Reflection

This week was an exciting one. The central figure of the entire Bible – Jesus – finally came onto the scene!  I especially enjoyed watching the nativity scenes. Since I’ve been involved in more Christmas pageants than I can count, I was interested to see if their interpretation of the manger and all that surrounded it would be similar to how we portray it in church. It ended up being very similar, yet more realistic, I think. But I was surprised that my initial reaction was, “Wait, why isn’t anyone singing!? What about Silent Night? Where’s the little drummer boy?” So kudos to the producers for portraying the nativity without all of the cliches!

John baptizing Jesus – Image source: http://www.facebook.com/BibleSeries

But before that climactic scene, there was one word that kept coming to mind over and over again: Ego.

When King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that someone interpret his dream without telling them what it was, I thought – Ego! When he made a huge gold statue of himself and demanded that all bow down and worship him, I thought – Ego! And when King Darius declared that everyone must pray to him alone for thirty days, I saw it again – Ego!

But finally, when King Herod ordered that all male children under two be slaughtered because he was afraid of the newborn King of the Jews, I realized again how dangerous Ego can be.

I’ve often wondered what the point of such power is if what comes with it is a constant state of paranoia that someone will come and take that power away from you. However, I see the same egotistical tendencies appear again and again, not just across the generations, but even in my own life. Pride. Ego. Paranoia. Controlling tendencies. All of it surfacing from a fear that letting go will mean that you don’t get what you want. But the truth is, by letting go and humbling yourself to God, you get what you really need.

Theme – From Victim to Victor

The story of Daniel in the lions’ den is a familiar one. It’s one we’re taught from the first coloring pages we do in Sunday School to our very first children’s Bible to our first years in Vacation Bible School. It’s energizing, it’s inspiring, and it’s exciting.

It’s also an Old Testament foreshadowing of an even greater New Testament story: the story of Christ.

Both Daniel and Jesus persevered and obeyed, though they knew they faced a death sentence… Both Daniel and Jesus were betrayed, though they had done no wrong… But it didn’t matter in the end. Daniel was thrown to the lions; Jesus was crucified by the Romans. Neither, however, was abandoned to the grave (Psalm 16:10): When King Darius went to the lions’ den in the morning, he found Daniel – miraculously – alive, a preview of that Resurrection Sunday when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus and heard the angel say, “He is not here! He has risen!” (Luke 24:6).  The Bible 30-Day Experience Guidebook (pp. 85-86)

Everyone has felt like a victim at one point or another. We see the ungodly prosper and we feel slighted. We the evil prevail, even temporarily, and we feel forgotten. Feeling like a victim is a sad, helpless, hopeless feeling.

And for Christians, it’s completely unfounded.

Part of the problem, though, is that we forget the end of the story. We forget that we win! We forget that Christ reigns! We forget that death leads to life! We forget all of this and focus on what’s right in front of us instead. And so we feel like a victim.

But we’re anything but! In Christ, we’re victors! We’re warriors! We’re winners and we’re conquerors! But, in order to get to that truth, we have to take a very unlikely path:

Humility.

The road to victory is paved with humility. We lay our pride aside. We submit to God. We humble ourselves to His will. And only in taking this unlikely path do we finally prevail! “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11).

Discussion (answer one or more in the comments)

1. Throughout Daniel’s story, was he a victim, a victor, or both?
2. Do you see any parallels between your salvation and Daniel’s deliverance? If so, describe them.
3. Is there any obstacle or threat that you face right now? If so, how can you apply Daniel’s story to your circumstance?

Coming Up

• If you’re using The Bible 30-Day Experience Guidebook, complete days 19-24 this week.
• Tune in again next week for Week Four: The Mission/The Betrayal. This week will focus solely on Jesus – his ministry, his miracles, his disciples and his betrayal.
• As you watch, consider next week’s theme: From Religion to Relationship
  
• Join us next Tuesday here on the blog for more discussion!

Related Posts:
Week One: From Death to Life
Week Two: From Slavery to Freedom
Week Three: From Victim to Victor
Week Four: From Religion to Relationship
Week Five: From Darkness to Light
So… Satan looks like Obama? What does that mean?