Jesus’
Birth…The devil’s Plan
Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
Isaiah had prophesied years ago to the Children of Israel that a
Savior would come to free them from the bondage of
sin. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you
a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and he
will be called Immanuel. (NIV)
God was going to send His only Son to be the ultimate sacrifice for a world
that was lost. He would be born through the genealogy of King David. God had
handpicked the earthly parents who would be used as a vessel for his Son to be
brought to the world. Jesus would not be born through the act of intimacy, but
through the implantation of the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be
called the Son of God." (NIV)
Mary,
a young maiden, was engaged to a carpenter name Joseph. She had found favor
with God, and was soon to know that her life would never be the same. God had
mapped out a destiny for her and her soon to be husband, which would be the
greatest honor, to be earthly parents to His only Son. The
angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her the news.
Mary, being a virgin, questioned as to how it would be
possible for her to conceive. Gabriel explained to Mary that it would not be by
ordinary means, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary, being the
God-fearing woman that she was, accepted what Gabriel had told her in the
humblest of ways. She sang praises to God for what He had done. She was not
arrogant or proud, but humbled that He would choose her of all women to be a
vessel for Him.
Joseph, a man of honor, found it hard to accept that Mary
was pregnant other than of natural means. Despite what he felt was an
indiscretion on her part, he did not want to embarrass her publicly. Therefore,
he had decided to end the engagement quietly. However, an angel appeared to him
in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The child
that she was carrying was from the Holy Spirit and it was a fulfillment of what
Isaiah had prophesied years before.
Joseph, in obedience to what the angel had said, took Mary
as his wife. Joseph had to line up with God’s will in order for His plan to be
executed. Once the plan was in place, the devil would then try to stop it
before it ever came to fruition. He did not want God to succeed. He did not
want the world to be saved. He would do whatever was in His power to attempt to
retain control and dominion over the earth. God was at work to save; the devil
was at work to destroy.
Herod, the king of the Jews, was ruler
during the time Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Herod, being a Jew himself, had
heard the prophecies that had been told in regards to a Savior who would save
the world. However, being in his carnal flesh, he did not understand that this
was not to be taken as a threat for his worldly kingdom. The kingdom that the
Savior was here for was the kingdom of God.
After the arrival of some wise
men, who had been following a star leading them to Jesus, Herod became even
more paranoid of the prophecies that were given. He asked the wise men to give
him a full report as to where Jesus was once they found him. He pretended that
he wanted to worship him as well. However, his real motive was to kill, what he
considered to be competition, for this throne. The devil was using Herod to
wipe Jesus out and defeat him before he even had the chance to arrive.
Herod, after realizing that the wise
men were not going to come back to give him a report, decided to take matters
into his own hands. In an angry rage, he sent his soldiers on a mission to kill
every male child in and around the city of Bethlehem who was 2 years of age and
under. He was relentless. He refused to allow anyone, including a child, be a
threat to his throne. He would rule by any means necessary even if that meant
shedding the blood of innocent young children.
The devil was eager to use Herod
to accomplish his mission to destroy Jesus. The devil did not want the world to
have any chance of Salvation. To have this take place would be a step closer to
his sure demise. Satan wanted to kill all chances of God’s people being from
being able to have a close intimate relationship with him. If his plan could be
successful, he would win the earth and take God’s creation with him. He would
be free to forever run havoc on the people of God.
Jeremiah’s
prophecy was now being fulfilled. Jeremiah
31:15 This is what the LORD says: "A
voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her
children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (NIV) The devil enjoyed what was taking place. He
was having a front row seat watching the works that he had inspired through an
evil king. A work that he hoped would gain him success. He thought that Jesus,
being in earthly form, made him more vulnerable to his wicked schemes. What he
did not count on was that God was still in control of Jesus’ destiny. Jesus
wouldn’t be killed until it was time for him to fulfill God’s ultimate plan and
not a moment sooner.
During the night, an angel of God
appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him to escape to Egypt. God already knew
what Herod would be planning and therefore, He had orchestrated a plan for the
protection of His son. That same night, Joseph immediately got Mary and left
for Egypt. They did not return until once again, receiving news from and angel
that it was safe to return. Herod was dead. The devil had lost the fight, but
he would be back for another round.
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