No one stops to ask for an explanation of what is perhaps the most extraordinary fact in the world the fact that all civilized time is dated from the birth of a Jew, Who wrote no book, made no discovery, invented no philosophy, built no temple, and Who died when as men count years, He had scarcely reached His prime - and died the death of a criminal. Even before His death the little band of disciples He had succeeded in gathering together, all forsook and left Him. This is a story that has every characteristic and element of defeat and failure. Yet civilized time is dated from the birth of This Jew. The centuries carry His signature, and the years of the modern world by universal consent are counted from the time of His birth.
All civilized calendars are reckoned from the distant birth of This Jew, in a tiny Jewish village of Palestine. Every morning, all the newspapers of the civilized world adjust their date to His birth, Almanacs, Acts of Congress and Parliaments, business and politics, literature, and the very dates on our letters and checks, all unconsciously bear testimony to the birth of This Jew so long ago.
From the dawn of history there have been many great men whose contributions have left indelible marks on history, culture, and, civilization. The dialogues of Socrates, the philosophy of Plato and the plays of Shakespeare are studied in every college in the world. Nor is education considered adequate unless the achievements of such great historical figures as Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Galileo, Newton Roentgen and Einstein and many others are known. These great figures have profoundly changed the direction of science, and some of the things they taught or discoveries they made have reached into and changed radically our everyday lives, Yet outside the college campus who can state just when or where these great benefactors of mankind were born? None of them have left their mark on time itself although we may all derive some benefit from their contributions to knowledge.
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NO MATERIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
This One from Whom time is dated came from an insignificant village in an obscure part of the Roman Empire. He led no great armies to victory, nor conquered worlds, nor subjugated masses of people; He founded no dynasty, propounded no new philosophy, and at His death His disciples fled for fear of their own lives.
This phenomenon is no accident. It is a sign and a witness written on time itself by the One Who is the Lord of time.
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FAILURE OF ATTEMPTS TO START NEW CALENDARS
History records many attempts to establish a different calendar. The Romans used the letters A.U.C. (ab urbe condita) - "from the foundation of the city" (i.e. Rome). The Calif Omar imposed the date of the Hegira of Mohammed as the starting point of the Muslim calendar. In the Middle Ages, the astronomer, La Place, tried to convince people that the celestial event that took place in the year 1250, when the orbit of the earth was exactly at right angles to the equinox should be used as the starting point of history, rather than the transient names of earthly events and kings.
Modern history also shows attempts to change the calendar. In France, the first year of the Revolution was to be counted as year 1. This calendar lasted only 13 years, and then France reverted to the accepted calendar, starting with the birth of Jesus Christ. When the State of Israel again came into existence in 1948, it was decided that all official communications were to be dated using the Jewish calendar. However, this was found to be impractical and now both the Jewish calendar and the Christian calendar are to be found on official correspondence. All the forces of history, and all the ideas that have been derived from human imagination have been used in attempts to change the calendar, and all have failed. Try as they may, men cannot take Jesus Christ out of the calendar. He still universally dominates all time everywhere.
Who is Jesus Christ- This One Who governs the ages? It is fitting that the very years should bear homage to His NAME. The calendar represents the seal of Jesus Christ's kingship over time itself.
Have you thought of this? Do you think that an imposter, in a remote, forgotten province of a perished empire could so deeply stamp Himself on time itself as to compel all the centuries to bear His name, unless God so willed and desired? Or have you stopped to consider that Jesus Christ claims are true and worthy? You cannot afford to pass Him by. You need Jesus Christ as your Messiah and Savior. As He changed history, He can change you too, if you only believe on Him who said-
"I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me-" (John 14:6) Dear friend will you see yourself as God sees you a sinner in need of God's salvation? God states in the Bible: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God . "
The One and Only True Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ, Who is The Almighty God, The Creator of the heavens and of the earth, Who eternally dominates all time everywhere, died as God's final blood atonement for our sin, was buried and rose from the dead as the only means that God has provided to make atonement for our sin. Only through putting our faith and trust totally in the blood atonement of The True Messiah Jesus Christ, who died to take our death penalty for sin and to save us from everlasting fire and brimstone, can we have our sins washed away, have our names inscribed in God's Book of Life, not just for one more year, but for all eternity and have complete assurance in our hearts of everlasting life with God forever in heaven.
