via TJC
“None of the rulers of this age understood the secret and hidden wisdom of God, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory“ - 1 Cor 2:8
The external celebrations of Christmas, with its’ trees, decorations, presents, and traditions, masked the covert story of Jesus’s birth, His real mission. The ‘savior born in a manger’ was a clandestine operation.
The corrupt 70+ sons of God had initiated a rebellion against the Lord of Hosts, seeking to supplant Him. Speaking to Lucifer, the ‘star of the morning, son of the dawn, in Isaiah 14, You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven, above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high.” When God ‘created man in His image,’ some of the sons of God rebelled. They wanted to raise themselves higher than God and establish their kingdoms without Yahweh’s oversight.
For me, the most fascinating part of the Christmas story was how the Father slid His plan to save His sinful children, with a perfect sacrifice, right past the enemy's noses. This plan required a sinless sacrifice from a sinless man without tipping off the ones who needed to execute the sacrifice.
We often think Satan knew God’s plan all along, but the truth is, he didn’t. The title ‘Messiah’ is only referred to four times in the Old Testament. And none of those references directly indicate HOW the Messiah would arrive or save mankind. Like all other created beings, Lucifer and the other sons of God are finite beings. They are not omnipresent or all-knowing. They presumed that such an exalted king would come with pomp & circumstance. The powers assumed such royalty would be readily recognizable.
To have a King arrive in the form of a helpless baby, born in a cave and placed in a filthy animal food trough, was not on anyone's radar. In Jesus, these spiritual beings knew something was up but could not assess why He was here. So, they planned to kill this baby. When an angel warned the three Magi to avoid King Herod upon departing, the spirit within Herod knew he had been tricked. So this spirit aroused Herod to order the execution of all male children who were two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. So the Lord said to Joseph, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” The baby was saved and shielded from the enemy’s sight.
After His baptisms and successful testing in the desert, Jesus began to teach, heal, and cast out demons. Until this point in history, no human had ever controlled the demonic hordes. The spirits were asking, “Who IS this man?” Little did they know that His secret ambition was to give His life away.
God’s plan couldn’t be emblazoned across the Old Testament in transparent statements. It had to be expressed in hidden, cryptic ways to ensure that the powers of darkness would be misled. And it was. Even the angels didn’t know the plan (1 Pe 1:12). (Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm. p. 243.)
So when the time was right, Jesus had to pick the fight. He and His disciples entered Caesarea Philippi in the territory of Bashan, the land of the giants referred to as Hell. The entrance to Hell was believed to be in one of the caves. It was no coincidence that Jesus took the disciples there to reveal Himself and His plans. It was right in the enemy's stronghold!
1st John 1:7,8. Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do YOU say I am?" Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The context here is of the utmost importance! The location is in a stronghold of Satan. Jesus came to destroy the devil's works and establish His church. But to fulfill the law, His secret ambition was to go to the cross. And the principalities had to be baited into killing Him.
Christmas is about destroying the power and works of demonic forces!
Daily Battle Order:
Ever wanted to be part of a covert mission? Choose to become part of the ongoing clandestine Christmas story. Jesus expands His Kingdom through us! Be a threat to the devil.
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