For our second wedding anniversary, my wife and I payed a visit to San Antonio, Texas. It’s a very beautiful city especially the romantic Riverwalk with it’s cobblestone sidewalks and riverside shops and restaraunts. Not far from the Riverwalk we stayed in an old, yet lovely historic hotel right in the heart of downtown. Tucked away amongst the towering skyscrapers of this metropolis there exists an old, small, stone building called, the Alamo.
It seemed as though the entire city was literally built around it, untouched and unscathed. It demands the attention of all who pass through San Antonio. What was it about this rock hewn fortress that the foundations of multi-million dollar buidlings were built around? What warranted the preservation of a small, 150 year old, delapitated building?
Yeah, I read about the Alamo in my elementary school text books on Texas History. “Save the Alamo!” was the cry of yore as countless hundreds lost their lives at that ill-fated battle against Santa Anna and his Mexican soldiers.
The Visit
But it just wasn’t the same as it was being there in person. As I stood among the walls of this most noble structure, it was much easier to visualize the Texas garrison standing there on alert, guns in hand, awaiting their destiny. It was easy to see the cannons in place, loaded, and ready to be lit for battle. Or the volunteer from Tenessee from atop the fortress meticulously scanning the horizon for any sign of an approaching enemy.
Towards the back of this most interesting site, encased in a plexiglass covering there lied a miniature replicated layout of the battle scene that took place over 150 years ago. Standing just behind this layout a young gentleman who worked there provided an informative presentation of the Alamo and it’s historic past. He gave the same story in which I’m sure many have passed along to their children and grandchildren for many years.
He told of the Alamo’s original intent to serve as housing for missionaries and their Indian converts for over 70 years beginning in 1724. Then, over the next 100 years it became secularized by Spanish authorities and later served as a fortress, mission, and even a hospital under Spanish, Rebel, and Mexican ownership. It wasn’t until 1836 during the Texas Revolution did the Alamo actually become famous.
Before the Battle
In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texan and Tejano volunteers
against Mexican troops quartered in the city. After five days of house-to-house fighting, they forced General Martin Perfecto de Cos and his soldiers to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo--already fortified prior to the battle by Cos’ men--and strengthened its defenses. On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s army outside San Antonio nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texans and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo together. The defenders held out for 13 days against Santa Anna’s army. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo, sent forth couriers carrying pleas for help to communities throughout Texas. On the eighth day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales, Texas arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred.
A Line in the Ground
Legend holds that with the possibility of additional help fading, Colonel Travis drew a line on the ground and asked any man willing to stay and fight to step over -- all except one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were ready to give their lives rather than surrender their position to General Santa Anna. Among the Alamo’s garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former congressman from Tennessee.
The Battle
The last and final assault came in the early predawn morning of March 6, 1836 when Santa Anna’s troops stormed the Alamo and overwhelmed the remaining Texas garrison. The last ditch effort by the garrison came to an end when Santa Anna claimed his victory by the the time the sun had arisen that same morning. Like many other battles Americans have fought, this battle of the Alamo claimed the lives of hundreds of brave soldiers who fought and sacrificed their lives for the defense and integrity of American freedom and liberty.
What is the spiritual and biblical significance to this story?
It has to do with the line in the dirt that the Colonel had drawn.
The Spiritual Implications
You see, there too exists a line that God has drawn. A line that separates good from evil, Christ's kingdom from Satans world. When the Holy Spirit entered into our hearts and minds at our conversion, we immediately crossed over that line. Previously, we encamped in Satan’s world, since he is the “prince of this world” (John 14:30, John 16:11). The devil was our general at one time. It was quite easy for us to do what he directed us to do since he was our commander. But now, since becoming a child of God, we have been changed...we have crossed over the line.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Our old self has died, and we have literally become “born again” into a new life. A life continuously in communion with Christ for all eternity. Our old sins have been washed away and now have been made clean by Christ’s atoning death on the cross. Visualize if you will an ugly, slimy, dirty caterpillar wrapping itself into a cocoon and then later emerging as a beautiful, colorful, and glorious butterfly. We too have emerged from a cocoon (old self) and have been made beautiful and lovely in the sight of God (new self).
As Christians, we live in another world, a world apart from the rest. Jesus tells us that we are no longer a part of this world since becoming a believer. We have essentially been extracted from the present world in which we live.
“...As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
Christ chose us. He chose us to not live in this present world in which we live. We have had the wonderful blessing to have been chosen to serve God as our Commander. Perhaps this is the reason why we are hated. In some parts of the world, Christians are literally hated, reviled, persecuted, and ultimately killed. Do the words of our Savior ring true? "That is why the world hates you." Is it because of what He said nearly 2,000 years ago? Is it because we are in fact different and do not conform to the likes of this world in which we live? Like the Texan garrison of the Alamo, would you too be willing to cross over a line willing to sacrifice your life and possibly even die for the cause of Christ?
The Final Battle
We however can be assured of one thing. Christ has already won the battle. Satan might have his way here and there, but ultimately the war has already been won. Consequently, the devil knows it too. With Christ’s resurrection 2,000 years ago and with His imminent return to eternally defeat Satan in the last days (Revelation 20:7-10), the war has already claimed it’s victor. One day, in the future, we as Christ’s soldiers will watch our Commander ride victoriously throughout the world showing His love to all who have received Him. Amen, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!
