Dec
THE DIVIDING LINE OF HISTORY
Week 1
Christ’s birth changed the entire course of history. We even separate history according to Jesus’ birth (B.C. to A.D.)! Jesus changed the world by entering history as the God-man, and He can change our lives as well.
Read the Sermon Summary below
THE DIVIDING LINE OF HISTORY
Finding the uncommon in the common
“We live and die; Christ died and lived!” John Scott
The Christmas season is special for me because of all the tradition and nostalgia that is wrapped up in the holiday. Each year my family and I create new memorable moments even though we tend to sing the same old songs, watch the same old movies, and do much of the same old things. So many of those memories around Christmas have shaped me into who I am today. Similarly, the birth of Jesus was such a memorable moment that it shaped history, even impacting how we describe it. A line exists that divides history into two because the world has never been the same since Jesus came. History hinges on Jesus.
Even though Jesus was not born on 1 A.D., the habit of dividing history into B.C. (“before Christ”) and A.D. (anno domini, which means “in the year of our Lord.”) began with a monk in the 5th century. It was officially adopted in the 7th century, becoming the way we describe dates throughout history in the western world. America’s framers even included the phrase, “In the year of our Lord” in its Constitution, forever highlighting the influence that the life of Christ had during its founding era. Some don’t like this. There have been people who have since tried to replace the B.C./A.D. labels with B.C.E. and C.E. which stand for “before the common era” and “common era” to use language that is void of any religion connections.
What’s ironic is that even though the labels B.C.E. & C.E. don’t make any direct reference to Jesus, it indirectly emphasizes that the common era has been marked by the birth of an uncommon individual. History hinges on Jesus.
When Christian look at any history labeled B.C., or anything that is written in the Old Testament, we should view it as a time when God has issued a promise. In fact, He issued many promises during that time, but they are all rooted in the one key promise that pointed to a Messiah who would one day come and make all things right. One of those is found in Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 53 of his book.
All prophets in the Bible would proclaim messages from God that called people to repent of their sins and turn back to the Lord so that they could be delivered from their enemies. Isaiah was a prophet who God had called to rely His words to the Kingdom of Judah. The words of the prophet Isaiah were spoken and written around 739-681 B.C., over 2,700 years ago. One of his most iconic and most controversial prophecies is written in the fifty-third chapter of his book. The chapter gives an account of a remarkable individual who suffered greatly, to the point that he died for the sins of others, having never committed a sin of his own. It’s common for people to live then die. What makes the person in this prophecy so unique is that he did a very uncommon thing by rising from the dead!
Christians since the 1st century have said that Isaiah’s words in chapter 53 point to Jesus, even if they were written over 600 years before His birth. The descriptions line up incredibly with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection! Because of this, many Jews have struggled with what to do with this passage that is found in their own scriptures. Isaiah 53 is so controversial, even among Jewish Rabbis, that this chapter is never read during the normal calendar reading of the Jewish Bible, which is the Old Testament of our modern-day Bibles. Most Jews don’t understand Isaiah 53, and in fact many have never even read this forgotten chapter. When these words are read you find yourself asking the questions, “Who is this guy and why is he doing all of this?”. This prophecy was a promise that God would send an uncommon person to pay the price for the sins of common people like you and me. If B.C. can be described as a time of God issuing a promise, we can say that A.D. is a time when God’s promise has been fulfilled.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:4-7 (ESV)
Knowing who Jesus is and what He has done for us is the most important thing we can do in our lives. Around 50 A.D., the Apostle Paul wanted to make sure that this church in the city of Philippi knew this. I want you to grasp this life-giving truth too. Paul wrote these words, not because a common man died. He wrote these and many other letters, dedicating his life to spread the good news that an uncommon Savior rose from the dead and offers us new life in Him! There is a line today that divides history because Jesus crossed the line from Heaven and came to Earth as one of us, so He could save each one of us. That line between B.C. and A.D. now stands as a constant reminder of how God has fulfilled His promise. The only thing left for us is to do is receive that promise. Our fate hinges on that decision.
Many kids create a Christmas list in hopes to get that one special toy that will make them happy. Many adults never grow out of that innocent hope, wishing that they too may also find that new job, relationship, or opportunity that will improve their lives. What we are all looking for came actually looking for us first. Over 2,000 years ago, the world received Christ, and history was forever changed. When we receive Jesus, we get the same results. Our lives are forever changed as we encounter an uncommon Savior by doing a very common thing; believing.
Believe and you will receive the gift of a lifetime which is called eternal life! This is a gift that you’ll never want to return and it’s something that you don’t have to wait until you die to enjoy. Eternal life is meant to be lived today! It’s living a life that is fueled by the giver of life, your Heavenly Father. It’s a life where you walk side by side with God Himself.
So, it doesn’t matter if you use B.C./A.D. or B.C.E./A.C.E. because they both point to one key fact, that history hinges on Jesus, and so does your story. He is the most significant turning point in human history. Jesus can be your turning point too. Your life BEFORE believing in CHRIST will never compare to when AFTER you DO.