Everywhere you go in Israel there are tangible reminders that the Bible is based on time and place rather than the whimsy of people’s imagination.
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” Galatians 4:4,5
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” Galatians 4:4,5.
Back from an amazing time in Israel and Jordan, I am now processing things from my experiences and notes. I think it’s very hard for a person to be an atheist in Israel. Everywhere you go there are tangible reminders that the Bible is based on time and place rather than the whimsy of people’s imagination. Jesus came at just the right time and place with the perfect message.
TIME. The Roman empire was in full swing at Jesus’ birth, along with its superior communication, language, road system, legal system and reach across the known world. What better time to be born for the gospel message to touch the corners of the earth! The same empire that persecuted the early church was also the means to convey Christ’s message quickly and comprehensively.
PLACE. Israel has been called ‘the navel of the world.’ Its location was, and is, so strategic to access Europe, Africa (Egypt) and points East. Everyone wanted this little piece of land and how many battles have been fought over it!
Joppa, for instance (where Peter saw the vision of the sheet let down and where Jonah fled from the Lord), has been owned by: Assyria; Persia; Phoenicia; Alexander the Great; Seleucids; Maccabees; Hasmoneans; Romans; Crusades; Saladin Muslims; Richard the Lionheart; Mamluks; Ottoman Turks and England. This little country where Jesus was born soars to 9000 feet at Mount Hermon and dives to -1400 feet at the Dead Sea. It’s all here! It’s the Promised land!
MESSAGE. Jesus’ message of God’s love and unearned salvation came to a world hungry for this kind of news. The Romans, with their Hellenistic emphasis on the supremacy of man and the here and now (great unless you are one of the 10-30% slaves in the empire whose life expectancy was under 20 years). The Jews, who were dominated by hypocritical and uncaring leaders. The message of ultimate meaning found in the death and resurrection of Christ was like a lightning bolt in those needy times.
A timely message in a timely place – God knows what He is doing!
I will be presenting a travelogue of our time to Israel and Jordan on July 16 – that’s a Sunday evening, at 7 pm in the Coffee Connection at the church. Plan to join me for a photo reflection of our time!
Pastor Leon Throness
