the kingdom has landed
Pastor Frank Park | Founding and Senior Pastor
Scripture: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” - John 1:14
Most people think of Christmas as the softest part of Christianity. The cute little baby Jesus in a crib, carols, lights, and lots of great family memories. To be clear, none of these are necessarily bad things. But Scripture paints a very different picture. Christmas is not a bedtime story. Christmas is a battle cry.
The birth of Jesus was the moment heaven breached enemy territory. God did not send a messenger; He came Himself. He did not drop salvation from the sky; He stepped into the story. He didn’t shout from a distance; He invaded the darkness. Bethlehem was not sentimental. Bethlehem was strategic. The manger wasn’t decoration; it was a landing zone.
John doesn’t tell us about shepherds or stars. He goes cosmic:
John is saying something profound:
Jesus didn’t begin at His birth. He began His battle at His birth.
Jesus didn’t start in time. He stepped into time.
That before Mary held Jesus - Jesus held atoms.
THE WAR
Why did He come?
Because humanity wasn’t sick, it was dead.
It wasn’t confused, it was enslaved.
It didn’t need advice, it needed rescue.
Sin wasn’t an infection; it was the human condition.
Darkness wasn’t an atmosphere; it was an occupation.
So God declared war; not with swords, armies, or political upheaval, but with a baby who breathed heaven into human lungs.
THE WONDER
Consider the humility of the invasion:
What kind of God fights battles through vulnerability?
The kind who doesn’t fear losing.
THE APPLICATION
If Jesus entered the world to reclaim what was lost, then He enters our hearts the same way. Not to decorate but to dominate. Not to be a seasonal tradition, but to be King.
Christmas forces a question:
Am I welcoming His presence or resisting His rule?
There is no neutral response to a King who invades.
You receive Him or reject Him.
You bow or you battle.
Christmas is not the story of God coming to be noticed.
It’s the story of God coming to take back what’s His.
Most people think of Christmas as the softest part of Christianity. The cute little baby Jesus in a crib, carols, lights, and lots of great family memories. To be clear, none of these are necessarily bad things. But Scripture paints a very different picture. Christmas is not a bedtime story. Christmas is a battle cry.
The birth of Jesus was the moment heaven breached enemy territory. God did not send a messenger; He came Himself. He did not drop salvation from the sky; He stepped into the story. He didn’t shout from a distance; He invaded the darkness. Bethlehem was not sentimental. Bethlehem was strategic. The manger wasn’t decoration; it was a landing zone.
John doesn’t tell us about shepherds or stars. He goes cosmic:
- In the beginning was the Word : Jesus existed before time
- The Word was with God : Jesus is distinct
- The Word was God : Jesus is God
- The Word became flesh : Jesus stepped into the war
John is saying something profound:
Jesus didn’t begin at His birth. He began His battle at His birth.
Jesus didn’t start in time. He stepped into time.
That before Mary held Jesus - Jesus held atoms.
THE WAR
Why did He come?
Because humanity wasn’t sick, it was dead.
It wasn’t confused, it was enslaved.
It didn’t need advice, it needed rescue.
Sin wasn’t an infection; it was the human condition.
Darkness wasn’t an atmosphere; it was an occupation.
So God declared war; not with swords, armies, or political upheaval, but with a baby who breathed heaven into human lungs.
THE WONDER
Consider the humility of the invasion:
- The King chose weakness
- The Infinite became an infant
- The Creator stepped into creation
- The Commander slept in straw
What kind of God fights battles through vulnerability?
The kind who doesn’t fear losing.
THE APPLICATION
If Jesus entered the world to reclaim what was lost, then He enters our hearts the same way. Not to decorate but to dominate. Not to be a seasonal tradition, but to be King.
Christmas forces a question:
Am I welcoming His presence or resisting His rule?
There is no neutral response to a King who invades.
You receive Him or reject Him.
You bow or you battle.
Christmas is not the story of God coming to be noticed.
It’s the story of God coming to take back what’s His.