The festivities of Christmas are obvious throughout the country. In this context, and for all intents and purposes of this reflection, I invite you to take a few minutes and read the text found in Revelation 12. You will come to see that this is an unusual text for a Christmas reflection. Nonetheless, I can tell you that it is a text that should be included more frequently in our commemorations of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The word “navidad” (in English, Christmas) or “nativity” originates from Latin and has the original meaning of “birth”. And this is exactly what we encounter in Revelation 12. A birth that is in danger. Christmas in danger. But let’s slow down and take a better look at some of the details of this chapter.

The chapter describes a woman: clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head, pregnant and crying out in labor and agony as she is about to give birth. Another character is the red dragon: with seven heads, ten horns, crowns on every head, and who can sweep the stars of the heavens with his tail. This dragon is positioned before the woman when she is about to give birth so that he may devour her child. The woman gives birth to a son who will govern the nations with an iron scepter. This son is taken up from the woman and taken to the presence of God and his throne. The woman flees to the desert, to the place prepared by God to protect her from the threat of the dragon. A type of “star wars” takes place: the angel Michael and his company fight against the red dragon, who is identified as the ancient serpent, the Devil, Satan, the one who deceives the whole world, the accuser of man. During this conflict, the dragon is defeated.

Then, a loud voice is heard, expressed in the form of poetry. In this loud voice, it is affirmed that Jesus Christ reigns, as the accuser has been thrown out. It is also affirmed that the followers of Jesus Christ conquer by the blood of the Lamb – the cross of Christ – and by the word of their testimony – the Word or gospel of Christ. It is emphasized that the disciples treasured and prioritized their loyalty to Jesus Christ more than their own lives. Finally, the celebration of Jesus’ and his disciples’ victory and the condemnation of the dragon is affirmed.

The red dragon is thrown out of heaven, but obstinately pursues the woman. The woman flees, flying from this new threat with the two wings that she has been given. The dragon is persistent and desires to drown the woman, but the earth, creation itself, helps the woman. With even more fury, the dragon declares war against the disciples. In this context of such a death-threat, the essence of a disciple is described: he who obeys God’s commands and that is faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ. The focus is placed on actions, not only intentions, and loyalty, not only emotional attachment, while following Jesus.

Yes, it is most definitely an unusual text for Christmas. But pastor John of Patmos is given this image of Jesus Christ – his birth that sparked the wrath of the political and religious powers of his time – to encourage the congregations he oversaw. When one looks at this vision together, which includes the poetic explanation of the identity of the son who was about to be born, one concludes that it is the image of the nativity, or birth of Jesus Christ, that the author is describing. I am not the first nor the only one to affirm such a conclusion; take for example Eugene Peterson or Juan Stam, to name just a couple; and there are others who think differently, such as Pablo Richard. But let’s return to our reflection.

John of Patmos is given this image of the birth of Jesus Christ to encourage the congregations he was overseeing. We can imagine him telling them:

“Your faith in Jesus is in danger by the presence and attacks of the dragon, your faith in Jesus is in danger because you experience the temptation to abandon it before hostility, but take heart: Jesus reigns! Jesus has defeated the dragon!”

John of Patmos could continue:

“Yes, the dragon can sweep the stars of the heavens with its tail. Yes, the dragon is before us to devour us. Yes, the dragon is the ancient serpent, the Devil, Satan, the deceiver, and the accuser of our brothers. Yes, the dragon pursues us with fury. Yes, the dragon desires to drown us. Yes, the dragon declares war against us…”

“Yes… BUT… Jesus has been born. Jesus was taken up to God and to His throne. Jesus reigns. Jesus defeated the dragon through his death on the cross. Jesus defeated the dragon through the power of his Word. Jesus threw out the dragon. Jesus knows the days the dragon has left.”

“Take heart!” – says John of Patmos – “remain faithful to God’s commands. Take heart and remain faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ!”

Yes, it is an unusual text for Christmas. A birth was in danger. Christmas was in danger. This is one of the texts particularly rich in political theology (in other words, how the gospel deals with the powers of the world). It is also very pertinent for reflecting upon the current and lamentable reality of violence against women. But there will be another space and better time to meditate on this theme.

Many times the project of God has been in danger. The book of Genesis, which we have been exploring together this year, showed us various dangers that lie in wait for God’s project and for the people of God in Babylon. As we have said since the beginning of this year, the book of Genesis as we know it was pastorally directed towards the group of believers that were in exile in Babylon in order to remind them of their history and of the God to which they belong. To remind them of the history they had been forgetting, and thus forgetting their identity and purpose as the people of God. This group of believers was in Babylon and Babylon was in them: it was getting into their souls. The danger was not “out there”, the danger was within. They were assimilating to the destructive practices of the empire. When Babylon was within their souls, Genesis is there to remind them that they belong to the Lord God, creator of heaven and earth, who wants to bless the nations through them.

The book of Genesis also helps us realize the danger that stalked God’s project and the people of God in Egypt, at least in the beginning. The people of God went to Egypt and Egypt ended up oppressing them. Egypt not only oppressed the people of God, but Egypt also seeped into their souls. The danger was not “out there”, the danger was within. They were assimilating to the destructive practices of the empire. When Egypt was within their souls, Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy are the remedy. They are God’s cure, modeling a better way to live as humans and in community.

God would take them out of Babylon and deliver them to the promised land that they had previously occupied (and where they had been evicted for their abuse against the earth, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner, of course!). God brought them out of Egypt to the promised land that they were to inhabit. But there was an additional task: remove Babylon and Egypt from their souls. Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch are the remedy that would remind them of who they are, of the purpose they have and of the conduct that is expected of them as the people of God.

God’s project has been in danger many times. In the text we have been exploring in Revelation and in the rest of the book, two new dangers are described to us: the hostility of the Roman empire against Jesus and his disciples and the faith that begins to wane in response to such hostility.

John of Patmos, guided by the Holy Spirit, experienced a “video game in virtual reality”, and the same Spirit leaves us with the written record of this experience. Currently we are only exploring one level of this virtual reality game that is the book of Revelation. We can imagine John of Patmos putting the VR equipment on his head, turning on the game, and looking upon a pregnant woman, a dragon, a baby that is to be born, and after he is born, a war in the heavens, a dragon defeated, a dragon furious and declaring war, and Jesus who has conquered the dragon. The level of the game ends and John of Patmos takes off the VR equipment and with enthusiasm is able to declare, “Take heart! It’s worth it! Christ overcomes! It is worth it to continue embracing the cross, it is worth it to continue embracing the Word! It is worth it to continue following God’s commands and to continue being faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ!”

Revelation is the dose of vitamins, through images in virtual reality, that we need to confront the hostility of the system that makes our faith, commitment, ethics, and morals grow weak. Revelation is the book that we will be exploring together throughout 2019. Genesis has given us a lot and surely Revelation will serve us well.

Are we convinced that we need Revelation? Almost convinced? I encourage us to seriously consider experiencing this “virtual reality game” and thus reinvigorate our commitment to Jesus Christ, or if it is the case for some, to begin to walk with Him for the first time.

I end this wishing you a very significant Christmas celebration.