This is war, like you ain’t seen

This winter’s long, it’s cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it’s final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

-DK

Dustin Kensrue sings these words in his song “This is War”. This song draws out a little sung theme of the Christmas season. Christmas is more than commercial consumerism, it is more than being with friends and family and it is even more than a baby being born in a remote part of the Middle East. Christmas is about the God of the universe declaring war on that which harms His beloved. It is an attack on sin and on death itself.

In 2008 the movie “Taken” was released. In it, Bryan Mill’s seventeen year old daughter Kim lies to him about a vacation she is taking in Europe. While she is there she and her friend are abducted by sex traders. Just before she is taken, she hides under her bed and calls him to beg for his help. In the few seconds he has her on the phone he gives her some instructions and as they are taking her, one of the kidnappers picks her phone up off the floor and Brian says “I don’t know who you are but if you don’t let my daughter go, I will find you and I will kill you”.

Knowing that he has a limited window of time to save her former CIA agent Bryan Mills sets out for Europe and begins his quest to find and rescue his daughter. He searches high and low launching a one man war against the men who are harming and taking advantage of his daughter.

God, just like Bryan, saw His children, His loved ones being harmed by sin and death. While sin had enslaved us and was taking advantage of us, stealing our innocence, He declared war on sin and death because He wanted to come after us and rescue us.

He loved us so much and wanted to rescue us so badly that “He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

As the movie draws to a close, Bryan does find a rescue his daughter. When he does, you can probably guess how she reacts. She reacts like any of us would, by running into his arms. She runs into the embrace of a man who loved her so much he was willing to lay down his life to save her. This is the kind of Father we have in God.

This Christmas, as we’re enjoying our presents, Christmas Specials on TV and time with loved ones, let’s not forget that Christ’s coming was an act of war, a one man assault on sin and death and lets run into the arms of our Father, who has given everything so we could be free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3eGm7nVzWk