"Men and women were at war with themselves and with one another."

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book, Why the Nativity?: 25 Compelling Reasons We Celebrate the Birth of Jesus (p. 21). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Sounds a lot like us, doesn't it?

Earlier David says, "Imagine this scenario: A world leader plans to send a man on a mission of the utmost urgency. The fate of the world rests upon the success of this operation. So the commander thinks carefully, strategically, about his plan. Nothing can be left to chance; every detail must be carefully considered.

"The leader will send only the perfect candidate for his mission. He must decide where to deploy his agent, how to get him there, and what goals should be attempted. And timing means everything. If the mission goes into operation too soon or too late, everything will be lost."

He continues, "The ultimate World Leader—the one at the very top of the chain—planned just such a mission. The world was headed for destruction from the inside out, because humanity was enslaved by the sin in every human being. Men and women were at war with themselves and with one another."

He goes on, "God’s response to our hopeless situation is best summarized in these words: 'For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life' (John 3:16). Jesus was not only God’s Son, but his agent to rescue a lost world. And to succeed, this agent would be required to lay the ultimate sacrifice upon the altar of his world.

"Would you agree that God, knowing the cost, would consider every angle in planning such an operation? He sent the right man for the mission, which was accomplished in the only possible way: Jesus’ death and resurrection. But what about the timing? Could God have sent his Son earlier or later? Galatians 4:4 phrases the idea beautifully: 'When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son' (NKJV). In other words, conditions were optimal on the battlefield of earth. But why? What was it about the vast Roman Empire that was so ideal for the coming of Christ?"

Later David says, "Stability and relative tolerance opened the world to the spread of a new idea; roads and shipping lanes made it happen quickly and efficiently. But there was another key factor: language."

He then said, "Jesus indeed came at the perfect time, but he also brought the perfect message. He brought hope and light. In a world ruled by the sword, this teacher spoke of perfect peace. In a world of violence and retribution, he spoke of loving one’s enemies. In a world of death, he offered hope of new life—for now and for beyond the grave. The Romans dominated through the power of terror, lifting high a cross that performed its deadly task with unimaginable pain. Jesus accepted that cross, submitted himself to it, and lifted it high as a bridge from the grief of earth to the joy of heaven—and that bridge, he made it clear, was available even to those who persecuted him.

"That was a message to capture a world. In the fullness of time, just when his truth and love could spread with greatest impact, Jesus came to bring the most radical, most wonderful message that has ever been presented. What began in a stable in little Bethlehem would redefine history—at the perfect time, and for all time."

And that is so true, isn't it? Yes, yes! #continuethought