When is a matter of timing.  It could be used like a child’s entreaty on a long trip,”When will we be there?” It could be used as a threat, “When your father gets home…!” When could be used as a promise, “When we are finished shopping we’ll get ice cream.”  But no matter how it is used, the event in question is not theoretical, its considered by all parties to be something that will definitely happen.

We talked about what our response might be IF God showed up with a word for our lives, whether in the form of an Angel or otherwise and considered how we would react.  But I have GOOD NEWS.  In fact, the best of all possible news.  It isn’t a matter of IF God is going to show up, its a matter of WHEN God is going to show up.

As a matter of fact, I can tell you when He did.  It was when Quirinius was Governor of Syria and when Caesar Augusts was Emperor.  That was when is showed up in “the meat”, that’s kind of what incarnate means, when he took on our physical form.  In the words of Philippians 2:6-7 Jesus, “..did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

But that is not the end of the WHEN.  When Pontius Pilate was Governor of Palestine, the baby who was born when Quirinius was Governor died in our place.  At the right time.  Romans 5:5-8 tells us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

And WHEN was the right time?  It had little to do with Quirinius and Pilate, and everything to do with us, that’s all of us who are now, ever were or ever will be.  It had to do with when we were powerless against sin and death and hell.  When is that?  Its right now because we are always powerless against those.  Jesus didn’t just come back then, He is with us now!

Romans  5:9-10 reminds us, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us,  has come!  The power of death is defeated.  And the WHEN is now, for those who belive.

Merry Christmas and the Peace of the Born, Crucified and Risen Christ be with you.