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We are looking to begin a new year and God is placing before us many opportunities. But in the pursuit of these we must stay focused on the foundation that supports our life’s mission, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. He is central to all of history and this Christmas season demonstrates this. When Daniel predicted that God would cut a rock from a mountain that would eventually destroy all the worlds systems of Government in Daniel 2:44-45, many scoffed at such a grandiose statement. But we are seeing this happen in the world today. Of course there are still the scoffers but that doesn’t change reality.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted to understand its meaning. Daniel was the only one able to interpret it. You can read this story in Daniel chapter 2. Here is what this dream meant: Nebuchadnezzar = the gold head—Babylon—606-539 B.C.; the chest and arms of silver = Meads and Persians—539-330 B.C.; the belly and thighs of bronze = the Grecian Empire—began with Alexander the Great in 334 B.C. and lasted until 63 B.C.; the legs of iron = the Roman Empire which began around 600 B.C. and conquered the Grecian Empire in 63 B.C. It would eventually deteriorate into a divided kingdom represented by the iron and clay feet. In the time of these kings God sets up His kingdom and this is precisely what Jesus stated in Mt. 13:31: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”
The prophet Habakkuk prophesied, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14)
This kingdom has filled the whole earth. We date our calendars based on the birth of Jesus and the whole earth celebrates His birthday. Even Richard Dawkins, the leading apostle of atheism celebrates Christmas. It is 270 years since Handel composed the classic piece “Messiah,” yet crowds continue to gather and listen to it for hours at a time. Handel produced the 206 page score in just 24 days and Beethoven is said to have revered Handel as the greatest of composers.
Its lasting popularity also owes to the work’s moving text, drawn from the Bible. From prophecy to incarnation to death and resurrection, the life of Christ has been called the greatest story ever told. Indeed, Leland Ryken of Wheaton College and other Christian literary scholars have noted how the narrative qualities of biblical revelation are finely tuned to the way we’re made as human beings.
I have a chart that shows the world’s population ranked by the number of adherents for different religions. There are 2.1 billion people who claim to be Christian or 33% of the world’s population. The next closest religion is Islam with 1.5 billion or 21% of the world’s population. But even they claim Jesus was a great prophet.
Yet there are those who reject the actual existence of Jesus but not based on fact. The leading historian Will Durant stated this with regard to the matter of the existence of Jesus: “That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels. After two centuries of Higher Criticism the outlines of the life, character, and teaching of Christ, remain reasonably clear, and constitute the most fascinating feature in the history of Western man.” (Emphasis added; Caesar and Christ, page 557)
Jesus has become the most controversial person in history as well as the most recognized. His kingdom will continue to increase but it will not be according to man’s measure of things. Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world but from a different realm, a spiritual one and the New Testament writers made this very clear.
Set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and not on earthly things. (Col. 3:1-3) All God’s people live by faith and do not receive the things promised in this life. That is because they are aliens and strangers here on earth. They are looking for a heavenly home that is built by God. (Heb. 11:13-16) Here is what the apostle Peter said: “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Pet. 2:11-12)
While we live here in fragile jars of clay, God is able to protect the treasure He has placed in us. I am convinced that God is able to keep what I have entrusted to him for that day. In all things we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us and He will come to take us to be with Him. This is not just a temporal hope but an eternal one. Don’t lose this focus in the coming year. God bless you as you live for Him.
In the service of the Master,
Mark Dunn—Pastor
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