How does the fact we use BC and AD on calendars support how important Jesus was and is to us?
What does BC and AD mean on a Calendar?
BC means Before Christ, marking a period of time.
AD in Latin means “in the year of our Lord”.
AD is derived from the Latin: Anno Domini.The first letters of the two words are AD.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“The terms anno Domini AD) and before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term anno Domini is Medieval Latin and means ‘in the year of the Lord’, but is often presented using “our Lord” instead of “the Lord”, taken from the full original phrase “anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi“, which translates to ‘in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ‘.
Jesus Christ was recognized as having walked on earth. Lots of witnesses saw Him. He preached “good news,” and performed miracles involving physical and spiritual healings. Our calendar still uses BC and AD. The bible is considered to be the most historically reliable document out of all ancient writings. Other ancient writings also confirm Jesus lived and walked on this earth. We should not deny His existence.
This begs the question: Is Jesus Christ a man, a teacher, a prophet, or a deity? The short answer is that He is all of these. He is fully God and fully man at the same time. And He is also our Savior. Let’s explore what the bible tells us about Jesus.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4 NKJV)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. (1 John 4:1-2 NKJV)
The previous two verses in the bible tell that Jesus Christ existed as the very Word of God. He is God in the flesh, the incarnate Word of God.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16 NKJV)
The apostle Peter understood by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is God and not just a man. Read what Paul wrote about Jesus?
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Paul writing in Philippians 2:6-11 NKJV)
Jesus came as a servant and shed His blood to pay the debt we owe for our sins, and could not pay. God required the blood of a perfect sacrifice, not one tainted with sin, as we are. Jesus was the perfect and spotless sacrifice God required. Jesus did this so we could be reconciled back to God.
Paul writing:
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 NKJV)
Jesus chose to pay our debt while we were still sinners, by being crucified and shedding His blood to take away our sin “as far as the east is from the west”. Paul writing in another letter:
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! (1 Corinthians 15:17 NKJV)
The Apostle John writes:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26 NKJV)
Jesus rose on the third day, defeating death, so we could have eternal life with Him. God wants us to choose life.
How do we do this? How to be saved according to the word of God? Several verses which shed light on this: Paul writes:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
John writes:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.(John 3:16 NKJV)
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17 NKJV)
Please take a few minutes to reflect upon the previous 4 verses. The God of the Universe sent His Son to die a horrible death so you would have the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
The next time you write the year 2022, think of the 2,000 plus years since Jesus came to save us. Realize salvation is a free gift of love.
Consider these words Jesus spoke to His disciples (followers)
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (Jesus speaking in John 15:9-15 NIV)
The next time you see a calendar that says AD,
realize we are very fortunate to be living
“in the year of our Lord”.