One of my favorite Christmas verses is Gal. 4:4. "But when the right time came, the time God decided on, he sent his Son" says the Living Bible. The world, says Paul, was especially prepared to receive the Savior when Jesus was born. How so? Here are a few ideas:
- Rome ruled the entire inhabited earth.
- Roads had been built to facilitate travel.
- To a great extent, the world was at peace (Pax Romana).
- The pagan gods and idols of the day were losing their hold on the common people.
- The law of Moses had completed its work of preparing hearts for Christ.
- The Jews were scattered among the nations, looking for the Messiah that Paul preached when he spoke in their diaspora synagogues.
- The same language -- Koine Greek -- was the common language and was understood by most among the world's nations.
Wow, what sovereign preparation! He's sovereign in your life too my friend. Jesus is man, so he can understand you. Jesus is divine, so he can help you. He is uniquely positioned to carry us home.
P.S. Yes, it has occured to me that if Christ had come at some other time, Greek might not have been the lingua franca of the day, and I would have had to find a different career path!