GLORY TO GOD ...
FOR UNTO you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2 vs 11-14)
In the midst of Israel’s subjection to Roman governance, in their backsliding and self-righteousness, in a season where the primary focus was on compliance to Caesar’s tax decree, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of travel to designated towns and cities to honour tax obligations, the attention of the world was possibly the furthest it has ever been from God. It was at this point, when the world least expected, when no one paid attention to God, when man had forgotten Isaiah’s prophecies about the coming Messiah, that God decided it was time to enter humanity and make good His promise to Abraham – “in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed”. Christ, the eternal Son of God, came to this earth to bring peace between God and man.
As we approach the climax of this celebratory period, with the approach of Christmas day, the overtone of commercialisation and ungodly celebrations characterise the season. A blatant wrestling persists year after year to remove Christ from the centre of Christmas. It must be carefully noted that it was at the point when the forces of evil believed they had successfully turned the world’s attention away from God that He introduced Himself, in the most miraculous way, to humanity. He entered the womb of a virgin, was born as a human baby, and became the sacrificial Lamb of God, saving us, His people, from all the penalties of sin. It was at this point that the most glorious act of God was performed. His entry into human flesh ignited endless praises among the angels, and started an eternal chorus shared between men and angels.
PEACE ON EARTH
Since the fall of Adam, sin receives God’s wrath and judgement. Adam was driven out of his home by God, all the world except Noah’s family was destroyed by flood, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone, the earth opened and swallowed the people who revolted against Moses, Pharaoh and all his army were drowned in the Red Sea because of their pursuit to capture Israel, and Israel on numerous occasions was destroyed and taken captive because of their sins. Satan, our adversary, tempts man to engage in acts of sin with the hope of evoking God’s judgement on man for their actions. The agents of Satan waited in an era where man was self-righteous and idolatrous to see God’s wrath being exercised again on man.
However, the plan of the kingdom of darkness for man’s demise was crushed. Instead of well-deserved judgement, God decided He would come to earth and bear the punishment of sin for man, much to the disappointment and defeat of Satan. Jesus came and defeated Satan in His birth, amidst angelic choirs of rejoicing. Jesus defeated Satan in His life; He lived on earth sinless. Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness in their face-to-face encounter when Satan tested Him at all His possible points of weakness. Jesus defeated Satan in His death by taking away the keys of death and hell. Jesus defeated Satan in His resurrection and His ascension to heaven. Jesus is now our High Priest, thus maintaining peace between God and man by always representing man before God.
GLOBAL REVIVAL AND CHRIST’S RETURN
Again, Satan and his agents progress in their plan to turn away the hearts of man from God. However, as it was in the beginning, the will of God to pour out His spirit on this entire earth is swiftly emerging. The glory of the Lord is indeed covering this earth. His spirit is sweeping the globe swiftly with revival, and we are on the threshold of His glorious return for His saints where, as it was on that first Christmas morning, heaven and earth will again unite in chorus. There will be an angelic shout joined by human voices – where we will behold a more glorious manifestation of God. Man and angel will ring again that joyful song ‘Glory to God in the highest’ when His saints are caught up to meet Him in the air.