Sunday, December 28, 2014
Anno Domini 2015
Every time we celebrate a new year, and every time we make out a check
or file a legal form we acknowledge the incredible effect that Jesus had on the
human race. The next time we write 2015 we will be recognizing the life and death
of Jesus Christ. A.D. is an abbreviation
for Anno Domini, a Medieval Latin term that can be translated
as "In the year of the Lord."
Even if one were to leave off the designation A.D. or B.C, the number
points to Jesus.
Jesus was
incredibly impacting because He was "God manifest in flesh." The
biographies of Jesus paint the whole picture;
Jesus was born miraculously, and He
loved lavishly by teaching, healing and raising people from the dead. His contemporaries murdered Him and His
followers. But love overcame hate, and
our calendar stands as a great testimony to the eventual victory good can have
over evil. Our calendar incessantly reminds us that Jesus was born. You can't
change history, but you can let that historical
reality change you. You can make Jesus
the central point of your life just as He became the central point of all human
history.
Now, I am well aware that, after 2000 years, the insecurity and denial
of the educational and scientific community drove them to invent new
designations. But the numbers still point to Jesus, and I, for one, will use
the more honest and honorable designations (B.C. and A.D) until the day I
die. It is my way of celebrating the
fact that Jesus really did change the world... and He did it with love.
I have often
wondered why the world responds to Jesus' love with hostility? Jesus lived a
life of good deeds and miracles but died at the hands of an angry mob. Why do people have such an aversion to His
goodness? Why do they spend good money
to put up billboards that oppose Him?
Why do they rant against him in classrooms, in movies and in textbooks?
Could it be because He is a force of good that they cannot control? Does His goodness make them feel bad about
their life choices? I don't know, but I
do know that His name is on almost everyone's lips -- some love and praise Him, while
others hate and curse him. But no one
seems able to ignore him. Somehow
everyone instinctively knows Jesus is real.
Rather than psychoanalyzing
those who are irritated by Jesus, I find it more beneficial to focus on those
who found joy by accepting His love. During
the Christmas season we note that angels rejoiced because they knew He was
bringing peace and joy to earth and that Mary considered herself blessed because she
recognized how important Jesus would be to mankind. History tells us that Jesus expressed joy
because he knew that in spite of the mistreatment His death was going to change
the world. The first century Christians,
like those who are still dying for their
faith today, lived in joy because they recognized that life is eternal and,
although some may be blind to it, they too were changing the world.
As we
celebrate a new year and train our minds to write 2015, remember that Jesus
changed the world and that He stands ready to change your life. Ignore the hostility of those who are in
denial and join the millions who have embraced their loving, world-changing,
history-making Savior.
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