TEXT: JOHN 10:10

Has someone ever said to you, "What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?" That’s a tension filled question. Why do we have to choose between good news and bad news? Why is there bad news? Why can’t we just hear the good news?

Today we’re going to hear some bad news. That may sound strange to some of you. Isn’t the preacher supposed to preach the good news? Well not exactly. There can be no good news without bad news.

John 10:10 is an excellent example of what I’m saying. Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (NLT). First the bad news: "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy." Then the good news: "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."

Now why would Jesus marry these two statements? Why does He, in the same breath, put the bad news together with the good news? Maybe it’s because the bad news and good news are inexorably linked.

Sometimes we try to shut out the bad news. "Just give me the good news . . . I don’t want to hear the bad news," we say. But with John 10:10, if we read the second statement and ignore the first, we miss something critical. In order to know fullness of life, you must first know that life is opposed. Abundant life isn’t handed to you on a plate. There’s a thief. There’s someone trying to steal the life right out from under your nose.

Listen. You’re in a fight for your life. From the day you were born to the day you die, you’re in a combat zone. You’re slap bang in the middle of a war. Not a physical war. There are no bullets or bombs in this war. You’re in a spiritual war. There’s a great battle between the forces of Heaven and Hell and it’s being conducted right here on planet earth. It’s a violent clash of kingdoms. A bitter life and death struggle between good and evil.

It started in the mists of eternity past. Satan, a mighty and beautiful archangel, rebelled against God. With legions of angels who joined his cause, he attacked the angels loyal to God. But no-one can attack God and ever hope to win, not even the greatest of angels. Satan was defeated - banished from heaven - but not destroyed. Unable to defeat God, he turned his sights on those who bore God’s image. The battle spilled over to earth. Man and woman became the object of Satan’s revenge. The enemy of God entered the Garden of Eden. He lied about where true life was to be found, and Adam and Eve believed him (cf. Genesis 3:1-7).

But God didn’t abandon us. The battle rages on. We tend to think of the Lord as a man of love, and He is. But He’s also a man of war. "The Lord is a warrior; yes, the Lord is his name!" Exodus 15:3 (NLT). We struggle with this designation - don’t we? I’ve never been in a prayer meeting where someone has said, "Thank you Lord for fighting for me. Thank you Lord for being a warrior." Yet that’s what God is. He drowned Pharaoh’s soldiers in the Red Sea. He flattened the walls of Jericho and killed everyone within. He wiped out 120 000 Midianites with Gideon’s 300 men. He struck down 185 000 of Hezekiah’s enemies. And He crushed the Canaanites, Edomites, Perezites, Ammonites, and all the other ‘nites. Don’t ever think you can fight God and win. There has never been and there will never be a knight who can stand against the Lord. He is "The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, invincible in battle" Psalm 24:8 (NLT).

Don’t miss the obvious. War is a major theme through the Bible. Jesus came to fight the good fight. In Matthew 10:34 He says, "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword" (NLT). That’s fighting talk. "The Lord is a warrior."

Listen. The birth of Christ was an act of war. The incarnation was an invasion. And Satan knew it. He tried to kill Christ when He was still a baby (cf. Matthew 2:13). It was a battle from beginning to end. Christ was birthed in blood and died soaked in blood. He resisted Satan in the wilderness, confronted the Pharisees, cast out demons, endured the cross, and was resurrected from the grave. It was hand to hand combat. No quarter given. The Mighty One put His life on the line. He stormed Satan’s lair. Single handedly He descended into Hell and wrestled the captives free (cf. Ephesians 4:8-9; Revelation 1:18). And the battle isn’t done. D-day is coming. Satan’s beachhead will be stormed. Victory is assured. Christ will be mounted on a white war horse (cf. Revelation 19:11).He will judge and make war, His robe will be dipped in blood, the armies of heaven will be lined up behind Him, a sword will come out of His mouth to strike down the nations, and He will tread the winepress of the fury of his wrath (cf. Revelation 19:11-15).

Yes, the battle raged from Genesis to Revelation. John Eldredge in Waking the Dead says, "War is not just one among many themes in the Bible. It is the backdrop for the whole Story, the context for everything else. God is at war. He is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. And what is he fighting for? Our freedom and restoration . . ." Hallelujah! God is fighting for our freedom and restoration. The battle continues. Christ laid down His life and continues to lay down His life so that we might have life. Praise the Lord! Satan’s fighting to destroy your life, but Christ’s fighting to give you life. That’s the bad news/good news today.

So, we’ve established the fact that there’s a fight for our lives. Until you come to grips with the fact that war is the context in which your life is lived, you will not understand life or be able to embrace fullness of life. Are you getting this? You’re in a fight for your life. War is the context in which your life is lived. If you fail to understand this, you will misinterpret most of what’s happening around you.

A final comment as we close. Some people are deeply naive. I don’t know where they got the idea from, but they think life should be a bed of roses. Even though we’re sinners, they think we should be let off the hook. They expect God to make all the bad stuff right. Countless people are hung up on the why question: Why am I depressed? Why is the little girl molested by her uncle? Why did the family have to be torn apart by an ugly divorce? Why did the teenager with a promising future die in a collision? Why hasn’t God healed my sister? Why am I unemployed? Why am I under the circumstances? Why do I feel unloved? Why . . .? Do you feel like God’s abandoned you? Are you wondering why God isn’t coming through? Does God seem to be silent right now? Are you struggling to make sense of it all? Look at the first part of John 10:10 once again. "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy . . ." (NLT). Before He promised us life, Jesus warned that a thief would try to steal, kill and destroy it. What part of that don’t we understand? We’re not in heaven - we’re on earth. We’re in a bloody battle that’s unfolding all around us and against us. The enemy’s firing at us and he’s going to keep on firing at us. We’re in a battle - a battle for our hearts.

But here’s the good news. Jesus says, "Remain faithful even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life" Revelation 2:10 (NLT). There’s a reward for everyone who perseveres. So don’t give up. Never - never surrender. "Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil" Ephesians 6:10-11 (NLT). Onward Christian soldiers! "Fight the good fight for what we believe" 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT). "Endure suffering . . . as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" 2 Timothy 2:3 (NLT).

For we know the outcome. When the battle’s over, we know who’s on the winning side. We know the faithful will be victorious. Yes, the Day of the Lord is coming. The day’s coming when "All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" Micah 4:3 (NLT). The day’s coming when the thief will be bound and thrown into the pit (cf. Revelation 20:2-3) The day’s coming when the thief will no longer be able to steal and kill and destroy. O, what a day it will be! Christ will shout, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them" Revelation 21:3 (NLT).

Yes, the day’s coming. The day’s coming when "He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever" Revelation 21:4 (NLT). So fight for your life, and keep fighting to the end. Amen.

(L. Murray)