The “Inconvenient” Advent of Jesus Christ

Why now? Why here?

From a purely logical point of view, the Advent of Christ occurred at a most inconvenient time and in a most inhospitable place. The details of this scheme would never have been cleared by professional planners or modern management consultants. The circumstances seemed so wrong.

After all…

Caesar Augustus, the ruler of the Roman world into Jesus was born, was surely no friend of religious freedom. Indeed, he was a wicked tyrant who used repression, intimidation and violence to dominate the peoples of his realm. And his underlings in the chain of command were just as bad. Quirinius, the governor of Syria was a thug whereas Herod, the Roman-acclaimed king of the Jews who controlled Palestine was a vicious assassin.

This was the hostile, unstable, sin-sick political situation into which God sent His Son for His plan of redemption to be acted out. Our suggestions would almost certainly have been for God to wait for a time of political stability and to find a safer location for the Advent of Jesus. Perhaps we would have chosen to wait for radio, television or the internet (at least the invention of the printing press!) which would have made the Great Commission a less daunting task than sending out a handful of unlearned men to change the whole world!

Isn't it amazing how different God's ways from ours? And, not only different, but superior beyond measure! For not only was our salvation secured in this alarmingly dangerous situation, but God's overcoming power was manifested all the more brilliantly because of its darkened background. In our culture's present instability with tyranny, terrorism, and threats of all kinds plaguing mankind, this reflection of how God's greatest victory occurred in the most “inconvenient” of situations is a good one to remember.