Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe and his staff gathered inside Bastogne's Heintz Barracks for Christmas dinner Dec. 25th, 1944. This military barracks served as the Division Main Command Post during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium during WWII. The facility is now a museum known as the "Nuts Cave." (Photo Credit: U.S. Army); image from Wikimedia Commons.
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The Siege of Bastogne, December 20–27, 1944, was one of the great battles of World War II.
German armor and infantry, in their last offensive gasp, attempted to divide and cripple the Allied forces on the Western Front by driving across the Ardennes forest to the main Allied supply port at Antwerp. This was the Battle of the Bulge, and German success depended on taking the vital crossroads at Bastogne.
The Germans surrounded the American soldiers there, outnumbering them more than two to one. They bombarded them night and day with tanks, mortars, and artillery. The deep snow and bare birch trees of deep-midwinter Ardennes formed the dramatic backdrop to the violence.
The job of the American troops was to hold fast, to hang on until the irresistible might of the Third Army arrived.
On the third day, General von Lüttwitz called on the American commander, one-star General Anthony McAuliffe, to surrender:
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armoured units....
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honourable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
The German Commander.[1]
McAuliffe’s reply is legendary:
To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander.[2]
Imagine the head-scratching among the German commanders as they tried to make sense of this obscure American idiom. The cheeky “you-know-what-you-can-do-with-your-surrender” arrogance of McAuliffe’s response was grounded in his contempt for the Nazis and the certainty that General Patton and his mighty Third Army were well on the way to help. American troops held on for five days until the promised relief arrived.
It’s an inspiring story. I picture those American troops, low on ammunition and food, hungry, in hell-freezing cold, outgunned, under constant bombardment, facing at every minute a powerful enemy bent on annihilating them. Their job was to hold fast, to hang on until the irresistible might of the Third Army arrived.
This is the church of every age.
This was also true for the first readers of Revelation. They too faced a violent enemy and held out day after day under siege and attack, struggling and suffering, longing for relief.
This is the church of every age. And to the church then and now Jesus has made a great promise.
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).
Suffering Christians, holding on under violent attack, are to look up, expectant, eager, and ready for the return of Christ. Let’s look more closely at the One who is coming soon.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13).
This is a threefold emphatic way of saying exactly the same thing. Jesus is the uncreated and eternal one. Jesus was there at the beginning of creation, and he will return to wrap up this age.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. (Col 1:16)
By taking on human flesh, Jesus Christ became the central figure of history. It is a monumental mistake and tragedy, an awful perversion, to try to live life without knowing him, and without wanting to know him.
To be severed from him is to be separated from your Creator, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the great I AM.
He will judge us on the Last Day. He will determine our final and eternal destiny in heaven or in hell. So it is vital that we receive him and wash away our sins in his blood.
Our “robes” represent our moral condition, our standing with God.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev. 22:14-15).
Washing refers back to Revelation 7:14, to Christians who are “coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Our “robes” represent our moral condition, our standing with God. By nature our robes are stained and filthy with sin and vileness. Even our best deeds are tainted with pride and greed: “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isa. 64:6).
There’s only one way to become clean, and that is to wash our clothes in the Lamb’s blood. Only his death can make us righteous in God’s sight. His death alone brings salvation from sin.
“I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2 NIV). This has been my email tagline for twelve years now. This is what I stand for. I aim to make this the foundation and focus of every sermon, every Bible study, every pastoral encounter. It expresses the constant reminder and reset that we need, for how easily we stray from the Gospel. Even Peter began to forget (Gal 2:11-14)!
There are those who do not want to be washed from sin. They want to stay as they are and persist with their sorcery, sexual immorality, murder and hatred, idolatry, and lies. These will have no place in the Heavenly City:
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6).
The rising of the Morning Star heralds that night is coming to an end.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star” (Rev. 22:16).
Everything we have heard and learned from the book of Revelation has come from the mouth of Jesus. He is the great Promised King, the offspring of David who rules over all nations for all time.
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isa. 11:20)
He is the Morning Star. This refers back to a promise made to Israel right back in Numbers 24:17 as they struggled to survive against the sheer numbers and violence of the pagan Moabites:
“ …a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.”
This in turn refers back to the Genesis 3:15 Protoevangelium, “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (NIV).
The rising of the Morning Star heralds and guarantees that night is coming to an end, and that day is about to begin. It is about certain hope. How do we respond?
Jesus Christ went to the cross for us, apart from us, without us, and won for us a salvation that we could never have secured for ourselves.
“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17).
One of the great Netflix surprises of 2018 was American Gospel, the documentary written and directed by Brandon Kimber. I encourage all Christians to watch it, if only because it makes so clear what the gospel is and is not.
The gospel is not about us stepping forward into “our best life now.” The gospel is not about “my passion for Jesus.” The gospel is not “learn to live this new and victorious life.” The gospel is not acquisitiveness.
The Gospel is: You are dead in your sins, but Christ has died for your sins, and was resurrected from death to give you new life.
One of the presenters in American Gospel reminds us that an euangellion was an announcement of a military victory. There you are in your city. A powerful enemy approaches to pillage and rape. You send your army across the horizon to engage and destroy them. After five days a messenger runs back to the city from the battlefield: “Our army has won! The enemy is destroyed! We're saved!” Hearing that euangellion, that “good news,” you are keenly aware that the victory was won for you, apart from you, and without you. The good news is that others have done what you could not do and have saved you.
That is the gospel. Jesus Christ went to the cross for us, apart from us, without us, and won for us a salvation that we could never have secured for ourselves.
This salvation blessing is described in Revelation 22:17 as a river of life. The Holy Spirit calls us to the river of life. The Bride, the church through the ages, calls us to the river of life. Everyone who hears and understands these words calls us to the river of life.
Are you thirsty for light, eternal life, forgiveness, cleansing, reconciliation, the new heaven and earth, salvation? Come and drink from the water of life. It is free!
Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. (Isa. 55:1)For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:23-24)
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8)
Jesus shows us that what the church most desperately needs is his teaching.
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19).
Here is a warning that applies specifically and proximately to the book of Revelation, but which applies generally and ultimately to all Scripture.
The Scripture is from Christ and so it is perfect. How arrogant to think that it can be supplemented or improved—or that there are certain parts that can be removed, skipped over, or obscured. This is to put ourselves above the author. This is to mar the text, and to obscure it from others.
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:34)
Jesus shows us that what the church most desperately needs is his teaching. This is what every church must demand and insist from their pastors. And every church must give their pastors the time and resources to do this.
The grace of Christ is the beginning, middle, and end of Scripture, and of the Christian faith.
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Rev. 22:20-21).
These are the final words of Revelation and of the Bible. They express an urgent longing for the return of Christ. Maranatha! “Our Lord, Come!” This should be our natural greeting to one another (1 Cor. 16:22). It should spring from our hearts.
See how the Bible ends with urgent reliance on the grace of Christ. Grace is the gospel. We are saved by grace. This is the beginning, middle, and end of Scripture, and of the Christian faith.
You must know grace. You must find grace.
In this time of siege and struggle, surrounded by a powerful and deadly enemy, Satan calls us to surrender: “Stand down. Give in. Stop fighting and your life will be so much easier.”
But Christ is coming soon. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Bright Morning Star. We have washed our robes in his blood. We have drunk from the river of life. We are righteous in his sight. We bear his living words.
So when Satan calls for surrender, there’s only one thing to say: “NUTS!”
Hang on. Stand firm. Fight on. Christ is coming soon.
Related Articles:
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Do You Have the Guts to Remain in the Church? — Revelation 21:1-8
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Why Did the World Want Jesus Dead Even Though He Was Innocent?
Campbell Markham has been a pastor in the Australian Presbyterian Church for over twenty-two years and lives in Perth, Western Australia. He blogs at Campbell Markham: Thoughts and Letters.
[1] Army Magazine, Dec. 1994, vol. 44, p. 39.
[2] Ibid.
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