Sunday, March 29

A Perfect Point in History

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba , Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4–7 (NIV)

In this passage, Paul insists that God sent Jesus into the world at the exact perfect time to redeem enslaved sinners into children of God. It’s interesting that this exact perfect time happened at a perfect point in history called the Pax Romana, the peace of Rome. This was a time of relative peace in the Roman Empire that was marked by the development of an elaborate and comprehensive network of travel and communications such as roads and sea routes that connected the farthest reaches of the Empire. This undoubtedly helped the first followers of Jesus to spread the Gospel throughout the world. In a very real sense, the Pax Romana could be seen as a divine preparation at the perfect point in history for the fulfillment of Jesus’ command to be His witnesses, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Today, we are at another perfect point in history. Yes, we are all experiencing a time of great trial. Our lives look very different today than they did just a few weeks ago. Who would have thought that we couldn’t gather together in-person for worship? So, it surely doesn’t feel like a perfect point in history, but at no other point in history has there been a more elaborate and comprehensive network of communication through the internet and social media. In fact, as thousands of churches hold worship services online today, more people than ever before, disconnected people who have never darkened the door of a church building, are given the opportunity to hear the Word of God coming to them through their computers, smartphones, and tablets!

Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. So even in the midst of this crisis, we can see God at work reconciling the disconnected to Himself at this perfect point in history through the internet and social media, so that they too might become children of God and heirs to His promise through Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Word. Thank you for making us your children through Jesus. Thank you that even though we cannot gather together in-person, you have provided a way to for us to not only continue to worship together from a distance, but also a way to share Jesus with more people who are disconnected from you than ever before. Help the disconnected to hear your Word and respond in faith and trust in you, Lord Jesus. Amen.