This is the fourth in a 4-part series leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth
Deep in the heart of Turkey, there is a city with the modern name of Sart. Sart is home to the archaeological find of the largest ancient synagogue known in the world.
What was this town on the frontier of the Roman Empire doing with the largest synagogue?
Throughout history, the Jewish people, through various empires that conquered them, were dispersed. These dispersions formed the Jewish diaspora. And, where better to be dispersed to than Sardis.
Don't know about Sardis? Sardis was one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world. With the Pactolus River that ran with gold, placed on the main trade route from Susa in Persia to both Ephesus and Pergamum, this town was in the right place at the right time. (You have probably heard of this region if you have heard the folk tale of King Midas.)
The Romans ruled the world in the first century, including Sardis. With Roman rule came a network of roads that would rival even Eisenhower's interstate system.
Roman rule also brought the pax romana, a peace that was enforced at the point of the sword. First war, then peace—that was the pax romana. What better way to have stable and profitable trade than to have peace throughout the empire.
And, the lingua franca—Greek and Latin—brought together disparate cultures that the Greeks and then Romans had conquered.
The Apostle Paul wrote: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)
This Roman world of the First Century could be described as the fullness of time—a roads system that allowed for "high" speed travel, a peaceful conglomerate of states brought under the rule of a single empire and a common language that connected disparate cultures.
The fullness of time could refer to something else but, you must agree, the stage was set for Jesus to enter the scene, develop a group of followers, send them out to the ends of the earth and change the world.
This week, we celebrate the fullness of time, even in the midst of higher speed travel, a global economy and automatic translation of virtually every language in the world, we recognize that Jesus was sent by God, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law.
Thank God that he sent forth His Son and now we are adopted into his family. Merry Christmas!