4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

An Early Confession

The book of Galatians is one of Paul's earliest works. In it, he combatted the idea that faith plus works lead to salvation. He warned his audience about the danger of trying to obtain God's favor through the keeping of the law (and losing God's favor when disobeying the law).

And, here, to bolster his argument, Paul seems to have quoted an early Christian confession. There are some clues in the passage that this saying pre-dated Paul and that the early church proclaimed this statement. This formulaic saying was a way for believers to succinctly declare their beliefs, and it makes for a beautiful Christmas meditation because it considers four elements of his coming.

• When did he come?
• Where did he come from?
• How did he come?
• And why did he come?

Each of these questions is answered in our text, and we will take four weeks to meditate upon these answers. For this first week, we have our first question: when did Jesus come?

Let's observe.

4a But when the fullness of time had come... (Galatians 4:4)

What does it mean that the fullness of time had come (4)? And why was it the right time for Jesus to be born? Let's answer this in three ways.

1. The Historical Point of View

First, there is the historical point of view. Since Jesus was going to die and rise and then send out his messengers throughout the world, it was important for him to come at the time he did. The Roman Empire had forced a truce upon the civilized world. This Pax Romana allowed various nations and people groups a level of coexistence previously unknown. They had also hacked out a road system that facilitated ease of travel from nation to nation, city to city. And people had grown tired of the moral abyss of paganism and mythology -- many were without hope. And the Greek language was known everywhere.

Combine these elements, and you discover a perfect opportunity for the church. They could go everywhere proclaiming the good news of King Jesus. Traveling Roman roads, visiting places under Roman rule, and utilizing the Greek language, they could tell a hurting world that Christ had come.

2. The Biblical Point of View

Next, there is the biblical point of view. Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, various clues were given as to the timing of the coming of the Christ. So the fullness of time pertained to the predicted moment the Messiah would arrive.

For instance, Psalm 22 predicted in fine detail the death of the Messiah. Written many years before crucifixion was created as a form of capital punishment, it describes the crucifixion of Jesus. Pierced hands. Pierced feet. Bones out of joint, but not broken. A ruptured heart. Casting lots for his garments. Surrounded by tormenters. His cry to his Father. It's all there in Psalm 22 -- but it couldn't occur until crucifixion was utilized for the death penalty.

Or there is the astounding prophecy of Daniel 9. In it, Gabriel appears and tells Daniel about 490 future years. Daniel and Israel were in exile in Babylon at the time, and far away, the temple and city of Jerusalem were in ruins. God told Daniel that there would be 483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Christ, who would put an end to sin (Daniel 9:24-27). Years later, King Artaxerxes told Nehemiah to rebuild the city, and 483 years later was the time of Christ (Nehemiah 2:1-10). He could arrive no later.

On top of these more prophetic elements, there was the general anticipation that future offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would arise to become a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). This figure would win a victory over the serpent who tempted Eve (Genesis 3:15). God had made these promises, but they had not yet come to pass.

So, from the biblical point of view, it was the right time for Jesus to come.

3. The Divine Point of View

Finally, there is the divine point of view. God was ready.

In the previous passage, Paul wrote that, before Christ, we were "enslaved to the elementary principles of the world" (Galatians 4:3). There is debate about what he meant by the phrase. Perhaps he was thinking of the pagan mythologies and religions that had dominated the earth by that time. Perhaps, he was thinking of the basics of the law written on every human heart. Perhaps, he was thinking exclusively of the ceremonial law and its demands on Jewish people only. Perhaps, he was thinking of spiritual beings who exert their influence on the earth's inhabitants. Perhaps, he was thinking of all these as a cluster of elementary principles that dominated humanity.

What is clear is that God was ready to rescue. Israel grew and developed in Egypt for nearly 400 years. But, after their residency turned into slavery, they cried out to God. And God was ready. He sent Moses, and God rescued them from their slavery. In like manner, Jesus came at the time he did because God's rescuing heart was ripe. As we read, Paul said, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son..." (4). God was ready. To him, the time was full. The Son must be sent.

All this speaks to the timing of Christ's birth, which was perfect and wise. Though we have our perspective, God has his. Beforehand and in the moment, we often question God's timing. But after, and certainly after the end of all things, we will understand God's timing. It is always right.