Cedarville Magazine Winter 2016

Cedarville Magazine

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Can you imagine it? The media was

completely silent on one of the biggest events

of history, and no one wondered why. Strange

as that may seem, the lack of coverage was

deafening. Actually, the media didn’t exist, but

the message spread rapidly across the hillsides

of Judea. ANazarene carpenter and his young

wife had their family expanded by the birth of

the King of Israel, and there were no headlines

or Breaking News banners.

On the hillsides outside Bethlehem,

the news spread rapidly through a chorus

of angels singing the message to scattered

shepherds. Far away to the east, a group of

astronomers saw an aberration in the sky

that set them off on a two-year journey. The

contemporary King of Israel, under Roman

authority, was unnerved by the rumors

beginning to swirl about.

If there had been a news service, the

headlines would have announced a national

census required by the Roman government.

The articles would likely have directed the

readers how to reach the appointed places to

Because of the census, the carpenter and his

wife traveled to his ancestral home, but the

local inn had a No Vacancy sign out front.

This King was to be born in a stable with the

cattle and sheep and whatever other livestock

might be housed there.

From there, most of us know the story

well: That King was crucified in His 33rd year

by those who refused to recognize His true

identity, but eyewitnesses said He rose from

the dead, and they said so very publically

and at great cost to themselves. And we are

looking for that King to return. Scripture tells

us this event may be more widely broadcast

than the first time He came to be with us.

Is it not interesting that “outside the

public eye,” God chose to open a chapter in

world history that would change everything

and affect the entire future population of the

earth, either directly or indirectly, for the rest

of time? Through this event, eternal salvation

would be made available to all who would

believe in this Messiah. Entire nations and

civilizations would be called upon to take

a position on who this young child was to

become. Many have chosen wrongly. Some

nations have actually built His teachings into

the very fabric of their society, and yet have

turned away as time progressed.

The most important understanding

remains that the final decision on belief in

Christ depends upon individuals rather than

governments, societies, or even churches.

Could it be that the reason for a rather

silent, private entrance into the world was to

initiate a personal acceptance of Jesus as the

Savior that was promised throughout the Old

Testament Scriptures?

God has chosen individuals to carry His

message person-to-person as examples of

His grace. Part of the commission to do that

comes with the injunction to “study to show

yourself approved to God, a workman that

needs not to be ashamed” (2 Tim. 2:15). Along

with developing students skilled in vocations,

Cedarville University’s goal is that every

graduate will not only use modern media

to convey the Good News, but become the

biblically grounded medium by which this

witness is spread throughout the world.

Jim Phipps is Senior Professor of Communications

at Cedarville University. He has been on the

faculty since 1968 and served

as Chair of the Department

of Communication for 36

years. He earned a Ph.D. in

communication from The Ohio

State University.

Out of the Public Eye and Changing the World

In Closing

Cedarville Magazine