Who in the Bible would have said the following about God?
“His dominion is an eternal dominion;
His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
It sounds like a prophet of God or a follower of Jesus, but would you believe these words came from a pagan king? The story of Nebuchadnezzar is a fascinating one as reported in the book of Daniel. Here (chapter 4) Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God’s authority after God exiles him to a place of insanity.
There is no other ruler or kingdom supreme. The kingdom, the power, and the glory are our God’s forever and ever.
The Greeks attempted to date all other world events from their original Olympiad, but were basically ignored. Rome attempted to measure history from the date of the founding of the Roman Empire and failed as well. Frenchman revolted in the 18th century and attempted to label their revolution as the start of a new era and new calendar, but couldn’t convince the majority of the French people.1
What Nebuchadnezzar, and the Greeks, Romans, and French have failed to do, Jesus Christ has accomplished. His arrival on earth isn’t an event but the event still serving as the focal point of dated history and the calendar of the world. We date time “B.C.” (“before Christ”) or “A.D.” (from the Latin anno domini which means “in the year of the Lord”).
Such is the significance of his coming. And if Jesus Christ regulates history and calendars, then why not your day and schedule?
PRAYER: Oh God, make your coming as pivotal in my life and as significant in my calendar as it has been in the history of the world and the calendar of the nations. Center my day and schedule on Jesus! Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Ask a friend who needs Jesus what B.C. and A.D. mean. Share this devotion, and Jesus.