Caesar was playing checkers; God was playing chess.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. . . . So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

But there was an earlier decree—a much earlier decree—from the mouth of God:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

    who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matt. 2:6)

Caesar was building the empire of Rome, which would soon burn to the ground. 

God was bringing the kingdom of heaven, which would reign forever and ever. 

While Caesar plays checkers, God plays chess. 

That’s the caption I like to place over texts like today’s as we move into the story we commonly call the nativity.

In the small church I pastor, during the days of Advent, I now bring a new and surprising prop to the table. I bring a chessboard complete with both armies on either side. And into the middle of the battlefield, I drop in the pieces of the nativity set. 

Joseph and Mary weren’t going to Bethlehem because of the decree of Caesar. They were going to Bethlehem because of the declaration of God. 

It reminds me of a life lesson I learned years ago from a monk at a monastery in Kentucky. He posted the title of his opening talk on the door of the meeting hall. It read, “God gets us where he wants us . . .” It was the ellipsis that got me. The sentence was pregnant with more. He chose the story of Joseph as his text. And as he told the torturous story of Joseph’s unfolding life, he kept saying, “God gets us where he wants us . . .” followed by a long pause. From his favored status as a boy and coat of many colors, and the vivid dreams of the future, and being kidnapped and thrown into a well, to being sold into slavery, to rising to favor in Potiphar’s house, to being unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife, and convicted and thrown in prison, the monk kept repeating the phrase, “God gets us where he wants us . . .” Finally, Joseph finds himself back at the top and in charge of almost everything and facing his brothers with salvation from their imminent deaths. And, finally, the monk finished the phrase, “God gets us where he wants us, . . . no matter the machinations.” 

Our lives are filled with all manner of machinations—good things and hard things; bad things and terrible things. And through it all, God gets us where he wants us . . . no matter the machinations. We keep walking by faith. We keep trusting in God. We keep believing Jesus. As Joseph himself said so well: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20 ).

Caesar plays checkers; God plays chess. 

And that, Charlie Brown, is the meaning of Christmas. Yep, that’s why the angels sing. 

PRAY

Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding us over and over that God gets us where he wants us . . . no matter the machinations. Thank you “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28 ). Thank you for bringing your masterful chess game to the world’s predictable game of checkers. 

JOURNAL

What machinations from your life come to mind and how did God use them to get you where he wanted you? I often bring forward this phrase from entries like today’s: Everything that happens is not God’s will, but God has a will in everything that happens. What do you make of that as it relates to those machinations? 

SING

Today, we will sing with the angels and with Chris Tomlin as he leads us in his already classic song of worship “Holy Forever.”  

For the Awakening,

J. D. Walt

John David (J. D.) Walt Jr. is the Sower-in-Chief for Seedbed and the pastor of the Gillett Methodist Church in Gillett, Arkansas. 

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