“The Waiting World”

Friday, July 07, 2023

The Waiting World

By Paul Earnhart

Galatians 4:4 says that “When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman."  In many ways, the world was ready for the coming of Jesus.  The wickedness of the Gentile world had reached the ultimate.  Without a law from God, they had sunk lower and lower into sin and violence.  Intelligent people realized that their gods were no gods and that there was no influence in the world that could rescue mankind from its hopeless condition.

The Jews had a law from God, but they had not kept it.  They had substituted their own traditions for the law of God and substituted tradition keeping for true morality and piety.  It was at this point that God sent His son into the world.  Poor Jewish shepherds were informed of His birth and came to see Him the night He was born.  An aged man by the name of Simeon had been looking for the coming Messiah and had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the hope of Israel.  He was filled with joy when Mary brought the baby Jesus to Jerusalem where Simeon lived.  Though King Herod tried to kill him, there were other Jews who rejoiced in His coming.  And Gentiles were also represented.  The wise men who came from the East were Gentiles.  They saw His star in the East and came to worship Him.

Within a few years the influence of that infant child had been felt throughout the world and millions had been converted from sinners to saints. 

Once again, sin reigns in our world.  We have probably not declined so far as the Gentiles had in the ancient world.  But we are fast moving in that direction.  Even religion has deteriorated into a mere formality wlth many people.  There is little genuine heart and life involvement.

Jesus is still the answer – the hope of the world.  Regardless of the direction others may take, we can worship Jesus as did the shepherds and wise men of ancient times.  He is the way for us to escape sin and its consequences.

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