Reading the Word

Galatians 4:4–7 (ESV)
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. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Understanding and Applying the Word

As a child, I remember always looking forward to Christmas. Of course, I liked the gifts, but I also liked many other things about the season as well. I enjoyed the lights and decorations. I enjoyed the snow and visits with family and friends. And I enjoyed the songs and special church services where we remembered the reason for the holiday. However, as a child, it always felt like Christmas was far off. It only comes once per year and a year was just so long to wait!

When Jesus was born into the world, the Jewish people had been waiting and waiting and waiting. In fact, they had been waiting for four hundred years for Jesus, the promised Messiah. God had sent word through his prophets that the Messiah would come, but then he stopped talking. For hundreds of years the people had no new word from God. They only had the old promises. But God fulfilled those promises and he fulfilled them at just the right time. Galatians 4:4-5 tells us, “…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

We may sometimes feel like God is taking too long or that he is not working, but Jesus’ birth reminds us that God is at work, even when he seems silent. We can trust that he will fulfill his word at just the right time.

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