At one time I would
have attributed my good fortune to luck. But since I've been saved,
I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as good/bad
luck. I now attribute everything that happens to me, good & bad, as
being part of God's ordained plan for my life. I base this on the fact
that God knows everything that's going to happen in my life, from the
end to the beginning. So instead of wishing for good luck, I just want
to be able to live under Christ's knowledge that everything that happens
to me is part of God's perfect plan for my life.
That is what Paul wants us to see in this verse. In Paul's account of
how Jesus was born, we see that on that first Christmas morning, when
God gave to us the gift of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that everything
fell into place. By looking at Paul's account of the first Christmas,
I hope that during this Christmas season, you will see that God's timing
is perfect in your life as well. And by seeing this, you too will be
able to weather all the storms of life, as you live under Christ's knowledge
of your future.
Notice first of all that Paul tells us, that Jesus was born at the right
time-v. 4. Paul could have used 2 Greek words here to describe the time
when Jesus was born. One of the words deals more with an event. But
notice that Paul doesn't go into any detail about the actual event of
Jesus' birth. He doesn't talk about the shepherds, or the angels, or
the wise men. In fact, he doesn't even mention Joseph & Mary. But what
he does mention is the process of time that led up to that event.
Most of our struggles with the trials & tribulations of life are with
the actual events. And the reason why we struggle so much with those
events is because we are not able to see how God is working behind the
scene, directing the sequences of that event to ensure that it turns
out for your good and his glory. So what Paul wants us do, is to look
beyond the actual event of Jesus' birth and see the bigger picture.
As we see God directing the events of human history, we have to come
to the conclusion that Jesus is the one God sent to save us from our
sins.
The Greek word that Paul uses for "time" deals with the scientific concept
of time, which includes years, months, days, and even hours. The Greek
word that is used here is the one from which we get our English word
"chronology." Chronology denotes time as a sequence. For instance when
we talk about a year, we know that there are 365 days in that year.
And in each one of those days there are 24 hours, that are made up of
60 minutes, which are made up of 60 seconds. So when we talk about Jesus'
birth, we have to see how God orchestrated history to ensure that Jesus'
birth would take place just as he told us it would.
God did not one day look down from heaven and say, "Hey Jesus, if you
aren't not too busy, and if you don't have anything to do for the next
331/2 yrs, I'd like you to go to earth and save the people we created."
Instead, God orchestrated the events of the world, from the time he
created it, so that at the exact the precise moment, Jesus could enter
our world, proving that he indeed is the Messiah.
In fact, the Bible tells us that God's plan of salvation of grace though
faith "was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." (2
Tim. 1:9) So from the moment God created this world, he had to orchestrate
everything that happened so one day Jesus would be: (a) Born from the
seed of a woman: Gen.
3:15 (b) A descendant of Isaac: Gen.
12:3 (c) A descendant of Jacob: Num.
24:17 (d) From the tribe of Judah: Gen:
49:10 (e) Born of a virgin: Is.
7:14 (f) Born in Bethlehem: Micah
5:2 (g) Jesus had to Enter Jerusalem on a specific day: Daniel
9:25. And these are just 7 of the 324 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled
There is no way any person/persons could manipulate these many events.
Therefore, Jesus has to be the promised Messiah.
As you read through the Old Testament you see event after event where
God was working behind the scenes orchestrating many events to make
sure that they all came together with such precise timing that there
is no other explanation except God is in control. But the 2 that are
the clearest are in the lives of Joseph & Moses.
The major event in Joseph's life was a 7 yr. famine that had the potential
of wiping out Isaac's family. Which would stop the Messiah from being
born. But God used Joseph to make sure that his family survived this
terrible famine. But the events that led him to get to this position
were not what Joseph expected. First of all, Joseph had got this great
dream from God in which he saw that one day his brothers would all bow
down to him. Which of course ticked his brothers off. So they sold Joseph
into slavery.
And to make matters worse, Joseph ended up in prison on a trumped up
attempted rape charge. But while he was in prison he was able to interpret
a dream the Pharaoh had one night. Which allowed Joseph to be put into
a place of leadership that enabled him to take care of his family during
a sever famine. And when his brothers realized who Joseph was, Joseph
said to them: "Don't be afraid. I am in the place of God! You intended
to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being
done, the saving of may lives." (Gen.
50:19-20)
We also see God orchestrating the events surrounding Moses' life. The
major event in Moses' life was that God was going to use him to set
his people free from the slavery of Egypt. But a major glitch happened
that could have prevented this from happening. Right before Moses was
born, the Bible tells us that "A new king arose over Egypt, who did
not know Joseph." (Exodus
1:8) And because of this the Israelites fell out of grace with the
Egyptians. And as the Israelite population continued to grow, this new
Pharaoh became concerned that they would soon outnumber and overpower
them.
At the time of Moses' birth, Pharaoh had issued a decree that all new
born baby boys had to be put to death. Now it wouldn't take too long
before the Israelites would die out. So when Moses was born, his mother
put him in a basket and placed him in the Nile River. The world would
say that Moses had to be one of the luckiest people of all time. For
as he was floating down the Nile, he floated by the exact spot where
Pharaoh's daughter was bathing. Instead of drowning Moses, "When she
opened the box, and saw that the boy was crying, she had pity on him."
(Exodus
2:6) And Pharaoh's daughter took Moses home and raised him in Pharaoh's
house.
Not only did God use Pharaoh's daughter to spare Moses' life, but he
also let Moses' biological mother raise him in Pharaoh's house. For
Moses' sister was hiding in the bushes, keeping an eye on the basket
as it floated down the Nile.
And when Pharaoh's daughter found Moses, she came out of the bushes
and asked her is she wanted her to go find a Hebrew woman who could
nurse him. Pharaoh's daughter said yes. So Moses' sister went and got
his mother, and she was able to take care of him as he grew up in Pharaoh's
house.
The world calls these events coincidental. Like it was just a coincidence
that a truck ran through a red light right after you went through the
intersection. Or it's just a coincidence that you needed some money
and all of a sudden you get an unexpected check in the mail.
Or is was just a coincidence that Carol happened to be sitting under
a little tree, trying to get out of the sun, in a campground north of
LA when I came home from work. Or it was just a coincidence that my
roommate went and invited her to come to our campsite while I was taking
a shower. Or it was a coincidence that after we got married, that God
led Carol to a Spirit-filled Episcopal church that she liked when I
told her that if she found one we would start going to church as a family.
Or it was a coincidence that no one in that church, on Dec. 26, 1981,
knew the nickname of John & James Zebeddee.
Or it was just a coincidence that that event caused me to read that
night these words: "And she will have a son, and you shall name Him
Jesus (meaning 'Savior'), for He will save His people from their sins."
(Matthew
1:21) As soon as I read that verse, the Holy Spirit convicted me
that I was a sinner, and that Jesus died to save me from my sins. And
that night, sitting at my kitchen table, I asked Jesus to come into
me life, and save me from my sins, and to be my Lord. There is no way
any of that was just a coincidence. It was all orchestrated by God.
God arranged the events of human history in order that they all fell
in place for the 1st coming of Jesus Christ. We see this in the word
"fullness" in v. 4. The Greek word that is used here means more than
just an appointed time has come, it means that the divine plan for salvation
was now complete. Everything that was necessary for Jesus to come to
this world was in place. On that first Christmas morning, the political
& religious world met at a divine crossroad in the little town of Bethlehem.
Let's me explain first of all of how it was the right time politically.
A couple of centuries before Jesus was born, Alexander the Great had
conquered the world. And as Alexander the Great was dying, he called
all of his generals to his death bed. And he said to them, "I bequeath
all my holdings to the strongest." That caused a civil war that resulted
in dividing Alexander's kingdom into 4 territories. And that paved the
way for the rise of the Roman Republic.
And as that republic became stronger & stronger, a young leader named
Octavius established what was called the Roman Empire. In 27 BC, the
Roman senate crowned their first Caesar. They didn't like the term "king"
so the decided to call him Augustus, which means "Exalted One."
This is what the Bible has to say about Caesar Augustus: "In those days
a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all
the inhabited earth. And all were proceeding to register for the census,
everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and family of David, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was
with child." (Luke
2:1, 3-5)
Not only did God use the Roman government to ensure that the Messiah
was born in the right city, he used the Roman government to ensure that
the news of the Messiah could be taken to the ends of the earth. The
Romans built a roadway system that made it possible to travel from city
to city. And with the worldwide peace that Rome had established, people
could travel safely to anywhere they wanted to go. This made it possible
for the apostles to travel all throughout the world, without any restrictions,
and preach the message that the Redeemer of the world has come. Was
this merely a coincidence or a God-incidence?
The time was also perfect religiously. At the time of Jesus' birth,
the Jews had quit worshiping false idols. They finally believed and
preached the truth that there was only one God, not multiply gods like
most of the world believed. And at the time of Jesus' birth they were
looking for their Messiah to appear and set them free from the hands
of their oppressors.
But at the time of Jesus' birth, it had also been 400 yrs. since God
sent them a prophet to speak to them about their promised Messiah. So
there was a spiritual hunger among the Jewish people. And there was
even a spiritual hunger among the pagans. Their gods weren't coming
through for them in times of trouble & despair. And the philosophers'
promises turned out to be nothing but empty lies. So the world was ripe
for the coming of a religious leader.
And that is what happened that 1st Christmas. Indeed, it was the fullness
of time. Everything was in place for God to send forth his son. President
Nixon, speaking about man's first step on the moon said, "Man's first
steps on the moon was the most important event in human history." Billy
Graham corrected him and said, "The most important event in human history
is when the infinite, eternal God set foot on this earth in the form
of Jesus Christ."
At this point I think it is important to understand why God sent us
his son in the first place. It wasn't so we could have a day every Dec.
that we wouldn't have to work. Or even a day that would cause us to
go out and spend a lot of money, buying gifts to make people happy.
Jesus came to this earth for one specific purpose: To die.
Jesus said "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew
20:28) The shadow of the cross hung over the birth of Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn't merely come to our world to be an example of how to life
a good life. Although Jesus was a wonderful example of how. Jesus came
to accomplish a mission, a mission that would open the door for us to
be reconciled with our Creator.
One of the most powerful proofs that Jesus is the Messiah is prophecy
that is given to us in Daniel
9. Daniel & his people had been carried away captive into the land
of Babylon by the army of Nebuchadnezzar after they utterly destroyed
the city of Jerusalem. According to an earlier prophecy of Jeremiah,
the Israelites were to be in captivity for 70 yrs.
The 9th chapter opens with a reference to this very prophecy. Daniel,
now an old man, understands from his studies that the period of divine
judgment is about over. And he prays to God for light as to the future
of his people, and of his beloved city of Jerusalem.
But before he can finish praying, an angelic messenger comes with the
answer from God. And through this angel we are given one of the most
compelling prophecies that prove that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah:
"Know and understand this: From the issuing of a decree to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks
and sixty-two weeks. After the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be
cut off." (Daniel
9:25-26)
Most scholars believe that these weeks should be interpreted to mean
years. In the Bible we see that there were 30 days in each month, and
12 months in each year. This means that the time from the decree to
rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah shows up will be 173,880 days.
The decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given "In the month Nisan, in the
twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king." (Nehemiah
2:1)Which according to our calendar would be Mar. 4, 444 B.C. Add
173,880 days to Mar. 4, means that the Messiah would have to come into
Jerusalem on Sunday, Mar. 30, 33 A.D. According to historical records
of the day, Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Mar. 30, 33 A.D. Was this
merely a coincidence or a God-incidence?
The reason I have shared all this with you is because I want you to
see that God's timing is still precise in our lives today. About 4 years
ago I was driving to seminary. I was in the middle of talking to God
about wanting to start witnessing more. As I turned off the Interstate,
my cell phone rang. It showed a number I didn't recognize, plus it was
in the middle of my prayer. Normally I wouldn't have answered it, but
the Spirit prompted me to answer it, so I did. Calling me was a man
who had found the church's number while he was looking for the number
to AA. It turned out that this man's family had just started attending
our fellowship. He asked if I could meet with him later that day. I
said I could.
And later that night, I had the privilege of leading Richard Bishop
to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If Richard had called
10 minutes later, I would have been in class and missed his call. Was
this merely a coincidence or a God-incidence?
I know how hard it is to see God's timing. We have no problem looking
back in retrospect at events and seeing God's hand orchestrating the
events to turn out for our good. The hard part is to look forward in
faith and believe that God is going to turn everything out for our good.
Paul helps us to see this through the words, "God sent forth His Son"-v.
4.
So far we have learned that God arranges the events of our lives so
that they accomplish his will. Now this doesn't mean that you will never
have any problems along the way. Or that every event in your life is
going to fall into place exactly like you want them to, so that life
is easy for you. But it does mean that God is still in charge of your
life, and the world around you. It does mean that he uses the events
& circumstances to accomplish his purpose. It does mean that you can
trust that God's will for you is perfect, even when his will makes absolutely
no sense to you.
Moses tells us that "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers
over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them
on its pinions, the Lord alone will lead us." (Deuteronomy
32:11-12) Moses is talking about how eagles teach their babies to
fly.
The mother eagle will take away all the comforts of the nest so that
her babies will want to leave it. Then, in order to teach them how to
fly, she will put one of her eaglets on her back, and she will start
flying around. Next she does a very unusual thing: she will flip over
causing her baby to fall through the air. As the baby tries to fly,
she will hover over it. And at precisely the right second, she swoops
down and catches the baby and heads back up again to repeat the process.
Can't you just see that baby eaglet on the back of its mother, clutching
on for dear life, eyes bulging out, crying out: "Is this really necessary?"
But eventually, as the mother repeats this process, that baby will learn
how to fly.
The Bible tells us that that's the way that God leads us. Sometimes
he stirs up our nest, and that makes us uncomfortable. And sometimes
he takes us to great heights, where we think we are on top of the world.
Only to suddenly flip over, and cause us to start falling. Those are
the times when it seems as though the bottom of our world is dropping
out. Those are the times when we have to beat our wings franticly just
to keep from crashing & burning.
That's what happened to Joseph & Mary that 1st Christmas. Mary was due
to give birth to Jesus at any time. And all of a sudden, her perfect
world flipped over, and she had to take a long journey, on the back
of a donkey, to a little city of Bethlehem. And to make matters worse,
when they got there, there was no room in the inn. So Mary had to give
birth to Jesus in a cave that was used to keep animals out of the cold.
Not the ideal place for any human, much less the Son of God, to be born.
But that was God's way of ensuring that everyone would know that Jesus
indeed is the promised Messiah. It was God's way of letting everyone
know that the Lamb of God who came to take away our sins, had been born
according to his plans. The events surrounding the birth of Jesus are
God's ways of letting us know that we can fully trust God's timing in
our lives as well.
18 months after Carol & I got married, I met her mother for the first
time. She came to visit with us 4 months after I got saved. And on Good
Friday, I got fired. Not quite the impression I was hoping to make.
For the next 4 months I struggled to find a job. So we decided to sell
everything we didn't need, and move from sunny, southern California,
back to South Carolina. And all along the interstates you could see
my fingernail tracks in the pavement where God had to drag me along.
That's because I didn't want to leave. There was no way I thought leaving
California for Carolina was a good thing. But it was in South Carolina
that God called me to preach.
One day when I was working at the nuclear power house in Waynesboro,
a guy I'd never met, walked up to me, and asked me if God had called
me to preach. I shared with him that I wasn't sure, but I think he was.
He asked me if I would preach at a worship service that was held during
lunch. I said yes. And from that moment on, I knew that God had called
me to preach. And it was about 3 yrs. later that God raised me up to
pastor the greatest flock of sheep in all of Christiandom. Looking back
I can now see God's hand in me getting fired that Good Friday, over
21 yrs. ago.
I want to close by talking to those of you here this morning that may
not be saved. I want you to know that you are here by accident this
morning. God has brought you to this place, at this time, to hear this
message, because it is your time to receive the gift of salvation that
is found only in Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable
time to give your life over to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Maybe right
now God's Spirit is telling you that you need to make Jesus the Lord
of your life.
If you're not a Christian, and if you will accept the fact that Jesus
died on a cross to pay the penalty for the wrongs you have done in this
life, God will forgive you and take away the punishment of spending
eternity in hell after you die. If you want to do that, then the next
step is to invite Jesus to come into your life to be the Lord of your
life. It's that simple. Won't you do that right now?
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