But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” vss. 4-5
Galatians 4:4-5
Early Christians had a lot of figuring out to do when it became apparent that the Jesus who had been crucified had been the long-anticipated messiah. Paul had had a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ that had convinced him, but it still took some years to get things straight in his head. He uses the phrase “the fullness of time” to offer an explanation to the folks in Galatia. In essence he’s saying that Jesus had been born at a propitious moment in history, the very best time for the gospel of grace to be planted and flourish. We might say that it was the perfect storm. All the pieces were in place for the message of death and resurrection to spread like wildfire all through the world. The Mediterranean was like a Roman lake. Commercial shipping made traveling by sea relatively safe, a system of roads had been built from England to India, and there was a common Greek language that everyone understood. And Roman armies were keeping the peace. In that moment, Paul says, Jesus was born as a human to bring redemption and adoption to all believers. Jesus didn’t come as a god, he came as a human, a mother’s son, so that all people might become his brothers and sisters. And in him God acted for our salvation.
Thought for the Day: Who are my brothers and sisters in Christ?
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