Jesus Arrived As Planned, And For A Purpose (Wednesday, Week 1 of Advent 2011)

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus Arrived As Planned, And For A Purpose
(Wednesday, Week 1 of Advent 2011)

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah…from you shall come forth for me
One who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient of days…
And he shall be their peace.
Micah 5:2, 5

“Accidents will happen,” or so we’ve heard. But if we know that they surely will happen, that their occurrence is almost, well, ordained, are they really accidents? Think about it. The term accident of birth is an idiomatic expression suggesting that the circumstances of one’s birth be they propitious or be they regrettable, being entirely beyond one’s control, are purely accident or chance. But no one is ever born by accident. Without going into the details of the mechanics involved, there is some very definite action that must take place for a pregnancy to occur, and I defy anyone to make a case for that action ever to happen without someone intentionally making it happen, regardless of how out of control anyone may claim to have been in the moment. Life, despite what some scientists might try to suggest, is never an accident, there is always a plan for life, always a purpose. Jesus arrived as planned, and for a purpose.

Every detail of Christ’s birth was planned, ordained, established by the will of the Father, and according to his providence. In the book of the prophet Micah we read of both the plan and the purpose of the Lord’s birth. Though some might like to argue that it was only by accident, by virtue of the circumstance of the decree of Caesar, during the time that Quirinius was governor of Syria, that Joseph and Mary happened to travel to Bethlehem at the time Mary was to be delivered of her firstborn child (Luke 2.1-7), the Word of God had, hundreds of years earlier, in fact declared that Bethlehem, small as she was among the clans of Judah, would be the birthplace of the Messiah, and this according to a decision made from ancient days. (Micah 5:2) Believe it, Jesus arrived by no accident, but exactly as planned!

And, having arrived according to the plan, Jesus grew up to fulfill his life’s purpose, which, again, was no accident. For the prophet Micah had also declared that the one who would be born in Bethlehem would rule Israel, that his greatness would extend to the ends of the earth, and that he himself would be the very fullness of shalom (peace). (Micah 5:4-5) Believe it, Jesus arrived not by circumstance, but to fulfill a definite and glorious purpose!

Knowing that Jesus arrived as planned and for a purpose should be a great comfort to us all, because our salvation was at the very center of that purpose. (Matthew 1:20-21) We also need to hear this, and hang on to it—regardless of whatever circumstances we experience, and they may well be difficult, harsh, and painful at times—the Father has a plan and a purpose for our lives, just as surely as he had a plan and purpose for the life of his Son. In fact, we ourselves know, and actively and intentionally live out, God’s plan and purpose for us when Jesus “arrives” in our heart and our mind, there to rule and to reign. And he is our peace.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4