At the Fullness of Time—“God sent forth His Son”
Have you ever waited for an event to occur, often wishing it might happen sooner rather than later? It does not really matter if this awaited event brings joy or pain, we wish for life to occur on our own timing, but it does not happen like that. Loved ones pass away before we are ready; Babies sometimes arrive before we have the nursery prepared; and Life happens even before we can take a breath.
The Reverend Billy Graham has gone home to heaven, but in his absence, still we have his messages of HOPE. Some wonder why Jesus was born when He was born, at a time when King Herod in all his madness ruled the world with a heaviness of hand upon the people. The Roman Empire ruled the world, and because God allowed for this leadership, the Roman-constructed roads made the spread of Christianity possible. Others ask: Why now, as in why did God send His Son at that particular time in history, as in not earlier or not later? Why did God not wait to send Jesus to earth now, as in today when evilness seems to abound? The philosophies of that day (when God sent His Son) and the religions of that day (when the Holy Spirit’s work caused the virgin Mary to conceive God’s Son) manifested God’s perfect timing, for the world was ready for God’s message of HOPE and LIFE.
“But when the fullness of the time came,
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 4: 4-7 NASB)
God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman,
born under the Law,
so that He might redeem those who were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir through God.”
When I was a child, the Sears catalogue came to our home, and this three-inch thick book brought each of us such joy. I vividly recall sitting in our front living room on the couch, gently turning the pages, wishing for this and that. Mom would not allow us our pencils, pens, (or even, for me, Sharpies) to circle the ‘favored’ items on our wish-list, but mom would allow each of us, the three older children, to gently ‘dog-ear’ the pages where specific toys existed, toys we dearly wanted to receive. Christmas was coming, and we were super-hopeful that we might receive something from our wish-list. Times were different back then; we only received gifts on our birthdays and on Christmas, but not on the other days of the year. Therefore, the build-up, the anticipation was heightened by the WAIT.
Christmas is Coming!
December 25 might be circled on our calendars, but the coming of Christmas means so much more than the gift-exchange, the festivities, the meals shared, the programs, or the presents purchased and received.
Jesus Himself told us why “God sent forth His Son” at the perfect fullness of time.
“And Jesus said to him,
(The Gospel According to Luke 19: 9-10 NASB)
[Jesus had been received at Zaccheus’ house]
“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
- We wait for life to happen, and then in God’s perfect timing—it does.
- We anticipate the coming of Christmas, and then in God’s providence—it comes.
We walk through our lives, sometimes stumbling through what seems sudden loss, but God knows the perfect timing for every situation, for the birth of every person—even His Own Son.
Praise God, we are never alone, and each year, Christmas reminds us of perfect truth.
GOD CAME FROM HEAVEN, COMING DOWN TO EARTH TO TELL US—“CHILD, I LOVE YOU & I WANT YOU TO BE MY HEIR, TO BE SAVED THROUGH JESUS, MY ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THE ONE WHOM I SENT.”
“Today salvation has come . . .For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (The Gospel According to Luke 19: 9a & 10 NASB)
&
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, . . .” (The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 4: 4a NASB)