The Right Place at the Right Time
/There are a few times in my life when, upon reflection, I know I was truly “in the right place at the right time”. In November of 1981, I was in the right place at the right time when I met my husband on the train going into New York City to attend lawschool. We have now been happily married for 41 years. In April of 1990, I was in the right place at the right time at St. Paul’s Church in Darien, Connecticut when I heard the gospel preached for at least the 20th time, but for reasons only God knows, was led by faith to believe for the first time that Jesus is the Son of God. I have now been a follower of Christ for almost 35 years.
On the other hand, there have been a few times in my life where, on the surface, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such as in 1980 on the subway in New York City, when a man with a knife stumbled onto my car, chased me out the doors, and caused me to lose my briefcase amidst the confusion and terror. Less dramatically, I certainly felt I was in the wrong place at the wrong time in 2022, when I was pulled over for talking on my cell phone while driving. (Who knew that qualifies as reckless driving in Virginia!).
But was I really in the wrong place at the wrong time? Following the 1980 subway incident, a stranger discovered my belongings and returned them to me with a copy of the New Testament tucked into my papers. That was the very first time that someone took the time to give me a copy of the Gospel. Was that the first “seed” planted in my life, which allowed me to be in the right place at the right time 10 years later in Darien? And was it really the wrong place at the wrong time when I was pulled over? It has occurred to me that it is very possible that the incident helped me avoid an accident, or has made me more careful when driving since.
Clearly my sense of timing is different from God’s. In any given moment of our lives, particularly those challenging moments, it is undoubtedly difficult to maintain this perspective. But let us consider that throughout the Bible it is written that God is accomplishing His purposes in our lives in real time.* So perhaps there isn’t anything that happens in our lives that is truly the wrong place at the wrong time?
We are about to celebrate the birth of Christ. In Galatians 4:5, we are told that God sent His Son, born of a woman at a certain designated time.
“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.”
It was not a random time, nor was it a random place. Rather, it was when “the fullness of time” had come. It was exactly the right time. And yet, I have been reflecting during this Advent season, why and for whom was it the right time? Why didn’t God send His Son earlier, or even later? Why didn’t He send His Son earlier to spare Joseph, the son of Isaac, from being thrown into a pit by his brothers? Why didn’t He send His Son before the temple was destroyed in 486 B.C., or before the Jewish exile to Babylon? Why didn’t He wait to send His Son until the time of the Holocaust, or until the year 2024, when the world seems in moral decline?
Most of us (especially this time of year) have heard the story of Jesus’ birth. But it is only with the benefit of hindsight that we can begin to understand God’s timing:
Caesar Augustus had ordered a registration which sent Joseph with his very pregnant wife, Mary, to Bethlehem. They had to travel a very circuitous route of 100 miles to do this! With hindsight, we know that this was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2 which determined the Messiah would come from Bethlehem: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old from ancient days.”
Not long before Jesus’ birth, the Old Testament was translated into Greek. With hindsight this allowed the Greek-speaking gentile world to become familiar with the Old Testament prophecies and how they were fulfilled with Jesus.
Roads had been built throughout the empire. With hindsight, we know that this allowed the early disciples to travel and spread the Gospel.
There was a spiritual void. The Jewish leaders were corrupt and wanted to preserve their standing in the Roman Empire. With hindsight, we know that they were hostile to anyone who would disrupt their position – how else could it be explained that they would reject Jesus?
It is only with hindsight that we can have some understanding of why Jesus’ birth was in the fullness of time, and at the right place.
However, I agree with many scholars that “the fullness of time,” is more than a reference to the historical events that surrounded Christ’s birth. God always knew when and where His Son would be born. The sending of His Son was always part of God’s plan from the beginning. It had to be the right time and place.
So for whom was it the right time and place? Certainly not for Jesus. As fully man, born of a woman, He was not born in a palace, but in a manger “because there was no place for Him in the inn” (Luke 2). He was betrayed by a friend, and wrongly condemned to die. The Romans and the Jewish leaders violated at least 20 of their own rules of law at the time. He died on a cross, the most violent death for a criminal, and yet, He was fully innocent. No, by anyone’s logical standards, it would not seem the right time or place for Jesus to be born.
So for whom, then was it the right time and place? Us. The incarnation, Christ’s birth, was a miracle for us. This miracle was not just meant to be an interesting event to mark a time and place in history. It was for all history, all mankind, and for you and me personally. It was the perfect time and the perfect place for us. Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy. He had to be convicted, suffer and die on a cross as the Passover Lamb. He had to die when the Roman roads were built. He had to die in a way that the Gospel could reach us more than 2000 years later, so that we can become children of God!
And if His birth (and death) were in the fullness of time, this has further application for us. Doesn’t this affirm that His timing is always perfect? For those who believe, do any of the events in our lives occur at the wrong place and the wrong time? Isn’t this the message in Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
And doesn’t this help us in our waiting. Some of you may be in a time of suffering and waiting this Christmas season. This is not meant to minimize your pain, but rather remind us that just as the world could not have understood God’s timing when He sent His Son, we can trust Him in our waiting. God is never late, nor is He ever early. As far as God’s plans and purposes go, it is always the right time and place. The miracle of Jesus’ birth demonstrates that for us. Perhaps today this is the right time and place for you to believe.
Have a blessed and merry Christmas!
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;