Nativity scenes are everywhere. As I walk through my house, I find little nativities in almost every room tucked into nooks here and crannies there. And rightly so. It’s that time of year. Christmas conjures up images of baby Jesus born in a stable in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling cloths, laying in a manger. But does Christmas ever spark images of a mighty man, a king, defeating the greatest foe who every entered earth’s atmosphere? It should. While the Son of God came to earth, as a weak, humble, helpless little baby, this baby would grow into a man who would do what Adam never did and never could, what David never did and never could, what all those kings of Israel who came before him never did and never could. He crushed the serpent’s head and rescued his people. He grabbed Satan by the nape of his neck, dragged him away in chains, and flung him into a bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1–3). And he delivers his once captive brothers and sisters, his bride, gathers them into his arms and flies them to his Father. This is how Jesus describes what he is doing in Mark 3:23–27 when the scribes question the validity of his casting out demons. There Jesus says,
23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
When the first cries of baby Jesus pierced the night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, the final death knell of Satan rang throughout all creation. The one stronger than the strong man had entered into time and space, and he would ultimately make a beeline for Satan to bind him and rescue his captive people (Mark 1:21–26). Or, to say it in the words of Mark, he would plunder his people. Revelation 20:1–3 describe Jesus’ binding of Satan from the perspective of John in his heavenly vision,
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.
When Jesus bound Satan, he disarmed him of his greatest power over fallen mankind—his power to deceive the nations. Jesus strong armed the strong man and drained the fangs in the serpent’s lying mouth of their full potency. Evidence of this is found in the salvation of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10.
Cornelius, a pagan Roman officer, had no reason to become a worshiper of God (Acts 10:1 cf. “who feared God”). He had no reason to send for Peter and seek a message by which he would be saved (Acts 11:14). Except that God revealed himself to Cornelius irresistibly. Perhaps one day, for the very first time Cornelius looked upon the familiar sight of the Jews worshiping like he had done hundreds of times, only this time he was drawn to God. Perhaps he looked around at the trees, the mountains, the sky, the sea, and for the first time he saw creation testifying to the glory of God. What or who opened his eyes to these realities that were in front of his eyes all along? What accounts for his interest? Jesus has bound the strong man. The deception that was once as thick as fog on a valley floor in Cornelius’s mind and heart had been cleared away and God reveals himself to Cornelius. And ultimately, Jesus reveals himself in the gospel spoken from the mouth of Peter, he pours out the Holy Spirit, and he rescues Cornelius and his entire household. And Cornelius was just the tip of the ice berg. Never before have people from the nations flooded into the kingdom of God like do now that Jesus has bound Satan and reigns on the throne of heaven.
The baby who was born in Bethlehem ultimately grew up to be Satan’s worst nightmare, the one stronger than him who would crush his head, bind him, and take God’s people back. How did he do it? Through weakness in death on the cross. It is fitting that Jesus was born weak. Just as he was born in weakness, he would die in weakness. This is how Jesus would bind Satan in chains, toss him into a pit, disarm him of his deception, and rescue his people. But Jesus also rose again, and he will come again—but not as a baby.
Jesus was born a lamb, and he rose a lion. And now, while he gathers his people to himself, he waits until all his enemies, Satan included, will be made a footstool for his feet (Hebrew 10:13). While Jesus has bound Satan in his first advent, he will crush him completely in his second. So when you see nativities this Christmas, yes, see Jesus the baby born in weakness. But also see the baby who would prove stronger than the strong man. See the baby who in his death ultimately bound the ancient serpent. And also see the king who in his resurrected life will finally slay the dragon when he returns. Let the words of Martin Luther instruct us,
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills, prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him.[1]
[1] A Mighty Fortress is Our God by Martin Luther (1529); translated by Frederic Hedge (1853)
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