren’t always easy. It wasn’t for Mary. Besides the normal struggles of pregnancy, she had to put up with gossip, accusation, and quite a bit of uncertainty. Joseph, a good man, became her advocate and protector. It is good to have an advocate, but no man could control the timing of the birth that would change history. I don’t think my wife, Susan, ever rode a donkey while pregnant, but she often told me how hard it was to get in and out of a car. We’ve visited the place many think Jesus was born. It is a far cry from Northside Hospital, but we still sing of the joy that came to the world as a baby was born in a stable.
The angels sang, “Peace on earth,” but when Christ came into the world, a dragon raised his ugly head. Thankfully God is in control and He is far more powerful than any man or devil. “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up’, he said, ‘take the child and his mother to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’”
I don’t know that things are too much different today. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the Lamb is also a Lion. When He is given free reign in a heart, He expels those things that don’t belong. Sometimes He turns our world upside down. “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written’, he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.’” Of course, any temporary discomfort is well worth it as our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Have your way, Lord” is the prayer of all who love Him for we are chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight.
The surprise may come as we let Jesus shine out of our lives to the world around us. Surely Mary must have wondered why her baby was the target of evil plans. Thirty-three years later she witnessed the murder of her son. “Why, God? If He is the hope of the world, why is He hated? If He is the only sinless man ever to live, why do so many want to kill Him? If He can bring peace, why do the nations rage?”
We know there is a war because there is an enemy. Jesus is the hope for all today, but He is still hated. As the day of His return grows nearer, the enemy works harder and harder to quench all that points to the Savior. Ask my son the fisherman and he’ll tell you the battle is most intense closest to the boat… right at the end of the fight. So don’t be surprised if you sense the activity of the evil one. If you are vocal about the gospel, he’ll want you quiet. If you know your purpose in life, he’ll want to distract or confuse you. If you are sold out for Christ, he’ll tempt you to compromise. Jesus warned of life’s worries, riches, and pleasures that choke those who start to follow Him. Doubt, discouragement, and fear are other weapons in the devil’s arsenal. Who is unaware of Satan’s aggressive quest for the hearts and minds of young people today? He whispers, “There is no truth. There is no right and wrong. Just do as you please.” Paul’s words are for us all: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
In other lands, the enemy is not as subtle. Many have lost their freedom and some have lost their lives for sharing Christ with those around them. I just received a newsletter from a friend who serves the persecuted church in the Middle East. He shared the story of Mohan, a Pakistani brick maker, who refused to quit distributing Christian literature to his Muslim neighbors. One day he was attacked by two men and viciously beaten. His life was saved as people heard his cry for help, but his left arm had to be amputated just below the shoulder. He was asked how this attack affected him. Mohan’s answer inspires disciples and infuriates the one who hates Jesus and all who love Him. “I have lost one arm, but even if a situation was created to cut off my other body parts I am ready for that. I will carry on with my work even if I will be killed. To build the Lord’s kingdom is the mission of my life.”
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17