1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:05,200 Well, my prayer for this time and this message is that it will 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,840 bring warmth to our hearts, it will strengthen our faith, and 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:10,720 it will bring illumination to our minds. 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,080 My sincere desire is that it will enrich your relationship, 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,000 my relationship with the living Christ. 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,800 And we're going to do that prayfully by seeking to answer a 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,800 simple question. Why did Jesus come when he did? 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,720 Why did Jesus arrive in his first advent in that period that 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,880 we know to be 2000 years ago? Why not 500 years before? 10 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:44,560 Why not delayed until 2025? Why did Christ come when He did? 11 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,440 And we have to be humble in answering this question because 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,160 we may never receive a complete answer on this side of eternity. 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,840 That being said, the Scriptures does provide a remarkable 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,480 comment regarding this very reality. 15 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,880 And I want to invite you to turn with me in your Bibles in 16 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,640 Galatians, the book of Galatians, and see what Paul 17 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,760 says to these believers in chapter 4, verse 4, Galatians 4 18 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:20,000 verse 4, the great apostle by the Spirit writes, But when the 19 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:25,880 fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of 20 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,880 woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the 21 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,520 law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 22 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,280 That phrase, the fullness of time, essentially means at the 23 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:46,800 perfect time, when everything was ripe at the best possible 24 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:52,600 moment, God sent his Son. And this concise statement is 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,800 enough to let us know that not only was the means of our 26 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:01,400 salvation prepared and planned from eternity past, but the 27 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,040 timing of it was also carefully calculated. 28 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,039 And though again, we may not know all the reasons why, I 29 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:12,520 believe that there are indications in the Scriptures 30 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,160 that allow us to catch glimpses of God's wisdom pertaining to 31 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:22,120 the first advent of the Messiah. And I believe there are at least 32 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,800 three perspectives, 3 dimensions to this. 33 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,400 There is a spiritual one, there's a political, and there 34 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,360 is a cultural. And regarding the first, we 35 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,320 actually have the answers in this very same book, in the book 36 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:41,760 of Galatians. And so I want us to just 37 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,120 meditate on these things together. 38 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,840 And again, I pray that it would do something in your view of 39 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,080 God's wisdom and glory and majesty. 40 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:50,880 So let's consider these things separately. 41 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,960 What was going on spiritually for God to send his Son when he 42 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,240 sent him? But we have to step back and ask 43 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,560 ourselves this question. What is the main purpose of the 44 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,840 book of Galatians? It's very plain. 45 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,720 Paul is writing to these Christians in that region of 46 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,400 Galatia because they were being seduced by Jewish false teachers 47 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,640 who were trying to persuade them that there needed to be an 48 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:18,280 adherence to the law in order to attain salvation, namely 49 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,080 circumcision. And so, yes, these Christians 50 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,240 believe that Christ died on the cross, but you, you have to 51 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,600 understand there's much more history than that. 52 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,440 There are other components that you must comply with and must 53 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:34,760 observe in order for you to really secure with your 54 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:40,480 relationship with God. And so Paul writes to this group 55 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:45,680 of believers and this treaties really is is him educating these 56 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:52,080 Christians that the law serves no redemptive purpose, that the 57 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,760 law instead serves a different role. 58 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,080 And he explains it essentially it boils down to this, that that 59 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,600 the law is meant to convince you, not that you need to 60 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,000 observe these things in order for you to be made righteous, 61 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,760 but to convict you about your lack of righteousness. 62 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,880 And that no matter your efforts, no matter your attempts, you 63 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,240 will never be able to win your own redemption. 64 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,720 And so the law, Paul says, is meant to persuade you and 65 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,880 prepare you to be ready to accept Christ from the 66 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,000 understanding as you stand it before the mirror of God's 67 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:36,760 righteousness and holiness. I I cannot win my holiness. 68 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,760 It must be outside of me. It must be an alien 69 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,760 righteousness. And Paul says in many ways, look 70 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,880 back at Galatians chapter 3, verse 23. 71 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,080 He says now before faith came, we were held captive under the 72 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,920 law. In other words, the law didn't 73 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,560 liberate you had arrested you, had apprehended you. 74 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,560 And he goes on to say in prison until the coming faith would be 75 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,040 revealed. So then the law was our guardian 76 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:10,000 until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. 77 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:11,320 It's so straightforward, isn't it? 78 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,880 But how does this tie into the idea of Christ being sent the 79 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,280 fullness of time? How do those things relate well 80 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:25,280 in the mind of God? It was at that moment where the 81 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:30,480 law served its full purpose and Christ was ready to enter into 82 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,160 our world. In other words, the Old 83 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,720 Testament stands as an overwhelming historical record 84 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,520 of humanity, namely Israel's inability to keep the law 85 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,640 completely and consistently. And that wasn't a matter of 2030 86 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,600 or 100 years. It was centuries upon centuries 87 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:57,000 of documented unfaithfulness. So with the whether there are 88 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,040 many or few in the nation, it didn't matter. 89 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,680 With or without judges, kings or prophets, it made no difference. 90 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,120 You see, the Lord allowed the law to remain in effect for a 91 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,880 certain period of time in order to build a case against Adam's 92 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:16,160 race so that when it would be studied and when it would be 93 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:21,160 examined, and this one is completely delusional or filled 94 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:27,360 with pride, they would see and understand we can't do this. 95 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:31,440 The law has condemned us over and over and over again. 96 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:36,240 No matter what chapter of Israel's existence you look at, 97 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:43,240 they fail, they fall short. And in God's perfect knowledge, 98 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:49,160 He allowed this to unfold throughout the centuries in 99 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:54,720 order to establish again a case that would be irrefutable, that 100 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,000 Israel's history was not merely meant to humble them. 101 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,920 No, the Saint Paul who wrote this actually tells us that 102 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:07,360 this, this Old Testament, these Hebrew Scriptures, was meant to 103 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,960 stand against all of mankind as a testimony. 104 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,800 You know these verses very well. Let me remind you of them in 105 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,880 Romans 319. Paul says, Now we know that 106 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,160 whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, 107 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,120 so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may 108 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,120 be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human 109 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,200 being will be justified in his sight, since through the law 110 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,560 comes knowledge of sin. So hold on for a moment, how is 111 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:43,560 the whole world held accountable to God if the law primarily 112 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,280 speaks to those who are under the law? 113 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:47,720 Who are those who are primarily under the law? 114 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:52,280 The Jewish people. Well, here's one way this works. 115 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:57,760 If Israel, who enjoyed privileges and revelation and 116 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:02,360 first hand encounters with God, could not meet the demands that 117 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:07,160 God placed on them the the moral requirements, what chance do the 118 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,720 neighboring nations have who are outside of that covenant? 119 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,640 In other words, if any Gentile were to read the the Hebrew 120 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,040 scriptures and see look at the the awesome glory that was 121 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,000 granted to this one people. And yet they continually turn 122 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,200 their back on this God. What opportunity do we have? 123 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:31,800 What chance do we have? The answer is they don't. 124 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,200 God's wisdom shows here that Israel's long history of 125 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,840 failures, despite their unique advantages advantages, stands 126 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,320 out as an irrefutable argument against humanity as a whole. 127 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,080 And This is why it was the perfect time, because when 128 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,960 Christ came, the Lord essentially declared the law has 129 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,600 served its goal. My case has been made. 130 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,440 Anyone who looks back at humanity's history will see 131 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:04,400 clearly that mankind cannot save itself and needs a Redeemer. 132 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,880 This is the spiritual component. But we have to all understand 133 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,320 that there is a political element to this as well, because 134 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,360 the one who is sovereign over time is also sovereign over 135 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:23,040 kingdoms and empires. That should cause us then to 136 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:28,160 realize that Christ being born when the Roman Emperor and the 137 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:33,080 Roman Empire was at its peak of dominance was not an 138 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,400 afterthought in God's redemptive plan. 139 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,640 It was just as much a part of the whole plan than anything 140 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,760 else. And what you find so 141 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,360 fascinatingly is that the policies and the achievements 142 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,640 and the authority of this ancient government significantly 143 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:54,880 influenced gospel events that we may have overlooked and we find 144 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,760 it in the Bible. Let me give you one example. 145 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,560 In Luke chapter 2, verse one, it reads, in those days a decree 146 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:06,360 went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be 147 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,400 registered. This was the first registration 148 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,120 when Crenius was governor over Syria and all went to be 149 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:14,600 registered, each to his own town. 150 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,400 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of 151 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,240 Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called 152 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,280 Bethlehem, because he was at the House of the lineage of David to 153 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,240 be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who is with child. 154 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,440 So here's Caesar Augustus, who did much for the Roman Empire, 155 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:35,040 but in this case he calls for a worldwide decree. 156 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:40,480 And that became the means to orchestrate and position Mary 157 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,600 and Joseph to be where Christ needed to be born. 158 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,440 Now 1 might ask, well, did it require all of that? 159 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,520 Couldn't Joseph and Mary just make their way towards Bethlehem 160 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,760 on their own that they need all of this? 161 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,840 Not necessarily. But there is wisdom even and how 162 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:06,400 this event transpired. Think about it, if Mary and 163 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,360 Joseph would have just made their way back to Bethlehem, 164 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,840 some could have criticized them of maybe manipulating events, 165 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,120 maneuvering things in order to force prophecy to happen. 166 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,600 Instead, when we see how this took place through the extensive 167 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,960 rule of Caesar Augustus, the Holy Spirit shows us how God, 168 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,640 God was the one who moved the world in order to bring his Son 169 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:36,080 where he needed to be born. Now, Cesar Augustus is 170 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,160 historically known for much more than what we find here in 171 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,440 issuing the census. He is credible with what is 172 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:47,320 known as the Pax Romana, which simply means in Latin, Roman 173 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,240 peace. It was a period of 200 years of 174 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,680 general peace and stability in the Roman Empire following 175 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:56,800 decades of war, and all began with Cesar Augustus. 176 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:04,600 He expanded Rome's dominance with an iron fist, and because 177 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:08,080 of this, there was a unique period of relative tranquility. 178 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,680 There was calm, and now efforts were focused on things like 179 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:14,640 trade and sophisticated infrastructure like building 180 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:18,280 roads, and that created ripple effects of prosperity and 181 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:24,160 societal flourishing. And things like this not only 182 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,720 made travel easier and made the world a little bit safer, 183 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,680 communication now was much more accessible and convenient. 184 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,960 And when you consider what it did to the world at the time, 185 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,480 you have to understand how it accelerated and even protected 186 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,960 the spread of the gospel, how apostles would communicate with 187 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,080 these different churches, how these missionaries would be able 188 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,000 to go from place to place with greater ease and access. 189 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,320 I'm afraid there's a misconception among some 190 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,640 Christians who think that Rome was the church's fiercest enemy 191 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,520 from the beginning. The Bible suggests otherwise. 192 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,520 If you actually read carefully in the New Testament, you'll 193 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,760 you'll realize that there are there are other enemies at the 194 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,520 forefront before the church. Think about Pilate. 195 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,400 Was he the one who was hunting down Jesus? 196 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,120 No, he was pressured by the Jewish religious leaders and in 197 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:26,560 the book of Acts, who kept trying to stumble and attack and 198 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:28,800 bribe against and slander the church. 199 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,800 Was it wrong? No, it was the Jews again. 200 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,760 In fact, Rome paid little attention to the Church. 201 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,760 They were very neutral. They were being presented cases 202 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:45,200 again by the Jews who wanted to try to stop the momentum of this 203 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:52,200 Christian movement and instead we actually find the widespread 204 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,840 persecution from the Romans would come decades later. 205 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,760 God used them without their knowledge in His sovereignty to 206 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,600 actually protect and preserve the church. 207 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,080 In many ways that sounds shocking, but it's true that the 208 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:12,560 Lord used this massive empire to actually play a role in 209 00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:18,600 incubating and safeguarding and not allowing those who had a 210 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:23,440 vehement hatred for Christ and His people to gain victory. 211 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,920 And you see that especially in the ministry of the apostle 212 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,800 Paul. Paul was arrested on many 213 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,960 occasions, but one of his most significant arrests was near the 214 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:34,520 end of the account of the book of Acts. 215 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,480 He was in Jerusalem. He was in the temple. 216 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,800 And the Jews who saw him there says, this is our chance. 217 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,400 This is the blasphemer. This is the one who has been 218 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,920 winning so many to this to this Christ. 219 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,320 Let's get him. And so there was a mob attack 220 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:51,920 and they nearly killed him. But who intervened? 221 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,600 The Roman tribune, they stopped the scuffle, they rescued Paul, 222 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,680 they brought him to the side, and they put him in the barracks 223 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,240 for a short amount of time. And while he was tucked away, we 224 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,320 learn in the Book of Acts that Paul's nephew learned about a 225 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:13,360 plot to assassinate Paul, that they even vowed, they even 226 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,760 fasted until this was accomplished. 227 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,760 So what does he do? Well, he goes to the tribune and 228 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,040 he tells him and informs him of the scheme. 229 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,720 Listen, they're going to ask you to bring Paul out at a council 230 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,160 meeting so that they can interrogate him. 231 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,040 But in reality, there's going to be an ambush. 232 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:33,760 Don't let it happen. And I want you to see what the 233 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,920 Roman officials did for Paul. Listen to these words in Acts 234 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:43,800 23, verse 23. Then he in Acts 2323, that is 235 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,760 the tribune. Then he called two of the 236 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:52,520 centurions and said get ready. 200 soldiers with 70 horsemen 237 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:57,280 and 200 spear men to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of 238 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,800 the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to 239 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,320 ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 240 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,400 Wow, that is one impressive convoy for a preacher, wouldn't 241 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,480 you say? And my favorite part isn't even 242 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:13,520 the hundreds of soldiers surrounding this one man. 243 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:14,840 It's how they'd even let him walk. 244 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,600 They put him on a horse. Why did they go so far for this 245 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,280 man? Why this level of security? 246 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:24,800 Was it because he was a Christian? 247 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,480 Was it because he was educated? Was it because he was famous? 248 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,080 I don't think so. I believe we actually get the 249 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,480 answer in the same account. I believe actually what we're 250 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,320 about to see is a turning point in Paul's experience of this 251 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,640 life and death situation. Listen to these words. 252 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:50,640 This is earlier in Acts 22. In Acts 2224, the Tribune 253 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,480 ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he 254 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:58,480 should be examined by flogging. Do you want flogging in tales 255 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,200 very similar to what Jesus experienced before he was 256 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:02,840 crucified? This would have been brutal. 257 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,760 This would have destroyed Paul. So they were ready to flog him, 258 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,520 to get some answers out of him. Notice what it says to find out 259 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,440 why they were shouting against him like this. 260 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:16,079 But when they had stretched them out for the whips, Paul said to 261 00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:19,800 the centurion who was standing by, Is it lawful for you to flog 262 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,359 a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned? 263 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:27,160 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said 264 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,320 to him, What are you about to do for this man as a Roman citizen? 265 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,360 So the tribune came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman 266 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:34,800 citizen? And he said, yes. 267 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,720 The tribune answered, I bought this citizenship for a large 268 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,400 sum, Paul said, But I am a citizen by birth. 269 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,600 So those who are about to examine and withdrew from him 270 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,480 immediately. And the tribune also was afraid, 271 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,680 for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had 272 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,320 bound him. What do you find repeated in 273 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,440 this passage? 2 words Roman citizen. 274 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:04,680 Now, undoubtedly the main source for Paul's protection is God's 275 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:09,080 preserving grace, sometimes manifested miraculously. 276 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:15,200 But that same power that hovered over Paul sometimes, yes, came 277 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,800 supernaturally, but also more commonly, was a providential 278 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,040 reality. And one of the providential 279 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:25,840 means for Paul to be protected was his citizenship. 280 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,960 Can you imagine that Roman citizenship was the very reason 281 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,880 the apostle of the Gentiles was not killed by the Jews, at least 282 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,880 at this point? And it happened more than once 283 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:43,960 where he had to appeal to his civil rights and he could thank 284 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,040 God for the protection that it afforded him. 285 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,640 And it makes me wonder if that thought crossed his mind at all 286 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,640 when he penned those words to the Galatians for the fullness 287 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,840 of time. God sent his Son that at the 288 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,480 best time for the gospel, that in a moment when it was most 289 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:06,080 profitable for the good news, God manifested the truth of who 290 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,440 He is to the world. Paul experienced that first 291 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,520 hand. Yes, because of his Savior 292 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,240 ultimately, but how God in his great power move through things 293 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,720 like this that we don't often think about. 294 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,360 Which makes me want to say one more thing before we come to our 295 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:25,960 final thought. Paul didn't just know the 296 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:31,480 Scriptures. Paul understood his rights as a 297 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,120 citizen who lived under an ungodly empire. 298 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,960 For what purpose? To the advantage of the 299 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,360 proclamation of the gospel. You know, some here might 300 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,440 criticize Paul. Some who are in Paul's position 301 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:46,840 might have just taken the flogging. 302 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,120 Paul didn't do that. He was much more wise and 303 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,280 strategic than that. He understood that this would 304 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,000 not help the cause of the gospel, it would hinder it. 305 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,600 And so he opened his mouth and he spoke up, and he utilized the 306 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,000 freedoms that he understood and enjoyed for the sake of the 307 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,560 gospel. May we do the same in the land 308 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,080 that we live in this day. May we not be foolish 309 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,280 Christians. May we understand that even in 310 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:17,480 this we can see God's grace extended to the church and the 311 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,240 world. But we come to a cultural 312 00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:23,880 component to all of this. Again, we're trying to answer 313 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,280 the question, what was it about the timing of Christ's first 314 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,480 advent that was full, that was just right? 315 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,840 Well, long before Rome became an empire, Greek culture and 316 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,240 language had spread across the eastern Mediterranean due to the 317 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,960 conquest of Alexander the Great. And because of that Young's 318 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,760 man's ability and power and authority, the Greek language 319 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:54,360 was the common language and it was so deeply rooted in society 320 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,280 that when Rome took over, they adopted it. 321 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,720 They didn't seek to erase it. They integrated with it. 322 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,560 And as a result, it became the lingua franca, the shared 323 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,360 language across most of the eastern region. 324 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,160 And so if you want to think about what kind of influence 325 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,320 that had in Jesus time, just think about the influence of 326 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:19,600 modern English today. That is the the most used and 327 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,800 common way of communication among people. 328 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,600 And in the same way, Greek played such a significant role 329 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,800 in that ancient world, the time of the apostles. 330 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,440 And that's why the apostles wrote the New Testament in 331 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:36,680 Greek, because they wanted to have the furthest reach possible 332 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,120 with the message. They didn't want to limit 333 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:39,720 themselves with Hebrew or Aramaic. 334 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,360 And that's what we see here, that even in this small detail, 335 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:52,800 God understood that when one language dominated and spread 336 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,360 across the world. I'm going to send my son. 337 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:57,920 I'm going to send forth the Messiah. 338 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,200 Because God is not only sovereign over time, He's not 339 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,040 only sovereign over kingdoms and empires, but even over cultural 340 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,800 developments and the course of systems of communication over 341 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,520 time. Let me give you one final 342 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,000 example before we close together again. 343 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:19,240 We can miss this if we fail to meditate on the implications of 344 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,200 some of the details that were granted in the Bible. 345 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:24,840 We're we're we're recognizing the birth of the Messiah. 346 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:29,240 Let me take you to his death for a moment and listen to these 347 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:35,120 words in John 19 verse 19. This is our final scripture. 348 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,200 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. 349 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,480 It read Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 350 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,520 Many of the Jews read this inscription. 351 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,720 For the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and 352 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:55,800 it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 353 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,360 So the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate, do not write the 354 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:04,320 king of the Jews, but rather this man said, I am the king of 355 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:08,280 the Jews. Pilate answered What I have 356 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:14,520 written, I have written it was customary for anyone who was 357 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,800 crucified by the Romans to have a plaque above their heads on 358 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:23,000 the cross stating their crime. When Pilate had Christ 359 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:28,040 crucified, you remember he could find no wrongdoing in the man. 360 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,080 So there was no there was no wrongdoing to inscribe. 361 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,960 So what does he do? He boldly writes what we just 362 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,480 read, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. 363 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,760 But interestingly, John tells us that Pilate did so in three 364 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:47,520 different languages. Why? 365 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,800 Well, it's not because he believed it. 366 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,800 It's because he wanted to irritate the Jews who pressured 367 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:59,320 him to kill this man, and he could have just limited it to 368 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:03,240 their native tongue. But no, no, no, I'm going to 369 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:08,360 translate this to the most used and understood languages of my 370 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:12,160 time. You have to remember that Jesus 371 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,360 was crucified during what feast? The Passover. 372 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,440 What did that mean? Thousands from across the world 373 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:21,160 were in Jerusalem, from different parts of the world. 374 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,640 And so in the ESV, we learned that he wrote in Aramaic. 375 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,640 Some translators might say Hebrew, the language that the 376 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,120 Jews knew, but he also had it written in Latin. 377 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:35,800 Why? Because that was the official 378 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,320 language of of Rome, especially among the elite. 379 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:43,080 And finally, he writes it in Greek because as we just heard, 380 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,200 it was a common language of the culture. 381 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,240 Now, as we just saw, the Jewish leaders were absolutely 382 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:58,840 frustrated and angered by this. And so they demand, no, no, no, 383 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,000 no, don't write the king of the Jews, but that he claimed to be 384 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,880 the king of the Jews. Why? 385 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,520 Because they understood something that as his people, 386 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,960 tradesmen and travellers and pilgrims would cross this site, 387 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,880 they would read the sign and they could it could create 388 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,920 curiosity to the masses. King of the Jews crucified. 389 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,800 More than that, there could have been fear on the part of these 390 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,880 leaders that this could instigate something and that 391 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,320 higher Roman officials would look into this as there's a 392 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,600 claim to kingship apart from Caesar. 393 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,440 And so they tried to again pressure Pilot to do their 394 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:50,560 bidding, and he refused. What I have written, I have 395 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:56,520 written. I don't see Pilot's authority in 396 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,600 this story. I see God's sovereignty. 397 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:05,080 Why though? This man was mocking Christ and 398 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,360 tried to spite these Jewish leaders. 399 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,440 Unknowingly, he was declaring one of the most powerful truths 400 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,040 to the entire world. Because you have to understand, 401 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,240 people would take what they saw and bring it back home, share it 402 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:22,520 with their friends, discuss it with their families, and who 403 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:26,280 knows what that would open in their minds and in their hearts. 404 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:35,120 And so here you have Pilot giving a gospel truth in seed 405 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,680 form. And what would that do? 406 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:45,600 Who knows, but I think it played somewhat of a role as Christ is 407 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:50,240 ready to die, race from the grave, ascend and then 408 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,840 commissioned his church to preach the full gospel, perhaps 409 00:26:54,840 --> 00:27:01,600 to some who few days weeks ago read the sign Jesus of Nazareth, 410 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:06,760 King of the Jews crucified, the fullness of time. 411 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:12,280 God sent his son and you and I just got a sample on this 412 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:17,480 Christmas Eve just how profound our God is, just how brilliant 413 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,200 he is. But let me end by telling you 414 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:27,080 just how gracious he is because the same one who oversaw and 415 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:31,800 Superintendent over all these details tells us in his word. 416 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:38,120 Now is the favorable time. Today is the day of salvation, 417 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,400 and it could be that you're in this place tonight, as Pastor 418 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,200 Mark mentioned, out of tradition. 419 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:54,040 Maybe this is very nostalgic to you, but Christ is not real to 420 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,840 you and you have never personally and consciously and 421 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,000 intentionally turned your attention towards Him and 422 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,360 confessed your sin and received His saving grace. 423 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:11,320 And what you just heard in this last 30 minutes is a very brief 424 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,000 explanation of all that God went through in order to win your 425 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:20,520 heart, in order to redeem your soul, in order to cleanse you 426 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:25,920 from all unrighteousness and to deem you as holy in the sight of 427 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,520 God. And what He asks of you in this 428 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:34,920 moment is to acknowledge that you are indeed a Sinner, that if 429 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,800 you compare yourself to God's righteousness, you have 430 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:44,320 absolutely no chance of winning any case pertaining to your 431 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:48,000 redemption. And yet you would not live in a 432 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,600 moment of despair, but recognize that provision has been made in 433 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,280 the person of Jesus Christ. Let me just speak as plain as 434 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:59,680 possible in closing. You need your sins to be 435 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,640 forgiven. You and I stand condemned before 436 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:09,040 a holy God, but Christ is the payment for our sin. 437 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,480 And if you would just humble yourself and recognize who He is 438 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,600 and what He has done, not only would your life today be 439 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,880 transformed, but you will have the hope of everlasting life. 440 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:26,640 All is required of you is an admission of the sin that placed 441 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,320 Christ on the cross and a recognition that only He can 442 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:34,680 forgive you completely. And the only thing I'll leave 443 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,200 you with is this. If you're hesitant to accept it, 444 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:41,360 ask yourself why. Why? 445 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,040 Why would you deny a free gift like this? 446 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:52,200 Why would you turn your back on a love so great and so powerful? 447 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:58,680 Ask yourself and I pray that that introspection would lead 448 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:04,800 you to not just asking why, but asking Christ to save you. 449 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,440 He is ready to do it. You know, this time is very 450 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,960 meaningful to me personally, not because I get to be with family 451 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,160 and be with my church family because it was around this time 452 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:19,360 14 years ago as a 20 year old man that I came to Christ. 453 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:21,920 That's why these services are very meaningful to me, because 454 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,000 you, you don't know who might trickle in. 455 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:30,080 For me, my brother and a dear friend, it was around this time 456 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,040 leading up to New Year's. We were so unsatisfied with the 457 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,840 world separate from one another, yet Christ dealing with us in 458 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:40,600 the same way. And all it took was an 459 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,560 invitation, at least for my brother and my dear friend, to a 460 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,440 service like this around this time, to hear a brief message 461 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,040 about the gospel and their lives to be transformed forever. 462 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,840 And in my case, it was very similar, except I didn't go to 463 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:55,160 church. They couldn't even get me to go 464 00:30:55,160 --> 00:31:02,240 to church, but I was bothered enough by my sin to at least 465 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:04,640 read my Bible as a New Year's resolution. 466 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,880 And God spoke to me through that, and I've never recovered. 467 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,120 And I'm here telling you that you can know that same joy and 468 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:22,040 treasure in Christ if you just seek Him just the way you are. 469 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,280 He waits for you. Let's pray together. 470 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:37,960 Lord, Your word is indeed Your voice, and we've heard it loud 471 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:43,080 and clear, and again we ask that it would do only what it can do, 472 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:47,640 and that is convict hearts, comfort hearts, renew hearts. 473 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:52,680 Lord, we yield to you and we just come now to sing to You in 474 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,200 our Thanksgiving for what You have done, for those who are 475 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,680 saved, remembering their redemption. 476 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,560 For those who are not, perhaps tonight would be the night that 477 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,720 they can taste and see that the Lord is good. 478 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,280 We've done our part, Lord. We've sang the songs, we've 479 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,520 given the message, but only you can transform, and we give you 480 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,600 all the glory for that in Jesus name, Amen. 481 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:17,080 Why don't we stand? Let's worship the living Christ 482 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:17,480 together.