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
Paul Washer tells the story of an old country preacher he once heard who, about halfway through his message stopped and shouted, “Wow! We really do have ourselves a God!” I was thinking about preacher as I was preparing this week in Galatians 4. The more I read, the more I thought, “We really do have ourselves a God!” This wonderful passage tells us what He has done to rescue rebel slaves like us and make us His beloved sons through faith in Christ!
I won’t try to preview the whole message here, but as a foretaste, notice four things Paul tells us about what God did in sending His Son.
(1) Notice When God Sent Him. It says “in the fulness of time.” God worked faithfully throughout history, in Israel and beyond, to prepare the way for His Son. And when the time was fully right, Christ came!
(2) Notice Who God Sent. It says He “sent forth His Son.” These words picture God the Son coming forth from eternity at the Father’s side to enter this world of pain and sin and become our Savior. He was always there. Then He came here.
(3) Notice How He Was Sent. Paul tells us first, He was born of woman. Though He had always been God at the Father’s side, when Christ came into this world He did so through the womb of a virgin, becoming man – truly man, just like us, and so able to bear our sin! But second, He was born under the Law. He was not just any man, He was a Jewish man born under the obligation to keep the Jewish Law, which He alone was able to do in perfect obedience to God
(4) Notice Why He Was Sent. Paul says, “To redeem those under the Law.” Christ became a curse for us in order to bear the curse in our place (Gal 3:13). But that’s not all. Not only did He bear our curse to bring us out of slavery, He also brought us to God in a new relationship as His sons, adopted by grace!
We really do have ourselves quite a God! Praise Him this morning
Pastor S Scott Lee