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“ r a n g e r , m e n a t w o r k ,” is a necessary notice sometimes. “ Blessing, God at work,” is also a necessary notice, because men often overlook God’s activities in this world. Christmas calls our atten tion to God’s work for men. At the same time, it assures us that His purpose always will be fulfilled. As we look, we marvel. What a variety of people and objects God used to carry out His plans! Heaven and earth were both called in to help. God included poor people such as Joseph and Mary. He used uneducated and very ordinary people such as the shepherds, who were guarding their sheep. He called too on scien tists who lived hundreds of miles away from the scene o f the drama. He also used emperors and governors, who wanted information for govern mental purposes, to work for Him. All events meshed into the wonderful mosaic. Nor were the angelic hosts, God’s celestial servants, ignored. Creation, with its stars, also had a part to play in the marvel of Christmas. A two-fold preparation had been going on for centuries. God had been speaking to men and tell ing them that He was arranging for Christmas. He began by saying why Jesus would come (Gen. 3 :15). He followed this by telling us that He would be bom a Jew (Gen. 12:3) and then which tribe He would honour by His birth (Gen. 49:10). Not least did God indicate that He would be a royal person o f David’s family (2 Sam. 7:12 & 13). His birthplace was also revealed (Mic. 5 :2). Further, He would have a unique birth—from a virgin (Isa. 7:14). Although He would be bom as a baby, He would be the mighty God (Isa. 9:6 & 7). The world’s preparation indicated that “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,” as the Apostle Paul said (Gal. 4 :4 ). The Romans had given the world h ighw ays that stretched from Rome to the farthest part of her empire. They had brought the known world under one government; their laws protected the rights of individuals. The Roman postal system made rapid communication easier. As Rome had finished her conquests, the world was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. The Greeks had given a language and culture to the world. Alexander had spread the Greek lan guage with his conquests of Western Asia and Egypt. Surprisingly enough, the Romans did not impose Latin on the world, but educated Romans learned the Greek language. Hence a large part of
the known world had no barrier against the spread of ideas. This included the thought o f man’s re ceiving God’s revelation. The Jews knew God’s purposes for the world better than any other nation. Scattered every where throughout the Roman world, they took with them the knowledge of the one true God and His power and love. As the only optimists in the old world, they believed God would send what the world so sorely needed, a Redeemer. Only God could choose this moment for His Son to come to this earth. By both speech and silence God concentrated men’s attention on Christ’s birth. For thousands of years, He had spoken to men through His prophets. Often in the previous thousand years more than one great prophet had appeared at the same time. Yet for the 400 years prior to the Incarnation, when Malachi had been God’s messenger, He had not spoken or given any written revelation to His people. As men waited expectantly, this silence made them the keener to hear God speak again. It was not until a year or so before Jesus’ birth that the heavenly visitor to Zacharais brought a message from God to men. To fulfil His purposes, God had to find various people and objects to carry out His will. He needed a man and woman of character to form the family into which Christ should be bom. The man must be so virtuous that he could avoid the slightest sus picion o f any loose living, let alone immorality. He must also be obedient to the commands o f God whether naturally they pleased him or not. God found him in Joseph, a man who received God’s in- struction five times, each time responding with complete obedience. God needed a girl who was unquestionably a virgin. She also must have a strong faith, be will- ing to follow God’s plan and be prepared to suffer shame and misunderstanding in fulfilling God’s purposes. God found her in Mary. As Jesus was to be given “ the throne o f his father David” (Luke 1:32) God was seeking a family in which Jesus could be bom as a descen- dant o f David. God found it in Joseph. Matthew traces back his genealogy to the great King of Israel, so He had a legal right to the throne. Yet God had removed a family that was in the very line of the succession because of the sin of Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:30). God overcame this diffi- culty. The royal line can be traced through another
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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