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Video Lesson #8 – God’s Timetable, pt. 2
Timing is Everything
Timing is Everything!!! In this lesson, we explore the 7 reasons why God waited till near the end of His Master Plan (His Timetable) to finally reveal the main event–The Birth of Jesus.
We recommend the following music to go with your lesson time together:
1) “On Time God”
2) “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
(Notice in the lyrics: “Late in Time Behold Him Come.”)
May God bless your session.
See the rest of this series…
Lesson #8 Transcript:
Thank you Seamas
Unfortunately, Christmas isn’t till near the very end of the year.
That’s when you get to open your present.
Today, we are continuing to talk about God’s Timetable. This is pt.2 “Timing is Everything.”
“In the beginning” refers not only to the beginning of time, but also the beginning of God’s plan.
We talked about God’s Timetable; Pt 1 we titled: The Alpha & the Omega (or the scope of the story).
The scope of our story is from the beginning to the end when we gather around Jesus’ throne.
We talked about the beginning of time itself… the clock’s first tick…
Then, we talked about the beginning of God’s big plan to restore His creation & save His beloved mankind.
And about how it all ends up – the scope of the story!
We saw that Jesus is the beginning from whom everything, and everyone came…
And Jesus is the end to whom everything, and everyone are headed.
The angels witnessed creation and are now very interested in watching the rest of God’s plan to save mankind.
Creation itself groans and travails longing for the day that rocks, trees, mountains and all created things are themselves free from the consequences of sin.
On that day, creation itself will openly worship the Lord Jesus their creator.
The plan will end with everything and everyone at the feet of Jesus.
Everything Jesus lost, due to sin, will be restored to His domain.
The redeemed to everlasting life, and the lost to eternal judgement.
But all will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord of all.
Now that we have looked at “The Beginning” (Jesus the Alpha) – where we came from
And “The End” (Jesus the Omega) – where we are going
We can now begin to fill in the middle of the story. ISA 2810 GW
“He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.”
What does this verse show us about God’s skill as a teacher? Explain His method.
Of course, the mysterious big event promised…the gift box waiting to be opened…
… was the coming of Jesus, and more specifically, His death on the cross!
That would be the culmination of the story, the main event that would change everything.
Everything before was leading up to it, and everything after was because of it.
Let’s look again at God’s timetable.
Notice that several pages have already been torn off.
That’s because Jesus’ first coming was one of the last thing’s on God’s to-do list.
God’s Timetable Pt. 2
Note Zoom on ragged Edge
Indeed, the real Christmas day (Jesus birth) was near the end of God’s calendar
That may seem strange, yet scripture tells us God left this world-saving event to nearly the final scene.
This reminds me of our suggested worship song for this lesson “He’s a on time God… Yes, He is… He may not be in a hurry, but He’s always right on time.”
“…You were bought with the blood of Christ. Before the world was made, God chose Christ to do it, and Christ came at the end of time for your sake.” 1 Pet. 1:19-20 WE
How might this verse be an encouragement when we sometimes feel like God is taking too long to answer our prayers?
In this next verse God tells us what He was waiting for:
“He let us know his secret plan. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ. God’s goal was to finish his plan when the right time came…” Ephesians 1:9, 10 ERV
He simply says, He’s waiting for “the right time.”
Before Jesus came to Earth (near the very end of God’s timeline) He had to prepare the world for His coming.
Jesus wasn’t late-He was right on time
That’s why this lesson is called God’s “Timetable pt. 2: Timing is Everything”
First of all, Jesus had to prepare mankind for His arrival.
This preparation would begin with Abraham and end with John the Baptist.
The editor of Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour, said this about fashion trends…
“It’s always about timing. If it’s too soon, no one understands. If it’s too late, everyone has forgotten.”
In the fashion world, this means that trends that are too far out of nowhere, with no cultural foundation or understanding, will just be considered weird.
As in this fashion magazine article in 2019.
In September 2019, a jeweled mask on the face was considered as weird as it gets.
The world wasn’t ready—they had no need.
By September 2020, the world had changed.
Times changed…
People changed…
Perspective changed.
This is true for more that just the fashion industry. If Jesus had come before God had laid a proper foundation in the hearts and minds of men, He would not have been understood.
Jesus, the cross, & things like substitution sacrifice would have been strange concepts to most of the world & had no meaning.
Several concepts needed to be woven into the world’s shared consciousness
Had Jesus arrived too soon, His mission would have been totally misunderstood.
What are some things man needed to understand before Christ could come?
The concept of one God
The concept of absolute righteousness
The concept of sin against God
The concept of Heavenly justice
The concept of a coming, promised Savior
The concept of substitutionary sacrifice
The concept of a King that would reign from Jerusalem
An ever-increasing understanding of man’s need for a savior–Jesus
We learn line upon line, each lesson building on the last.
Even as children, we must learn step by step. First the alphabet, then entire words, then full sentences, then whole books, then more advanced books & even foreign languages.
By the time Jesus came, late in time, the world was ready to understand who Jesus is, who they are in God’s eyes, & why Jesus had to come as a man.
And, by the time Jesus did come to Earth, there was a very high degree of expectation in the air.
There was a tingle of excitement for some and fear and dread for some others.
Even though it had been 400 years since there was any prophecy about the Christ, everyone seemed poised to see it happen now… The Holy Spirit was moving and
The world was now ready and waiting.
First, God kept it in the family…
He told Mary what was about to happen
Then Joseph, Jesus’s step-father, then cousin Elizabeth & her husband Zechariah
After that, the angels just couldn’t hold back any longer, they had to tell the world…
So, they told the shepherds
But none of it was unexpected…
The world was not surprised
The wise men from the East expected it and followed the star…
Herod expected and feared the coming Messiah king
Herod’s advisers knew exactly where He was to be born – Bethlehem
Two senior citizens hung-out at the Temple all the time hoping to see the Christ…
So powerful was the sense of expectation at that time!!!
There was an old man named Simeon…
“A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good man and very religious. He was waiting for the time when God would help Israel. The Holy Spirit was in him.
“…The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple… “…Then Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said. I have seen your Salvation with my own eyes.” Luke 2:25-30 ICB
The second senior God blessed that day was a lady named Anna
She started witnessing to everyone who was waiting expectantly for the Christ!!!
She would tell them that He had come, & she had seen Him with her own eyes.
“There was also a prophetess named Anna… who was well along in years… She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying… …Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38 ICB
On a timeline, John the Baptist seems to be a New Testament character, but spiritually speaking, he was the last Old Testament Prophet.
He prophesied 400 years after the other Old Testament prophets.
It was his job to close the Old Covenant and introduce Christ & the New Covenant.
He would announce that the time had come for the Anointed One to arrive.
“You yourselves heard me say, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only the one God sent to prepare the way for him.” John 3:28 ERV
The Jewish leaders were clearly expecting the Anointed One—The Christ to come any day.
“The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.” John 1:19-20 CEV
The common people expected Him any day.
John 10:23, 24 CEV
“One day He was walking… and the people gathered all around him. They said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!”
A mixed-race Samaritan woman (the one at the well) who never attended Temple, was also expecting the Christ.
“The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (Messiah is the One called Christ.) “When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus said, “He is talking to you now. I am he.” John 4:25, 26 ICV
Then there is this verse about an upper-class Jewish judge who lived every day expecting the Christ to come.
Later, he asked Pilate for Jesus’ body.
“Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” Mark 15:43 MSG
If we lived “expectantly,” as if we expect Jesus to return any moment. How would we act?
We will look at seven things God used to prepare men’s hearts & minds—
These 7 things helped generate mankind’s sense of expectation of a coming Savior.
We will start each one with the letter “P”
Our first “P” is for His PEOPLE
“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God. There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people… The great and wonderful things you did for them have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove out other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own You have made Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.”…” 2 Samuel 7:22-24 GNT
He created a PEOPLE through whom He would demonstrate His power & His faithfulness.
This nation would act as a depository (or storehouse) where all His promises, stories, words & instructions would be preserved.
It would be like His “Library of Congress” for God’s TRUTHs
A single people-group where everything about Him is stored.
This nation, Israel, was to be the family from which the Anointed One would come.
A Promised Son —- or great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandson.
A Son who would bless the whole world
It would be Jesus, who would be the Savior of the whole world.
“The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” Genesis 12:1-3 NCV
A Promised Son —- or great grandson.
Who would bless the whole world!
That had to be Jesus, who would be the Savior of the whole world.
After creating a PEOPLE, He had to create a PLACE for His People to grow & for Himself to be born, grow, teach, die for our sins, resurrect, ascend to Heaven , then return to earth, and reign there in Israel for a thousand years.
A place to be His base of operations.
“And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.” Genesis 17:8 ERV
It would be the location of His TEMPLE that would one day house His very THRONE!
“The Lord has chosen Zion to be the place for his Temple, the place he wanted for HIS home.” Psalm 132:13 ERV
Eventually, all the world will travel to Jerusalem to see the KING of KINGS.
God promised Abram this place approximately 4,000 years ago.
“At that time, the city of Jerusalem will be called the ‘Lord’s Throne.’ All nations will come together in the city of Jerusalem to give honor to the name of the Lord…” Jeremiah 3:17 ERV
Next, let’s look at His PROFESSOR (also called the Schoolmaster): THE LAW
The law prepared the world for a Savior by opening their eyes to see their own desperate need to be saved from sin.
We cannot know we are sinners without the law!!!
It is our teacher…
“Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith.” Gal 3:24 GNT
Describe what might happen in your family if there were no rules…What might each person do?
Without the law, man would have no awareness of his sin.
They would never see their need for, or seek a SAVIOR.
Our next “P” is for HIS PROPHETS
God prepared the world for Christ by sending His Spirit to speak through His Prophets.
In His earthly ministry, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies about Himself.
Here is one fulfilment that everyone witnessed when Jesus read aloud about Himself from the prophet Isaiah…
“Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As usual he went into the synagogue on the day of rest—a holy day. He stood up to read the lesson… The attendant gave him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened it and found the place where it read: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor…’ Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue watched him closely. Then he said to them, ‘This passage came true today when you heard me read it.” Luke 4:16-18, 20 GW
The prophet’s main job was to create a sense of expectation about a coming Messiah/The Christ/ The Savior/God’s Anointed One/The King of Kings!!!
They did their job, and when Jesus did come, people everywhere grasped the truth and embraced the gospel and Christianity spread throughout the world like hot cakes.
Not only is the Old Testament full of Prophecies about Jesus’ coming and mission…
It is also packed with symbols, also called types & shadows or as we like to call them, PICTURES of Jesus…
Sometimes nearly clear pictures, sometimes faint, blurry pictures that were but a reflection/a shadow of the real thing that was to come.
So, our next “P” is for His PICTURES
The Sacrificial Lamb (for example) prepared people to understand the concept of redemption through substitution.
That an innocent life could die for the sin of the guilty…
“Your lamb or young goat shall be perfect, without blemish or bodily defect…” Exodus 12:5 AMP
“You were bought with the precious blood of Christ’s death. He was a pure and perfect sacrificial Lamb.” 1 Peter 1:19 ERV
Hebrews 1:1-2 TLB
“Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets, in visions, dreams, and even face to face, telling them little by little about his plans. But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son…”
In the old Testament, God spoke to man through prophets, visions, dreams, and even face to face. Now He has spoken by sending His Son… What is God trying to tell us by sending His Son Jesus.
No more mystery, the Lamb is come…The plan is made plain.
It took till near the end for God to send Him.
And at the right time, when Israel and the world were ready… God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son…
Our next “P” is for His PAGES
Bible events were recorded to provide guidance to future believers.
It took time for all the stories to be played out, recorded, and made available for us today.
God knew we would need every one of those stories for our Christian walk today.
“Look at what happened to them as an example; it’s right there in the Scriptures so that we won’t make the same mistakes…”1 Corinthians 10:6 The VOICE
“While the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and ate it. He said to them, ‘Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.’ Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:43-45 NCV
Mind blown!!! Suddenly they realized that the whole Old Testament was about JESUS
Our 7th “P” as to why Jesus waited to near the end of God’s timetable is simply His PATIENCE
This is what we will cover in our next lesson…
Till next time…thanks for dropping in.