The Grinch That Tried to Steal Christmas

TEXT: Revelation 12:1-11

INTRO: It is so reassuring and confidence building to know that God and good will ultimately triumph over Satan and evil. Satan’s mission has always been to steal, kill, and destroy – while the Lord Jesus came that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). We cannot trust in what we see only with our physical eyes in order to determine victory or defeat. In the present time, it appears that Satan has the upper hand and that he will triumph. Yet, we know on the testimony and truth of the Word of God that Jesus has already overcome through His coming to this earth as baby in Bethlehem – death on the cross – ascension to the Father and ultimately He is returning as Victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Don’t let anything take away the joy of victory in Jesus this Christmas or any other time of year!

ILLUS: "Christmas day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp." The Grinch could hardly believe his ears. He begins to get furious, but then something happens. He suddenly “puzzles” how Christmas came. "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." Suddenly the Grinch realizes that Christmas is about more than presents, or decorations, or a feast. He has a thought he’s never thought before: "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store; Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more." SOURCE: "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess

PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches through God’s plan, providence, and power the Lord Jesus Christ and His followers will have eternal victory while Satan and his demons will be utterly vanquished. Make sure you are on the winning team by belonging totally to the Lord!

I. THE OVERSEEING OF THE SOVEREIGN

A. Great Sign Rev. 12:1-2

1. Throughout the years there have been many speculations as to the identification of the woman.
a. Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know from the Scriptures Mary gave birth to the Son of God, but this is not Mary in Revelation 12.
b. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Church did not give birth to the Lord Jesus, rather the Lord Jesus gave birth to His church!
c. Mary Baker Eddy – founder of the Christian Science movement claimed she was the woman in Revelation 12 and the dragon was “mortal mind of man” which was ready to devour her new teachings.

2. The woman in Revelation 12 is a picture of Israel.

3. In Genesis 39, God gave Joseph a dream that Israel would be saved from destruction through him. Genesis 39:9, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
a. Jacob – the sun
b. Rachel – the moon
c. Eleven stars are the sons of Israel – in Rev. 12, Joseph is included in the tribes of Israel.

4. In Romans 9:4-5 we find, “…Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed of God. Amen.”

5. Dr. Grant Richardson explains, “Israel birthed Jesus in His first coming (Romans 9:5). Satan has always attacked the line of Judah, the line of the Messiah. The Devil did everything in his power to prevent the first coming of Christ.”

6. The picture in Revelation 12 is also concerning the Second Coming of Christ – Israel rejected the Lord Jesus as Messiah the first time He came. At His Second Coming, many will receive Him as Messiah and Lord!

ILLUS: “Down the years (Israel) has failed repeatedly, she has failed miserably, but that does not diminish the fact that she belongs to God. He has not written off the nation, he has not eliminated her from his prophetic agenda. Her glory is the glory of the heavens and that explains why Abraham’s seed is likened to the stars in Genesis 15:5. It is not wonder the old devil hates this nation for she is a powerful reminder to him of all that once was his and of the dizzy heights from which he fell.” - Sam Gordon, A Walk through Revelation

7. How many times have we failed repeatedly and miserably – yet God still claims us as His own!

B. Gruesome Satan Rev. 12:3-4

1. The picture Revelation gives us of Satan is of murderous, ferocious dragon. Red, perhaps, symbolizes his murderous motives.

2. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44 that he was a murderer from the beginning.

3. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 1 John 5:19, Satan is described as the “ruler” and “god of this world.”

4. 1 Peter 5.8 describes him as prowling about as a great lion seeking whom he may devour.

5. If you were to ask the average person about Satan, they would probably tell you about a red man with pointed ears, long tail, with some kind of pitch-fork in his hand. That is man’s invention and is not a biblical description of him at all!

ILLUS: “The Bible teaches that the devil is a real person and that he controls the affairs of this evil world. His great objective is to defeat the will of God in the world, in the church, and in the Christian.” – Billy Graham

5. While we must understand that Satan does have power, it is a limited and he is in no way as powerful and strong as the Lord Jesus Christ!

6. No matter how strong Satan’s attempts have been to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ, they have always failed!
a. Satan led Cain to kill Abel – yet God gave brought forth Seth.
b. Satan led Pharaoh to kill all the male babies in Egypt, yet God gave Moses.
c. Satan led King Herod to kill all the babies under the age 2 in Bethlehem – yet God told Joseph and Mary to escape with the newborn Son of God.
d. Satan led the people of the world to put the Lord of Glory, our Savior Jesus Christ, on the cross to die – yet God raised Him from the dead!

7. Everlasting victory belongs to our God and victory also belongs to the child of God.

8. Through the Spirit of God’s indwelling, the Apostle John reminds us in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

ILLUS: American writer Wilson Mizner was himself a talented fighter. One night he and boxer "Mysterious" Billy Smith visited a San Francisco bar, where Mizner started a fight with some sailors. At the end only one sailor was left standing. This sailor would not go down, in spite of the fact that Mizner was hitting him hard constantly. Suddenly, Billy Smith noticed what was happening. "Leave him alone, Wilson!" he shouted. "I knocked him out five minutes ago." On investigation it turned out that a punch from Smith had indeed knocked the sailor out cold, but had also wedged him vertically between two pieces of furniture. Here's an accurate picture of our already-defeated but still standing enemy Satan! Today in the Word, April 3, 1993

9. It ought to fill us with joy and confidence in the Lord today God is greater than the devil and is always victorious.

10. We reverently worship with thanksgiving and awe the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

II. THE OVERTHROWING OF THE SERPANT

A. God’s Son Rev. 12:5-6

1. These verses summarize the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Verse 5 tells us that the devil has failed to overpower the Christ-child in history past.

3. Verse 6 enlightens us to the fact that the devil will fail to overpower the Christ-child in the future as well, particularly the future time of the Tribulation.

4. Satan will once again unleash his fury and wrath attempting to destroy the Jewish people during the second half of the Tribulation period, but God will protect the nation of Israel.

5. God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.

6. The world in which we live needs this reminder constantly, because we know that destruction, disease, depression, defeat, and discouragement are real foes.

ILLUS: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”

7. Let me urge you to receive the free gift of salvation the Jesus died and rose again to give you.
a. If you are without Jesus Christ before the Rapture of the church – Hell will be your home.
b. If you are alive after the Rapture of the church – you will face tribulation like you’ve never known on this earth - and there is no guarantee of eternal life.
c. “Today is the day of salvation,” 2 Cor. 6:2

B. Great Struggle Rev. 12:7-9

1. These verses are showing us a preview of future events – a great battle will take place during the period of the Tribulation.

2. Michael and his angels vs. the Satan and his angels.

3. Archangel Michael is one of the highest ranking angels is God’s army and in the Scripture is seen as coming to the aid of the people of God.

4. Michael’s name means, “One like God.”

5. Satan has always wanted to be God and Isaiah 14:12- 14 tells us this is what God him kicked out of heaven; His selfishness and pride, wanting to take the place of God.

6. No believer can afford to grow weak in their walk with God, because spiritual warfare is very real today!

7. Positionally we are already more than conquerors through Him (the Lord Jesus) who loved us – practically we must also put on the armor of God daily (Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 6:10-18).

ILLUS: The devil is an artist. He paints sin in very attractive colors.

8. The Bible speaks of Satan presently having access to God – yet there is coming a day when he and his angels will be cast out of heaven once for all.

9. Satan is known as the “accuser of the brethren,” constantly bringing up our sins and failures to God.

10. When he reminds you of your past – you remind him of his future! (Rev. 20:10)

III. THE OVERCOMING OF THE SAVIOR

A. Glorious Shout Rev. 12:10-11

1. Just as you get excited when something wonderful happens in your life – salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly something to shout about!

2. Because of Jesus – Satan is on the way down and we are on the way up!

3. Note how the victory is won, “by the blood of the Lamb and the word their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

4. If you and I are to live in the victory Jesus brings, we’ll need these three victory guarantees – the cleansing (blood), the confession (Jesus and what He’s done for us), & the courage to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love!

ILLUS: There is a saying among Italian sculptors, who often miss the chisel and hit their own hands with the hammer: “When the blood flows out, the mastery enters.” It was so with Jesus Christ. It was his death on Calvary that made him the master of our souls. “There is power in the blood.”

B. Gift of Salvation Rev. 12:10

1. God has a plan for every man, woman, boy, and girl and that plan is to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior.

2. Of all the gifts you could receive in your lifetime, this is the most important and necessary.

3. The name of Jesus Christ is the only name by which we must be saved!

4. HE is the One who was born of a virgin, suffered on the cross of Calvary, is risen and alive today!

ILLUS: A little girl was helping to nurse a sick gentleman whom she loved very much. He said to her, “Ellen, it is time I should take my medicine; measure just a tablespoonful, and put it in the glass.” She quickly did so and brought it to his bedside. He made no attempt to take it from her, but said, “Now, dear, will you drink it for me?” “Me drink it! What do you mean? I am sure I would in a minute if it would make you well all the same; but you know it won’t do you any good unless you take it yourself.” “No, I suppose it will not. But if you cannot take my medicine for me, I cannot take your salvation for you. You must go to Jesus, and believe in him for yourself.” Each human being must seek, repent, believe and obey for himself. —Rev. Elon Foster, New Encyclopedia of Prose Illustrations

CONCLUSION: Don’t just look outwardly to see if there is victory available today. The outward look will tell you all hope is lost, doom and gloom! However, take the inward look to the Word of God and the upward look to the Son of God! This Christmas remember that although there is a grinch who tries to steal Christmas…there is a God who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who longs to give you life to the full. Nothing and no one can stop His plan. Today, His plan is to give you a new life if you call upon the saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ!