Christmas is for adults
Christmas is for Adults
Text: Galatians 4: 1 – 7
Introduction: Christmas is coming and today is the second Sunday of Advent. Christmas season brings back many fond memories and quite often I wish I could go back to my childhood. But the Bible says, “don’t go back to second childhood.” Christmas is for adults. This particular passage is about law and grace but there is a great implication for Christmas. So let’s look at it as an application.
We see 4 things that God has done in vs. 4.
I. God’s Work vs. 4
1. When the fullness of time came: Timingしかし定めの時が来た
Before Jesus came, God was silent strangely for a period of about 400 years. Jewish people were going through hard times; persecutions, oppressions by the Romans, spiritual hunger and hope of Messiah coming to deliver them from the hand of Romans was intense. But mean time Roman roads were paved to many cities and towns. Many regions of the known world were speaking in common language. God knew exactly the best time to send the message of grace through His Son. It was the fullness of the time.
Verse 4 says, “when the fullness of the time came;” しかし定めの時が来たのでGod had a plan to send His own Son into mankind in that it was the perfect timing. Ever since Jesus came, “Today” is the fullness of time for us. If you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Heb. 4: 7). Because it is God who is speaking in your hearts.
2. God sent His Son: Divinity of Christ:神はご自分の御子を遣わし
Jesus was the Son of God therefore, He was God. He possessed every attribute of God. He could walk on the water, turned the water into wine, and fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. He could heal, He could raise a dead man. By His word a son was healed and by His word solders fell.
God sent his own Son. God sent God.
3. Born of a woman: Humanity of Christ女から生まれた者
He was also a perfect man just like us. He came through biological process, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was fully human; He suffered hunger and thirst, wearied from long journey. He cried over the sorrow of mother who lost her son. He lamented over the hardness of people’s hearts; Being tempted in all area of human life, yet without sin. He was a Man of sorrow acquainted with grief. Born of a woman.
4. Under the law: Position of Christ, a Jew, a representative of
the world: また律法の下にある者となさいました。
He was born a Jew under the Law. He subjected Himself to the law. He kept every law perfectly where no other human being ever could do so that He was qualified to be a perfect Lamb of God for the sacrifice for our sin. Why did God do that? What purpose?
2 purposes are stated in verse 5.
II. God’s Purpose vs. 5
1. Redeem those who were under the lawこれは律法の下にある者を贖い出すためで
Three-quarters [75%] of us believe in heaven, nearly that many believe in hell (71%) — and only one half of 1% [0.5%] say that they're heading for the hot place after the closing bell. Barna Research in California
One of the reasons people believe that they can go to heaven usually is, “I am generally a good person.” If he or she is a Christian, he or she would say, “I try to keep 10 commandments.” This is what the Bible means, under the law: Idea that the “work” will get them to heaven. That is true if we keep the law perfectly. James 2: 10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” 律法全体を守っても一つの点でつまずくなら、その人はすべてを犯した者となったのです。It’s just like chains which hold an anchor on an ocean-liner. If one breaks it is no good. Gal. 5: 3, “And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.”
割礼を受ける人すべてに、もう一度はっきり言います。そういう人は律法全体を行う義務があるのです。
Under (the) Law:
Rom. 2: 12, 3: 19, 6: 14, 15;
I Cor. 9: 20, 21
Gal. 3: 23, 4: 4, 5, 21, 5: 18.
If you want to get into heaven by good works, you are obliged to keep all laws perfectly and that is impossible and that is how we were.
Verse 3 describes this well. “while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.” 私たちもそれと同じで、まだ小さかった時には、この世の幼稚な教えの下に奴隷となっていました。
Such we were. We were burdened with this weight of the Law. Without Grace i.e. Christmas, we tried not knowing it will not reach heaven.
That is the reason Jesus born under law and fulfilled the law perfectly so that He did not have to be crucified for his own sin. He died a death of substitute for those who are under the law namely you and me. We should’ve hung on that cross. Second purpose in verse 5.
2. Give Adoption for those who live by faith
私たちが子としての身分を受けるようになるためです。
It is enough for us that we are purchased out of slave market, but God adopted us into His family and makes His Son Jesus the first born. Paul probably has in mind the Roman adoption where adopted child receives absolutely equal privileges in the family. It is honorable thing to sponsor a child but it is a different thing to adopt a child. God has done it. We receive this adoption not recover it.
We have the same intimacy with God the Father as the Son of God Jesus has. Jesus addressed God the Father as “Daddy” when He prayed, Abba, Father as recorded in Mark 14: 36.
“And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” 「アバ、父よ。あなたにおできにならないことはありません。どうぞ、この杯をわたしから取りのけてください。しかし、わたしの願うことではなく、あなたのみこころのままを、なさってください。」
God the Father, who sent His own Son, also sent the Spirit of His Son. Verse 6. Here Paul equates Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Jesus. Because of this work of Trinity we can cry out to this awesome God, “Daddy!”
We see a beautiful picture of Trinity working together to bring a wonderful gift of Salvation.
Through gracious work of God, we became sons and daughters of God and moreover, we are heirs. Vs. 7 Paul changed the number to singular. It is much more personal. Are you still clinging to the things of the world which Bible says it’s slavery (vs. 3)? I trust you are sons and daughters of God who will inherit everything God offers. And those of us who are adopted into God’s family; Do not go back to second childhood. You passed from childhood to adulthood to enjoy God and His gift. Do not wrap up with the philosophy of the world. May this Christmas be the time of reflection and enjoy Jesus, knowing what God has done and what purpose He has done it. All too familiar Christmas Story.
One occasion, an unsaved actor recited Psalm 23 with such eloquence and then an old retired pastor read the Psalm 23. Afterward, people said, “an actor knows the Psalm 23 but old pastor knows the Shepherd.”
Let this Christmas be such that we can say, “We know Christ.”