KNU International English ChurchJosh Broward
September 17, 2006
The oldest and most basic story is the struggle between Good and Evil. People everywhere in all times want to remember or at least to hope that Good wins out over Evil. We retell this story in a thousand different ways in a thousand different generations.
One version of this story comes from Greek mythology. We’ll start with the evil character. Zeus swamped the earth with a flood of Noah-proportions. As the flood waters receded, the mud and slime began to bubble and boil. Out of the muck came a fearsome dragon named Python. Python lived in a cave and attacked the people, killing their sheep, stealing their treasures, and polluting their water. The dragon was a living plague, and doom came to anyone who met the dragon.
Far away in another part of the world, Zeus and Leto had a love affair. Fortune tellers predicted that Leto’s child would finally kill the dragon plaguing humanity. When Leto became pregnant with twins, Python chased her relentlessly so that he could kill her. Zeus came to her aid, though. He sent a strong north wind to carry Leto to a deserted island. At the island, Neptune hid Leto from Python the dragon so that Leto could deliver her children. While holding onto an olive tree (a symbol of peace), Leto delivered Artemis and Apollo (the sun god).
After four days, Apollo was already a fierce warrior. (I guess gods grow fast.) Apollo set out to avenge his mother’s near death. Apollo found Python’s cave and called the dragon out for battle. Apollo was a rapid-fire archer, and he filled the dragon with a forest of arrows. The dragon collapsed and rolled around on the ground in pain. As she breathed her last breath full of blood, Apollo cried out: “You will never again bring terror to the people of earth. Nothing and no one can help you now. Your body will rot away in the summer sun.” The god of light rid the world of the dark dragon, bringing in a “golden age” of peace and prosperity free from the oppressing powers of evil.
Romans loved this story, and it became for them a summary story of the cosmic struggle between good and evil. Sometimes, Romans even looked for a leader to emerge who would free them from darkness just like Apollo did.
Nero especially loved this story. After murdering his adopted father, Nero became the Roman Emperor in AD 54. Many people in the Roman senate were looking for a divine savior, and they proclaimed that Nero’s kingdom was the new divine “golden age.”
Nero was happy to play along. He began painting himself like Apollo. He took up Apollo’s favorite hobbies of music and chariot racing. He had idols of Apollo made to look like him. Coins were made with Nero’s face shining out beams of light, just like Apollo. Nero participated in specially crafted religious ceremonies so that the rising sun fell on his face to make him look like the sun god, Apollo. In an overarching act of pride, Nero planned the construction of a 100 foot (30 meter) statue of Apollo with Nero’s face. Nero wanted the world to see him as the savior, the one who crushes all evil powers, the one who sets people free to enjoy peace and prosperity.
Not everything was sunshine and golden age for Nero, though. Nero developed a bad reputation in Rome for his wild parties and huge orgies. He wasted away the royal treasury. He did not care for the army. His secret police plunged Rome into terror with their merciless absolute power. When half of Rome was burning, Nero called for a music concert on his balcony. After the fire was put out, he used the freshly available land to build a new palace for himself instead of rebuilding common peoples’ houses. He also started the first major persecution of Christians. Nero tortured Christians in 1001 ways: lions, whips, human torches, beatings, gladiators.
Nero painted himself as Apollo, the savior of the world. Not surprisingly, as a Christian, John has a different idea. John retells this old, old story once again in Revelation 12. Let’s read it now.
In John’s regular pattern in Revelation, he takes the old stories and images from history, mixes them together, expands them, and reapplies them in his own story. Here John mixes Greek mythology, Roman politics, and the old Jewish stories to retell the oldest story for a fresh generation.
In verse 1, John sees the cosmic woman. She is a blending of Mary’s story, Israel’s story (the twelve stars), and Eve’s story as the mother of all humanity (Genesis 1-3). She is bigger than life, and she is giving birth. (Remember, giving birth is a regular picture in the Bible for the suffering involved in bringing God’s plans to fulfillment. See Isaiah 26:17-27:1). This super-woman has her feet in the delivery stirrups when Evil appears on the scene.
John sees a big, mean, hungry dragon. Python is back and bigger than ever, with 7 heads, 10 horns, and 7 crowns. In other words, this dragon is armed and dangerous. With one swipe of his tail, the dragon knocks stars out of the sky (or maybe lures angels out of heaven to join him in his evil hunger).
When I was growing up we usually had a dog. One of my favorite things to do was to hold a treat just out of the dogs reach. Then I would watch the dog pant and whine and jump, trying to get it, ready to catch it as soon as it falls. The dragon is sitting below the delivery table, licking his lips, with all seven heads twitching with nervous energy, waiting for the baby to come out, waiting to crush it to nothingness in his powerful jaws.
The baby is delivered. The Messiah comes. The Savior of the world comes in a defenseless infant. The Messiah is born as a small baby into a world of dragons.
The dragon pounces. He lunges at the Christ child. He wraps all 7 jaws around the child and bites down. Just as he begins to shake his heads and tear his prey apart, the child is gone. God has snatched the Christ out of Satan’s death grip and brought him back up to heaven.
At this moment, we see a great battle. Michael, heaven’s chief angel, and the dragon, the Devil, hell’s chief angel, wage war. The dragon loses terribly. He and all his angels are knocked down and kicked out of heaven.
We find out a few verses later what has happened. There is a great announcement over the heavenly loudspeaker system (kind of like the announcements through our apartment speaker system that wake me up on Saturday mornings). The announcer cries out: “It has happened at last! God’s power and salvation and Kingdom have finally come! The Enemy of the people is finally defeated. And listen to this: The people have defeated the Enemy through the blood of the Lamb and their testimony because they were not afraid to die.”
Victory came for us through the blood of the Lamb, the Christ Child. The dragon did get the Child. The hungry, evil dragon did kill the Child. Evil powers put Christ on the cross. God did not save Jesus from the cross. Evil won a battle, but by winning this battle, evil lost the war.
Just at the moment when Satan expected his greatest victory, he suffered his greatest loss. Satan wanted to crush Jesus, to crush God’s work in the world, and to crush God’s people. Instead, God raised Jesus from the dead and defeated Satan’s two best weapons: sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross, he broke the power of sin by earning our forgiveness and freedom. When God raised Jesus from the dead, he broke the power of death once and for all. Now everyone - great and small - can have forgiveness, freedom, and true life by committing our lives to Jesus.
Satan is finally and ultimately defeated in the spiritual world. But the physical world has not yet caught up to the reality of Satan’s final defeat. John says, “Look out planet earth! For the Devil has come down to you in great anger, and he knows that he has little time.”
If we think of this as a soccer game, Satan is losing 1000 to 0, and we have 3 1/2 minutes to play. God’s victory is already sealed. Satan can’t possibly win, so he stops trying to win and starts playing for revenge. Satan is out to get the people on God’s team. He’s no longer shooting and passing. He’s taking cheap shots. He is starting fights all over the field.
The message of Revelation is this: God has won the final battle. Don’t give in. Look at the heavenly scoreboard. The Lamb is the MVP. The Lamb has won. The Lamb has won for us all. Hold on to the Lamb, and the dragon can’t hurt you, not in any final way. Testify about the Lamb. People can still switch teams. Don’t be afraid of the dragon. He is the world’s biggest loser and the world’s worst loser. He is just a crying baby throwing a fit. You may get hit by a few of his punches or kicks, but hold on. Keep living the Kingdom way. The final whistle is about to blow. Don’t give up. If you’re with Jesus, you’re on the winning team. Don’t give up. The Lamb has won.
Now I want to let you hear this old story retold one more time. Way back in 1985, a Christian musician named Carman created a dramatic story-song named “The Champion.” Some parts of the song are a little cheesy. It was made in the 80’s after all, but just try to get into the story. Watch and listen.1
In the vast expanse of a timeless place, Where silence ruled the outer space, Ominously, towering it stood, The symbol of a spirit war Between the one name Lucifer, And the Morning Star, The ultimate of good. Enveloped by a trillion planets, Clean as lightning and hard as granite, A cosmic coliseum would host the end Of the war between the lord of sin and death, And the Omnipotent Creator of man's first breath, Who will decide who forever will be the Champion.
The audience for the 'Fight of the Ages' was assembled and in place. The angels came in splendor from a star. The saints that had gone before were there: Jeremiah, Enoch, Job. They were singing the "Song of Zion" on David's harp.
The demons arrived, offensive and vile, cursing and blaspheming God. Followed by their 'trophies' dead and gone: Hitler, Napoleon, Pharaoh, Capone, Tormented and vexed and grieved. Waiting for their judgment From the Throne.
Then a chill swept through the mammoth crowd and the demons squealed with glee, as a sordid, vulgar, repulsive essence was felt. Arrogantly prancing, hands held high, draped in a sparkling shroud Trolled by demons, Satan ascended from Hell.
Then Satan cringed, the sinners groaned! The demons reeled in pain as a swell of power like silent thunder rolled With a surge of light beyond intense, illuminating the universe, In resplendent glory appeared the Son of God.
Then a Persona, yes, Extraordinaire appeared in center ring. God the Father will oversee the duel. Opening the Book of Life, each grandstand hushed in awe as majestically He said, "Now here's the rules. He'll be wounded for their transgressions, bruised for iniquities." When He said, "By His stripes they're healed," the devil shook! He screamed, "Sickness is my specialty. I hate that healing junk!" God said, "You shut your face, I wrote the book!" Then the Father looked at His only Son and said, "You know the rules. Your blood will cleanse their sins and calm their fears." Then He pointed His finger at Satan and said, "And I know you know the rules. You've been twisting them to deceive My people for years." Satan screamed, "I'll kill you Christ! You'll never win this fight!" The demons wheezed, "That's right, there ain't no way." Satan jeered, "You're dead meat, Jesus, I'm gonna bust you UP tonight!" Jesus said, "Go ahead, make my day!"
The bell rang, the crowd cheered, the fight was on, And the devil leaped in fury. With all his evil tricks he came undone. He threw his jabs of hate and lust. A stab of pride and envy, but the hand that knew no sin blocked every one.
Forty days and nights they fought, and Satan couldn't touch Him. Now the final blow saved for the final round. Prophetically Christ's hands came down And Satan struck in vengeance! The blow of death felled Jesus to the ground.
The devils roared in victory! The saints shocked and perplexed as wounds appeared upon His hands and feet. Then Satan kicked Him in His side, and blood and water flowed. And they waited for the 10 count of defeat.
God the Father turned His head, His tears announcing Christ was dead! The 10 count would proclaim the battle's end. Then Satan trembled through his sweat in unexpected horror, yet... As God started to count by saying, "...10..." "Hey wait a minute, God..." "...9..." "Stop! You're counting wrong..." "...8..." “His eyes are moving...” "...7..." “His fingers are twitching...” "...6..." "Where's all this Light coming from?" "...5..." "He's alive!" "...4..." "Oh - nooooo!" "...3..." "And yet," "...2..." "Oh...Yessssss! "...1..."
He has won! He has won! He's alive forevermore! He is risen, He is Lord, He has won! He has won! He's alive forevermore, He is risen! He is Lord!
Proclaim the news in every tongue, Through endless ages and beyond Let it be voiced from mountains loud and strong Captivity has been set free, salvation bought for you and me 'Cause Satan is defeated, And Jesus is The Champion!
Satan loses. God wins.
Evil loses. Good wins.
Selfishness loses. Unselfish sacrifice wins.
Greed loses. Generous giving wins.
Fighting for power loses. Laying down life wins.
Hate loses. Love wins.
Destruction loses. Healing wins.
Bitterness loses. Forgiveness wins.
Fear loses. Courage wins.
Evil loses. Good wins.
Satan loses. God wins.
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Evil loses. God wins.
Retell this old, old story every minute of your life.
1 You can watch this song with a slideshow video at this site: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9153994050918895114&q=carman+champion&hl=en .
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