The view from the other side

We know that we are on the winning side, don’t we? We have seen the end of the book. There is NO doubt. We win.

Actually we don’t just win at the end, we are winners on the way to the end too. We know that in all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (That’s in the same book). So, we always see life and events as they unfold, through the lens of being on the winning side.

Spare a thought though for what it’s like to be on the losing side…. Let’s look at it from the losers point of view, not to be sorry for him, but to highlight where we are, where we are heading and how we should be positioning ourselves.

Before the creation of the world, Satan made one fatal error of judgement and it has been a losing battle for him ever since. He counted himself equal or greater than Father God and calculated it a good move to make God his permanent enemy. Let’s see it from his point of view for a few minutes…..

We’ll start at the Creation. Now doesn’t that stir up a whole host of emotions? Rage, jealousy, hatred, powerlessness in comparison to the abilities of God Almighty. It made him want to spit. I mean it looked so good. And that man and that woman. Wow. Wasn’t it sickening how much Father God loves them and is so pleased with them? Well he thought, we’ll soon see about that! Did He really think He can get them to overturn all my destructive work? Did He really think that they will be a match for me and all my wickedness?. Ha!

And so we have the temptation and subsequent giving in to it by Adam and Eve. Now that felt like a decisive victory. That’ll put paid to His plans to undo what I’ve done. There is this niggling doubt though. What does it mean when He says that a descendant of that woman will crush my head? Ah well, let’s carry on and make the absolute most of this catastrophe I’ve successfully caused by getting His pride and joy to bow down to me and obey me instead of Him.

From Satan’s perspective the whole of Old Testament history is an account of the madness and mayhem that he can cause, with frustrating counter attacks by Him, that leave satan defeated, exposed and an item of scorn in the courts of heaven. And it wasn’t just Him who brought the defeats. It was those annoying creations of Him that He was so willing to trust and invest in. It was galling to see just how much He loved these people that He had made. More frustrating still was the fact that in every one of them, he (satan) had been able to have a destructive influence making them lie, kill, commit adultery, run away, and best of all, doubt Him. But still He trusted in them, forgave them and worked with them. Does your head in!

And all the while there are all these ‘prophets’ talking about a time coming when the tables will be turned. Can’t they just shut up and give it a rest?

At last they do! 400 years when there are no more prophetic words coming from His Spirit, just to annoy and embarrass me. Peace!

Then…..Whaaaat!! What is going on?? An eruption of activity by His Angels and all over a baby. (Sound of a penny dropping) Could this be the one who will crush my head? Right. Leap into action. Let’s use that useful idiot Herod who works for me. Kill every baby in the vicinity. That’ll do it.

But as we know, it didn’t do it; because our God is always more than one step ahead.

So it’s Plan B then. Here HE is then, that baby that escaped my clutches, here now in plain sight, in the desert (wilderness). Time to sort this. We know who HE is and where HE comes from. What a ridiculous plan. Taking the form of one of these pathetically weak created beings. No contest here. A few good temptations and we’ll have HIM in our power………But Plan B fails.

Plan C. Let’s look at HIS followers. Good. Got one. The weakest link. After three and a half years of utter embarrassment and misery as people flock to HIM, cultivating Judas has paid off. Now we’ve got HIM good and proper. Pharisees and Sadducees work the crowds a treat. Pilate is a pushover. Awkward moment when Mrs Pilate goes on about a dream she had. But we got through that. Job done. Mission complete, HE is safely dead and buried.

But 3 days later…. Whaaaaaat! Rose again? HE can’t have! HE has. Oh no!

40 days on tenterhooks. What’s going to happen now? HE just seems to want to spend all HIS time with HIS followers. Now what’s HE up to?

Ah! Phew! HE’s going. HE’s actually going back home and leaving them. Good!

Oh No! It’s that annoying Holy Spirit. There’s always trouble when HE’s around. So self confident. So enjoying life. So full of fun. So joyful, not a care in the world. Makes you cringe! Rushing wind. Flames of fire. HIS idea of merriment I suppose. Peter gets up to speak. Never liked him. Thought we had him. Look at him now. Not a care in the world….

NOW WHAT! This is AWFUL. Absolute NIGHTMARE. 3000 people who listen to Peter and believe what he says are changed instantly and mysteriously by HIM. We got rid of one Jesus and now look. We have 3000 Jesus look-alikes running everywhere. And they are just like HIM. They even do the same stuff that HE did. Just like HIM. And there’s more and more of them every day. And the annoying carefree laughter of Holy Spirit resonating across the universe. Absolute Disaster. This could be uncontainable….. unless….Plan D perhaps….

Part two next week – It’s all about Jesus, and it’s good, very good.