“The Fullness of Time”
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Well Good Morning. If you have your Bibles turn with me to Galatians chapter 4. As you are heading that way I want to share a story with you. This Summer our family traveled North to Iowa to visit my parents. They decided to down size and move into a smaller house now that they are somewhat retired. My mom still had some things that she needed to get rid of so we decided to make a couple of trips to the local helping hands thrift store to just give things away. When we pulled up to unload several of the large items there was a pastor who pulled up next to us who was trying to give away some books. However the thrift store was only taking children’s books. I asked him what kind of books and he said commentaries. The commentaries that he was giving away were the exact ones I was looking to buy. I was perfect timing.
I share this story with you because I want you to know that the Gift of Jesus and this Christmas Season is all about God’s sovereign plan and timing. God the Father knew exactly what He was doing by sending His Son and the exact time to earth to be born. In other words, God ordered the events surrounding the birth of Christ to all fall in place so that the advent of Christ was perfect timing!!! Here is how the Apostle Paul puts it.
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.
As Christ comes on the scene there are several interesting things that stand out to us about the surrounding time.
Politically = During this time in history, the Roman empire was at it’s apex. The Romans had built some amazing roads which allowed people to travel like they had never been able to do before. Their system of government was at this time somewhat fair which allowed for a degree of peace. And because of travel being what it was it allowed the disciples to carry the gospel into the different parts of the world.
Culturally = People during this time were learning and growing in knowledge. Most of them knew Latin or Greek. Even the common people spoke Koine Greek which is what the dialect of the New Testament was written in.
Spiritually = During this time the world was open to many things or beliefs. Greek and Roman polytheism was being replaced by national and secular philosophies, or by the worship of the current emperor. Among the Jewish people there was a renewed interest in the Scriptures. John the Baptist begins his ministry and sets everything up for Christ. In fact, his sole mission is to prepare the way for Jesus and His earthly ministry. Jesus was born and began His earthly ministry at just the right time. It was the perfect time, sovereignly planned by God. “The fullness of time.”
So what exactly do we know about the person and purpose of Christ? What details do we have about the Lords birth and the purpose of His coming? Turn with me to Luke chapter 1. Let’s look here at several verses.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
As we come to the Gospels and the start to Luke chapter 1 I think that it is important to keep in mind that up till now there had been around 400 years of silence. What I mean by this is that there had been no revelation from God, no prophecy, no miracle, no healing, no angel visiting anyone. But now for the second time in just several months we see that the angel Gabriel is visiting someone. Gabriel first came to Zechariah back in verse 11 to announce to him that he would have a son named John and John would prepare the way for the Lord. Now here in verse 30 Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her some good news. In fact, Gabriel delivers the most astounding and significant birth announcement ever!
19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Gabriel’s words about this divine child, Jesus was truly good news. His words show us a wonderful summary about the person and purpose of Christ in just these few verses. So, let me share with you 4 things to know about Christ, and His purpose for coming to this earth.
1. Christ’s Mission was to Save the Lost.
1. Christ’s Mission was to Save the Lost.
Look with me again at verse 31.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
We talked about this several weeks ago, but the name Jesus comes from the Hebrew word (Yeshua) which means “Jehovah saves.” The God of the Old Testament was a Saving God and His people understood this.
23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Later on in the Gospel of Luke we see that the Lord’s parents Mary and Joseph bring Him to the temple to present him to the Lord. There was a devout man named Simeon who was there and who was waiting to see the Messiah. Listen to these words from Luke chapter 2.
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
Luke also helps us to see in the Lord’s own words the reason that He came to this earth.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
All of these Scriptures lead us to know that the Lord’s mission was to seek and save those who are lost. If that is you today, would you confess your need for Christ today? Would you turn from your sin and ask the Lord to Save you?
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
2. Christ’s Life was a Perfectly Righteous Life.
2. Christ’s Life was a Perfectly Righteous Life.
The Angel Gabriel makes another wonderful statement in verse 32. Look at this verse with me.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
Luke shares with us that Jesus is Great. But what exactly does this mean??? The Lord’s greatness is best understood in relation to what the Apostle John wrote about Him.
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
John is quoting from the prophet Isaiah, and Isaiah knew that someday God would send His Son the Messiah to live a perfect life among His people and to save them from their sins. Isaiah had been given this glimpse into the future of the glory of Christ that the apostles would someday witness for themselves. When the angel Gabriel told Mary the Jesus would be great, he was helping us to see that Jesus would manifest the very glory of God and lead a perfect and righteous life for all to see. He did this so that you and I could have life, eternal life.
3. Christ’s Title was Divine.
3. Christ’s Title was Divine.
Something else that we see in verse 32 is that Jesus will be called the Son of the Most High. In other words, Gabriel’s announcement affirms the Deity of Christ. “Most High” was a title reserved only for God and Mary and the other Jewish people would have understood this because it is used throughout the New Testament. Here are just a few references for us to see this.
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
This title refers to the sovereignty of God and the fact that no one is higher, no one is more exalted, no one is more powerful than Jesus. In John chapter 14 verse 9, Jesus told His disciples that He who has seen me has seen the Father. Jesus also boldly proclaimed in John 10:30
30 I and the Father are one.”
What I want you to know today church, is that Jesus is worthy of this divine title. Jesus truly is the Son of God. He loves you so much and desires for you to follow Him and love Him by keeping His commands.
4. Christ’s True Office is King of kings.
4. Christ’s True Office is King of kings.
The last part of verse 32 and verse 33 help us to see today that Christ’s true office is King of Kings. What I mean by this statement is that when Jesus came to this earth as an infant, He also came to rule and reign. Jesus offered His kingdom to His very own people and yet they missed it. The Jewish people rejected Christ, they mocked Him, they despised Him and nailed Him to a cross. However, someday Jesus will return for the second time and establish His Kingdom.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
God’s Word assures us here that all believers will be part of God’s Kingdom wether through death or the Lord’s return we will someday be with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Christ will return church, and He will set up His kingdom. This means that Satan and his followers will be crushed and sent to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. Those believers who have turned from their sin and trusted in Christ will live with Christ in His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and truth forever. This is truly good news today. This news helps us to see the person and purpose of Christ. May we not miss this good news. I want to close today with a short scripture that drives this point across. When Jesus began His earthly ministry He visited the local synagogue there in Nazareth where He grew up and here is what happened.
17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
-Jesus is the Savior.
-Jesus is Great because He alone is the Righteous One.
-Jesus is the Son of God.
-Jesus is the King of Kings.
May we not miss Christ this Christmas.
(Close and Lead into Communion)