Thanksgiving is behind us, and now we head toward Christmas. Maybe you’ve already pulled out the tree, put up the lights, and hung the mistletoe. For many of us, Christmas makes us think of twinkle lights, wrapped presents, and of course— baby Jesus lying quietly in a manger.
But the problem is that’s where many of us leave him. Our relationship or understanding of Jesus starts and ends with the baby in a manger.
But what if I told you Christmas started a long time ago? Long before Bethlehem. Long before shepherds, angels, or wise men. Long before Mary and Joseph. Long before time itself began ticking.
Christmas is not just a moment; it’s the greatest story of all time. And it started before once upon a time.
We all know the classic opening line of fairy tales: “Once upon a time…” Stories like Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Beauty and the Beast start that way. But those stories, as fun as they are, never actually happened. They’re fiction.
Christmas is not fiction—it’s the greatest nonfiction story ever written.
Paul writes to Titus about “the hope of eternal life, which God… promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2). Before the star of Bethlehem was cast in the sky, God had already written Christmas into the script of eternity.
Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” In other words, the cross wasn’t a reaction—it was the plan. Christmas wasn’t Plan B. It was always God’s plan A. History isn’t random. It’s HisStory.
But like every great story we have an enemy. I call it the Christmas Conflict.
The Christmas story’s conflict begins not in Bethlehem, but in a garden. In Genesis 3, the serpent deceives humanity, and sin enters the world. But in the middle of judgment, God speaks a promise: “He (Jesus) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” — Genesis 3:15
This is the first hint of Christmas. The first prophecy of Jesus. The first glimpse of the Savior who would come one day to defeat the enemy. Because yes—there is an enemy. Not the Grinch, not a wicked witch, not a movie villain… but the devil himself.
Peter reminds us: “Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion…” — 1 Peter 5:8 Satan hates Christmas because Christmas means his defeat.
But we don’t need to fear the enemy of Christmas because we have a Hero. Ours arrives through promises made thousands of years before the manger.
Jesus is more than a baby in a manger. He is the victor who triumphs over all the wicked work of the enemy in your life. He is the Christ of Christmas. Be part of his story.
Three Christmas Challenges This Week:
- Don’t leave Jesus in the manger.
Let Him shape your heart, not just your holiday. - Fight your real enemy.
Where is the enemy attacking—your marriage, your mind, your peace? Pray. Stand firm. Speak truth. Ask someone to stand with you. - Let God write His story into your life.
Put Jesus at the center. He’s the center of human history—and He wants to be the center of your life.
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