The Max Lucado Christmas Collection Read online

  An Angel’s Story © 2002, 2004 by Max Lucado

  Previously published as Cosmic Christmas.

  The Christmas Candle © 2006 by Max Lucado

  The Christmas Child © 2003 by Max Lucado

  Previously published as The Christmas Cross.

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  An Angel’s Story is based in part on a story by David Lambert entitled “Earthward, Earthward, Messenger Bright,” which first appeared in the December 1982 issue of Moody Monthly. “Earthward, Earthward, Messenger Bright” © 1982, 1990 by David Lambert.

  Scripture quotations marked NCV are from New Century Version®. © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  ISBN 978-1-59554-621-0

  08 09 10 11 12 QW 5 4 3 2 1

  Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

  Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

  AN ANGEL’S STORY

  THE FIRST CHRISTMAS from HEAVEN’S VIEW

  To my Prayer Partners

  CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  AFTERWORD

  “ THE WORD

  WAS GOD. . . .

  THE WORD

  BECAME A

  HUMAN

  AND LIVED

  AMONG US.”

  (John 1: 1, 14 NCV)

  FOREWORD

  Spiritual beings populate the stories of Scripture. Angels singing. Demons infecting. Heavenly hosts fighting. Satan’s gremlins invading. Ignore the armies of God and Satan and you ignore the heart of Scripture. Ever since the snake tempted Eve in Eden, we’ve known: there is more to this world than meets the eye.

  We know less than we desire about these beings. Their appearance? Their number? Their strategies and plans? We can only imagine.

  In this book I did just that. Stirred by a message from David Lambert, I tried to imagine the spiritual conflict around the coming of Christ. Surely there was much. If Satan could preempt Christ in the cradle, there’d be no Christ on the cross. Don’t you think he tried?

  I do too. The conflict was, no doubt, far grander and dramatic than anything we can fictionalize. But we can be sure of this: we know who won. Because we know He came.

  I pray this fresh printing of An Angel’s Story stirs you to remember God’s great power and love.

  Thanks to Allen Arnold and the Thomas Nelson Team for keeping the book in circulation.

  Happy reading!

  Max Lucado

  Gabriel.”

  Just the sound of my King’s voice stirred my heart. I left my post at the entryway and stepped into the throne room. To my left was the desk on which sat the Book of Life. Ahead of me was the throne of Almighty God. I entered the circle of unceasing Light, folded my wings before me to cover my face, and knelt before Him. “Yes, my Lord?”

  “You have served the kingdom well. You are a noble messenger. Never have you flinched in duty. Never have you flagged in zeal.”

  I bowed my head, basking in the words.

  “Whatever You ask, I’ll do a thousand times over, my King,” I promised.

  “Of that I have no doubt, dear messenger.”

  His voice assumed a solemnity I’d never heard Him use. “But your greatest work lies ahead of you. Your next assignment is to carry a gift to Earth. Behold.”

  I lifted my eyes to see a necklace—a clear vial on a golden chain—dangling from His extended hand.

  My Father spoke earnestly, “Though empty, this vial will soon contain My greatest gift.

  Place it around your neck.”

  I was about to take it when a raspy voice interrupted me. “And what treasure will You send to Earth this time?”

  My back stiffened at the irreverent tone, and my stomach turned at the sudden stench. Such foul odor could come from only one being.

  I DREW MY SWORD

  AND TURNED TO

  DO BATTLE

  WITH LUCIFER.

  The Father’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.

  “Worry not, Gabriel. He will do no harm.”

  I stepped back and stared at God’s enemy. He was completely covered. A black cassock hung over his skeletal frame, hiding his body and arms and hooding his face. The feet, protruding beneath the robe, were thrice-toed and clawed. The skin on his hands was that of a snake. Talons extended from his fingers. He pulled his cape farther over his face as a shield against the Light, but the brightness still pained him. Seeking relief, he turned toward me. I caught a glimpse of a skullish face within the cowl.

  “What are you staring at, Gabriel?” he sneered. “Are you that glad to see me?”

  I had no words for this fallen angel. Both what I saw and what I remembered left me speechless. I remembered him before the Rebellion: poised proudly at the vanguard of our force, wings wide, holding forth a radiant sword, he had inspired us to do the same. Who could refuse him? The sight of his velvet hair and coal-black eyes had far outstripped the beauty of any celestial being.

  Any being, of course, except our Creator. No one compared Lucifer to God . . . except Lucifer. How he came to think he was worthy of the same worship as God, only God knows. All I knew was that I had not seen Satan since the Rebellion. And what I now saw repulsed me.

  I searched for just a hint of his former splendor but saw none.

  “Your news must be urgent,” spat Satan to God, still unable to bear the Light.

  My Father’s response was a pronouncement. “The time has come for the second gift.”

  The frame beneath the cape bounced stiffly as Lucifer chuckled. “The second gift, eh? I hope it works better than the first.”

  “You’re disappointed with the first?” asked the Father.

  “Oh, quite the contrary; I’ve delighted in it.” Lifting a bony finger, he spelled a word in the air:

  C-H-O-I-C-E.

  “You gave Adam his choice,” Satan scoffed. “And what a choice he made! He chose me. Ever since the fruit was plucked from the tree in the Garden, I’ve held Your children captive. They fell. Fast. Hard. They are mine. You have failed. Heh-heh-heh.”

  “You speak so confidently,” replied the Father, astounding me with His patience.

  Lucifer stepped forward, his cloak dragging behind him. “Of course! I thwart everything You do! You soften hearts, I harden them. You teach truth, I shadow it. You offer joy, I steal it.”

  He pivoted and paraded around th
e room, boasting of his deeds. “The betrayal of Joseph by his brothers—I did that. Moses banished to the desert after killing the Egyptian—I did that. David watching Bathsheba bathe—that was me. You must admit, my work has been crafty.”

  “Crafty? Perhaps. But effective? No. I know what you will do even before you do it. I used the betrayal of Joseph to deliver My people from famine. Your banishment of Moses became his wilderness training. And yes, David did commit adultery with Bathsheba—but he repented of his sin! And thousands have been inspired by his example and found what he found—unending grace. Your deceptions have only served as platforms for My mercy. You are still My servant, Satan. When will you learn? Your feeble attempts to disturb My work only enable My work.

  EVERY ACT YOU HAVE

  INTENDED FOR EVIL,

  I HAVE

  USED FOR GOOD.”

  Satan began to growl—a throaty, guttural, angry growl. Softly at first, then louder, until the room was filled with a roar that must have quaked the foundations of hell.

  But the King was not bothered. “Feeling ill?”

  Lucifer lurked around the room, breathing loudly, searching for words to say and a shadow from which to say them. He finally found the words but never the shadow. “Show me, O King of Light, show me one person on the Earth who always does right and obeys Your will.”

  “Dare you ask? You know there need be only one perfect one, only one sinless one to die for all the others.”

  “I know Your plans—and You have failed !

  No Messiah will come from Your people. There is none who is sinless. Not one.” He turned his back to the desk and began naming the children. “Not Moses. Not Abraham. Not Lot. Not Rebekah. Not Elijah . . .”

  The Father stood up from His throne, releasing a wave of holy Light so intense that Lucifer staggered backward and fell.

  “THOSE ARE

  MY CHILDREN

  YOU MOCK,”

  God’s voice boomed. “You think you know much, fallen angel, but you know little. Your mind dwells in the valley of self. Your eyes see no further than your needs.”

  The King walked over and reached for the book. He turned it toward Lucifer and commanded, “Come, Deceiver, read the name of the One who will call your bluff. Read the name of the One who will storm your gates.”

  Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the word:

  “Immanuel?” he muttered to himself, then spoke in a tone of disbelief. “God with us?” For the first time the hooded head turned squarely toward the face of the Father. “No. Not even You would do that. Not even You would go so far.”

  “You’ve never believed Me, Satan.”

  “But Immanuel? The plan is bizarre! You don’t know what it is like on Earth! You don’t know how dark I’ve made it. It’s putrid. It’s evil. It’s . . .”

  “IT IS MINE,”

  PROCLAIMED THE KING.

  “AND I WILL

  RECLAIM WHAT IS MINE.

  I WILL BECOME

  FLESH.

  I WILL FEEL

  WHAT

  MY CREATURES FEEL. I

  WILL SEE WHAT THEY SEE.”

  “But what of their sin?”

  “I will bring mercy.”

  “What of their death?”

  “I will give life.”

  Satan stood speechless.

  God spoke, “I love My children. Love does not take away the beloved’s freedom. But love takes away fear. And Immanuel will leave behind a tribe of fearless children. They will not fear you or your hell.”

  Satan stepped back at the thought. His retort was childish. “Th-th-they will too!”

  “I will take away all sin. I will take away death. Without sin and without death, you have no power.”

  Around and around in a circle Satan paced, clenching and unclenching his wiry fingers. When he finally stopped, he asked a question that even I was thinking. “Why? Why would You do this?”

  The Father’s voice was deep and soft.

  “Because I love them.”

  The two stood facing each other. Neither spoke. The extremes of the universe were before me. God robed in Light, each thread glowing. Satan canopied in evil, the very fabric of his robe seeming to crawl. Peace contrasting panic. Wisdom confronting foolishness. One able to rescue, the other anxious to condemn.

  I have reflected much on what happened next. Though I have relived the moment countless times, I’m as stunned as I was at the first. Never in my wildest thoughts did I think my King would do what He did. Had He demanded Satan’s departure, who would have questioned? Had He taken Satan’s life, who would have grieved? Had He called me to attack, I would have been willing. But God did none of these.

  From the circle of Light came His extended hand. From His throne came an honest invitation. “Will you surrender? Will you return to Me?”

  I do not know the thoughts of Satan. But I believe that for a fleeting second the evil heart softened. The head cocked slightly, as if amazed that such an offer would be made. But then it yanked itself erect.

  “Where will we battle?” he challenged.

  The Father sighed at the dark angel’s resistance. “On a hill called Calvary.”

  “If You make it that far.” Satan smirked, spinning and marching out the entryway. I watched as his spiny wings extended, and he soared into the heavenlies.

  The Father stood motionless for a moment, then turned back to the book. Opening to the final chapter, He slowly read words I had never heard. No sentences. Just words. Saying each, then pausing:

  Jesus,

  Nail,

  Cross,

  Blood,

  Tomb,

  Life.

  He motioned toward me, and I responded, kneeling again before Him. Handing me the necklace, He explained, “This vial will contain the essence of Myself; a Seed to be placed in the womb of a young girl. Her name is Mary. She lives among My chosen people. The fruit of the Seed is the Son of God. Take it to her.”

  “But how will I know her?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry. You will.”

  I could not comprehend God’s plan, but my understanding was not essential. My obedience was. I lowered my head, and He draped the chain around my neck. Amazingly, the vial was no longer empty. It glowed with Light.

  “Jesus. Tell her to call My Son Jesus.”

  AFTERWORD

  Christmas is full of cozy thoughts: a sleeping Jesus, wide-eyed shepherds, a soft-faced Mary. The nativity sentiment is warm, the emotion is joy, and the feeling is peace. Such is the picture in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In John’s book of Revelation, however, he offers another perspective. From his perspective, the birth of Jesus stirs more than excitement; it stirs evil.

  Pulling back the curtain of the skies, he reveals a bloody war in the heavens. John sees a woman, ready to give birth. He sees a dragon, ready to bring death. The woman is beautiful and the dragon ugly. The dragon lunges at the newborn child, but he is too late. The child and the mother are granted safety and then “there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back” (REV. 12:7 NIV).

  “A war in heaven.” I’ve wondered about that war: when it occurred, who it involved, what it meant. An Angel’s Story is the result of those wonderings.

  Several colleagues have stirred my imagination. Eugene Peterson stretched me through his study of the book of Revelation, Reversed Thunder. Some time ago I read an article by Philip Yancey that broadened my thinking (“Cosmic Combat,” Christianity Today, December 12, 1994). I am indebted to the creative pen of David Lambert for his story, “Earthward, Earthward, Messenger Bright.” This piece, which appeared in the December 1982 issue of Moody Monthly, offered a fresh, creative approach to the Christmas story. That approach sparked with this writer and led ultimately to the development of An Angel’s Story.

  I’m equally appreciative to Steve Green,
Karen Hill, Liz Heaney, and the wonderful team at Thomas Nelson for your incredible support.

  Parts of An Angel’s Story are fiction—fruits of my imagination. Other parts of the story, however, are true. Whether or not you like the fiction is insignificant. But whether or not you see the truth is essential.

  Scripture, for example, says nothing of a vial containing the essence of Christ, an archdemon named Phlumar, an angel named Sophio, or several of the other characters and events about which you just read. Scripture is, however, very clear that

  “OUR FIGHT IS NOT AGAINST

  PEOPLE ON EARTH

  BUT AGAINST THE RULERS AND

  AUTHORITIES

  AND THE POWERS OF THIS

  WORLD’S DARKNESS,

  AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL

  POWERS OF EVIL

  IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD”

  (EPH. 6:12 NCV).

  The Bible doesn’t refer to angels trapped in nets or Satan’s sweet-talking to Gabriel. The Bible is clear, though, that Satan is real and his life purpose is to “be like God Most High”

  (ISA.14:14 NCV).

  God’s creation is divided into two camps: those who follow God and those who follow Satan. Satan is the energizing power of the unsaved (EPH. 2:2), and God is the energizing power of the saved (PHIL. 2:13). The saved are to live aware of, but not afraid of, Satan. The devil prowls about as a lion looking for someone to devour (1 PET. 5:8). But the believer need not live in horror, because “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 JOHN 4:4 KJV). We must put on the armor of God to fight against “the devil’s evil tricks” (EPH. 6:11 NCV), and remember that Satan disguises himself as “an angel of light” (2 COR. 11:14 NCV).