Uncommon Era

The Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. — Esther 9:23

In ad 525, a monk named Dionysius Exiguus implemented a system of dating based on the date of Christ’s birth. Although his calculations were off by several years, his calendar became the one we now use, dividing history into bc (Before Christ) and ad (anno Domini, or Year of our Lord).

A move to secularize this system has changed the labels to ce (Common Era) and bce (before the Common Era). Some people point to this as yet another example of how the world keeps God out.

But God hasn’t gone anywhere. Regardless of the name, our calendar still centers itself around the reality of Jesus’ life on earth.

In the Bible, the book of Esther is unusual in that it contains no specific mention of God. Yet the story it tells is one of God’s deliverance. Banished from their homeland, the Jewish people lived in a country indifferent to Him. A powerful government official wanted to kill them all (Esther 3:8–9, 12–14). Yet through Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai, God delivered His people, a story still celebrated to this day in the Jewish holiday of Purim (9:20–32).

Regardless of how the world chooses to respond to Him now, Jesus changed everything. He introduced us to an uncommon era—one full of genuine hope and promise. All we need to do is look around us. We’ll see Him. — Tim Gustafson

How do you react to instances where it seems like God is being “banished”? In what ways do you see Him today?

Father, thank You for the history-changing reality of Your Son, Jesus.