The Quiet Invasion

The Quiet Invasion

The Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

John 1:14

In The Faith, author Charles Colson makes a comparison between the Normandy invasion on D-day, 1944, and the way God “invaded” the world in the birth of his Son.

In one sense, the great invasions of history are analogous to the way in which God, in the great cosmic struggle between good and evil, chose to deal with Satan’s rule over the earth—He invaded. But not with massive logistical support and huge armies; rather, in a way that confounded and perplexed the wisdom of humanity.

It was a quiet invasion. Few people understood what was happening. Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew that she was with child, but she also knew that she had never been with a man, not even Joseph, to whom she was engaged. She had learned of her pregnancy and what was to be a virgin birth when an angel told her that she was pregnant with the Son of God.

For many, including Joseph, the doctrine of the Virgin Birth is hard to accept. But the God who could speak the universe into being, who could create human life, could certainly choose to make himself known by the power of the Holy Spirit through a virgin. . . .

Most of the people in Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth were expecting a Messianic invasion like we saw at D-day—conquerors in armor bringing a sword to set the people free from oppression.

Jesus only added to the bewilderment of the people who knew him when he announced: “The time has come. . . . The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). This was the time the Jews had awaited for so long? Liberation? And who was this ordinary Nazarene carpenter to say he was bringing in the Kingdom of God?^a

In just six days we’ll celebrate the quiet invasion of God on Christmas Day. While it may perplex and confound the human mind, it can still permeate the human heart and free us from oppression. What aspect of this quiet invasion, what freedom that it brings, are you hoping to see in your married life this week?

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.

—Taylor Caldwell

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