The Fullness of Time 2 – Jesus’ Birth

God lines up the right people, place and time!

“Chronos” Happens by itself – initiated by God through Sovereignty

Jesus had to fulfill EVERY prophecy about Him – including the TIMING of each one.

Especially His birth.

Jesus was born in the fullness of time

Galatians 4:4–5 NLT

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

490 years for Israel’s King

Daniel 9:24–25 NLT

24 “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.

Jesus was born in the Fullness of Time of World History – the right TIME

Jesus – the SECOND Adam was born exactly 42 generations after the FIRST Adam

Jesus born – after 3 groups of 14 generations

Matthew 1:17 NLT

17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Generations – what did they represent?

Abraham to David – 14 generations of royalty

David to the Babylonian exile – 14 generations of captivity

Babylonian exile to the Messiah – 14 generations of prophecy

Jesus was born in the Fullness of Time of World LINEAGE - the right PEOPLE

– Jesus had to be raised by only Joseph and Mary – the lineage of David!

Luke 1:26–32 NLT

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

The angel and the Holy Spirit had to be coordinated with God’s plan in the fullness of time.

Mary had to be prepared and conceive at the exact right moment for Jesus to be born on the exact date prophesied.

Jesus was born in the Fullness of Time of World Government – the right PLACE

Luke 2:1–7 NLT

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

During the life of Jesus, Rome thought it had the upper hand by subjugating Israel under its control.hand by subjugating Israel under its control.upperhand by subjugating Israel undier its control.

Little did they know that it was the Master’sHand that caused them to build a massive construction effort of roads. Water ways, even God’s Temple!

Historians, call it Herod’s temple, but it is really God’s temple paid for by Herod!

The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just!

Time of Herod the Great

Why is this important? Once Jesus was born, The Gospel had to get OUT as quickly as possible!

Life Lesson: Always look at the BIG picture

of what God is doing in the WORLD – then you will understand God’s people, place and time for YOUR life.

Let’s decide to coincide with God!

Romans’ infrastructure - paved the roads, built aqueducts – common language Greek? – so everyone can understand God’s plan of salvation.

Sovereignty of God – God uses the enemy to bless you – God will bless you at the enemy’s expense

Caesar Augustus thought he was causing the world to come to HIM, but GOD USED Caesar to

Cause the world to come to HIM – through Jesus.

In the fullness of time, God caused Joseph and Mary (the right people) to be at Bethlehem (the right place) at the Jesus birth (the right time)

Christmas explains WHY:

Mary travelled for MILES from

Mary travelled on a DONKEY

Mary gave birth in a BARN

Anna and Simeon were at the right place and time

Luke 2:38 NLT

38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Personal application: God is preparing things for YOUR time!

Setting things down for you to pick up

Opening doors for you to walk through

Closing – Jesus is coming back in the fullness of time!

Today, we have much more infrastructure than the early church ever dreamed of.

We have superhighways, the information highway, global satellites, with which to touch the entire world within seconds.

Let’s use these things to reach the world with the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, love, and sacrificial death for the sins of man.

Once the great commission is fulfilled, Jesus will come back to the same city of Jerusalem that he left from, reclaiming the world has His own - forever!