The Miracle of the Moment/Motive

While “timing is everything” is sometimes touted as the explanation for why somethings work and others do not, timing is only part of the impact equation. Perfect timing can never compensate for a poor product.

Edsel Fort - 1956 to 1960 - versus Mustang - 1963 mid model year

Chevrolet Corvair - 1965-1970

Nash -

Studebaker - Hawk/Golden Hawk

SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, BEHIND THEIR TIME, POOR QUALITY OR PERCEIVED LACK OF NEWNESS.

Within “The Miracles of Christmas”, the Scriptures explain that every aspect of how God spoke/speaks to us is another facet of a miracle.

Not only did the incarnation of Christ demonstrate that God spoke through a unique messenger, the timing of the sending of that messenger is also very much a miracle.

In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul reminded them of the miracle of the moment/motive with regard to God sending His Son.

BUT when the fullness of time had come - MOMENT

BUT:

Common to the Greek, Roman and Jewish cultures of that day, there was a general time that by the father was declared to have arrived when his son had now come of age.

Greek - from age 7 to 18 a boy was under his father’s care . Then he became a ephebos, which can be translated cadet. For 2 years he was under the control of the state. Before a boy became a ephebos, there was a festival when his long hair was cut off and offered to the gods.

Roman - Under Roman law, the year that a boy was said to grow up was between 14 and 17. Whenever that happened there was a special public festival, essentially a religious ceremony. Two constants - for boys and girls - the toga with a purple band at the bottom was exchanged for a plain toga worn by adults. The boy and girl also offered their toys to Apollo to show that they had put away childish things.

The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians The Days of Childhood (Galatians 4:1–7)

In the Jewish world, on the first Sabbath after a boy had passed his 12th birthday, his father took him to the synagogue, where he became a son of the law. At that point, the father said a blessing: ‘Blessed are you, O God, who has taken from me the responsibility for this boy.’ The boy prayed a prayer in which he said: ‘O my God and God of my fathers! On this solemn and sacred day, which marks my passage from boyhood to manhood, I humbly raise my eyes to you, and declare, with sincerity and truth, that henceforth I will keep your commandments, and undertake and bear the responsibility of my actions towards you.’ There was a clear dividing line in the boy’s life; almost overnight he became a man.

Bar Mitzvah - son of the commandment

Paul’s context and reference to the law was deliberate and framed the contrast that he introduced with the BUT.

This a love story, a love story of an adoption, the love story of the adoption of those who were enslaved not to be free but sons of the one who adopted them. Although there was a time when those to whom Paul had been under the law, “sons of the law”, Paul stressed that it was not the law that gave them status before God but faith and grace.

Faith had always been God’s intended default position for those who would come to Him

That was the only way that Abraham and the sons of Abraham were only justified and came to God was by faith.

Genesis 3:7–9 ESV

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

The obvious question then, was why did God give the law? Gal 3:19

Galatians 3:21–23 ESV

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

Whereas the law was a guardian, to those enslaved, Jesus not only set us free from the law, but opened the faith/grace door for us to be adopted as sons of God.

Galatians 3:24–27 ESV

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

By faith alone, we are Abraham’ s offspring.

So what the role of the law before and after that coming to faith? It is that of a guardian - 3:24 - until the date set by the father - 4:2

Paul’s underlying theme in his letter to the Galatians was they had been justified by faith - Gal 2:20. That being the case, it made no sense to then live as those the law was what justified us before God.

In the same way - as the father set a date was no longer under the care of the guardian, the Father also set a date - in the fullness of time - when that which had promised to those trusted by faith, not the guardianship of the law, which was external rather than in our hearts.

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME - GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON - THAT WE MIGHT BE ADOPTED AS SONS.

In the fullness of time:

“In God’s timetable when the exact religious, cultural and conditions demanded by His perfect plan were in place, Jesus came into the world.” (MacArthur Study Bible)

Religious - During the Babylonian captivity Israel had for the most part ceased to be fractured by idolatry. During the exile synagogues were developed as local places of instruction and worship

Culturally - Those who preached the Gospel during those first centuries had a common Greek language and culture the permeated most of the world that day even though Rome had succeeded Greek as the world ruler.

Politically - Pax Romana provided economic and political stability meaning the apostles and early preachers/teachers and other believers could travel safely along a unique system of roads built by the Romans.

God sent forth His Son

Born of a woman - His Son’s/Jesus’ full humanity - Gal 4:4

Born under the law - Jesus’ obligation to God’s law - Gal 4:4

To redeem those under the law - Gal 4:4 - MOTIVE

So that they might receive adoption as sons - Gal 4:5 - MOTIVE

Because you are sons - Gal 4:6

God sent His Spirit into your hearts - Gal 4:6

No longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God - Gal 4:7

When did not know God - Gal 4:8-11

Enslaved

Came to know God