The Perfectly Timed Gift of Christmas

Galatians 4:4

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was born when He was?  Mankind certainly could have benefitted from His arrival at any point in time.  So why was He born exactly when He was born?

Consider that Jesus was born at a time when the whole world spoke and understood one language.   The Greek language, which had been mandated during time of Alexander the Great, remained the prevalent language spoken throughout all of Rome’s conquered territories.  The early evangelists could travel to any point in the Roman Empire, deliver their message in Greek and know that their message would be understood.

Because the Romans had built a massive road system unlike anything the world had ever known, travel was relatively easy.  The early evangelists were able to get to any major population group within the Roman Empire.  To add to the ease of travel, unlike most other time periods before Christ's arrival, the Roman Empire quieted the warring factions.  Worldwide peace was established for over 200 years.  During this time frame, Roman centuries were posted along the major roadways to insure that there was no impediment to safe travel within the conquered territories.

As a final element of God's perfectly timed plan, we find that the Jews had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.  Even though there was no longer a central temple for the Jews, there were active synagogues built throughout the Roman territory.  These synagogues were attended regularly.  They made for easy access points to disseminate the Good News of the Gospel throughout the land.

With all these factors coinciding perfectly, it is remarkable how ideal the circumstances were for the rapid spread of the story of Jesus and His salvation message for all of mankind.  And it was all in perfect accordance with the many prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter.  The arrival of Our Savior was not only perfectly timed, it was a confirmation of the infallible nature of the Word of God.

As we celebrate the birth of Our Savior this Christmas, let us consider in awe that Almighty God was just as purposeful in selecting our time on this earth as He was in selecting the time for His Son.  We were all created for this exact time and place in the history of mankind.  It was no accident.  It was because Our Father in heaven had a specific plan for our lives on this earth and with Him for all eternity.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus.  We thank You for giving each of us the gift of life.  We rejoice in knowing that You created each of us with a sovereign, gracious purpose for our lives.  We bless the name of Jesus who shed His blood so that we may be worthy to do the things that You have created us to do.  We exalt the Holy Spirit for standing by us so that we may overcome our weaknesses.  We pray for the strength to persevere in pursuing Your will for our lives and not our own.  May the fruit of our efforts be our gifts back to you this Christmas day and all the days of our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ.