THE RESCUE
I Corinthians 15:54-56
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
“ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, “ (Revelation 12:6)
Egypt welcomed the Messiah and his earthly parents as a refuge for royalty.
We aren’t told any details of their time in this foreign land but we know they spent at least two years living apart from the culture they knew.
How kind of our God to bring Egypt, a place remembered for its abuse of God’s people, to become a safe haven for His Son.
The enemy had invaded the hearts of the rulers of that land for generations.
Egypt is seen as land plagued with famine in the narrative of Abraham, with slavery in the generations following Joseph, and with war in the history of the kings. It is representative of a life of slavery to sin within the context of the New Testament.
And yet, this land seen through a lens of despair is brought into focus as the Son of God makes His home there.
The imagery of this truth gives way to a blessed rescue.
Created in the likeness of God, man chose a life saturated in sin. “ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
The propensity towards evil pulls us further away from God, towards Egypt.
But God … He stepped into our Egypt and redeemed us by the blood of His only beloved Son.
It appeared the enemy had won as Jesus breathed His last upon the cross. His heel crushed by Satan as prophesied in the beginning. The demons shouted in victory for the One they had sought to destroy was dead. Their schemes within battle for Christmas had been won!
Then one morning as the sun broke through the darkness the grave burst open in glorious splendor. Death was conquered as the Savior of the world steps into the light of day.
Although the scene on earth appears silent at the resurrection of the King, the heavens rejoiced.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (I Corinthians 15:54-56)
The place we once called home in the land of Egypt has been rescued and redeemed as man is given the invitation to step into the land of promise.
The battle for Christmas has seen victory for the baby born that night so long ago has completed His work!
This triumph brings hope to the human soul still living in a fallen world where Satan continues to roam the earth seeking who he will devour next. For even though the battle for Christmas has been won, the war is not over.
Now we live in the last verse of Revelation 12, “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (v. 17)
Hold fast, beloved offspring! The war continues … but victory will come as we hold to the promise found within the triumph we have seen in the Battle for Christmas!
