Title: The Miracle of the Moment Scripture: Galatians 4:4ff
Type: Advent Where: GNBC 12-5-23
Intro: Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent, 2023. There are now only 22 days until Christmas! That’s only 528 hrs! Or, it is 31,600 minutes! And you have to buy X# of presents for # of people, so quit wasting your time listening to me and run for it!!! Time and timing are everything. You wouldn’t plant tomatoes in Iowa in January but they do really well in August! Timing affects financial analysists. It affects musicians. Sports are often a matter of timing…not just the duration of the match, but think about the activities within the various sports. When Caitlin Clark pops a 3 pointer from Iowa Ave. it’s a matter of timing. When a batter times it just right to hit a 96 mph fastball or a curve, it’s timing. In football, when a center snaps the ball on signal, the holder catches, and places the ball while the kicker is already in motion and nails it through the uprights, its all a matter of timing. Think of the difference a few minutes can make. Illust: Christmas 1991 came up to Iowa. Flew into Chicago. Carol’s parents came and got us. Driving back through snowstorm on I-80. Dark and low visibility. A minivan passed us. Thirty seconds later a semi. Less than 5 minutes later both vehicles were in the ditch and the truck had run over the top of the van. Several members of the family in the minivan were dead. Timing matters.
Prop: In Galatians 4 we’’ notice 3 Important Lessons Concerning the Miracle of the Moment.
BG: 1. Some of you may be wondering: “An Advent message from Galatians 4?” Yup, from Galatians 4. Honestly, I think one could preach an Advent message about any NT passage, because Christ is the WOG.
2. As said, today first Sunday of Advent, “Coming of Christ”. Beautiful time of year.
3.
Prop: Would you look with me today at Gal. 4 as we attempt to understand 3 Important Lessons Concerning the First Coming of Christ.
I. Realize Christ Came at the Right Moment. V. 4
A. The Son of God Made His 1st Advent in a Specific Moment in Time.
1. Advent Recognizes the Historical Fact of Christ’s Incarnation.
a. Illust: One of the most popular Christmas movies of all times is “The Miracle on 34th Street” It is a wonderful, magical tale about an old man named Kris Kringle who believes he is Santa Claus and wants others to believe in him as well. Was it just by chance or coincidence that Kris Kringle was there at the parade that day? No! That represents the miracle of the moment. At just the right time, Kris Kringle showed up at the parade and rescued not only the parade, but the jobs of Ms. Walker and countless others. Ms. Walker failed to recognize the miracle of the moment. She failed to realize the significance of hiring Kris Kringle to be the store Santa at the time.
b. “Fullness” – pleroma – completion. To fill up to the point of fullness. Illust – When pumping gas in cars nowadays we have something to “idiot” proof them. Virtually everyone pumps own gas today. People are distracted and used to waste a lot of gas. Sensor in the pumps that when gasoline reaches a certain level, pump clicks and shuts off. Then must manually fill beyond that point. At one moment you are filling gas and the next moment, “Click” and stops! Your tank is full! (Mostly!) At the fullness of God’s redemptive story, Christ entered into His creation to save it!
2. God’s Timing in Christ’s Advent was Perfect Timing.
a. The “fullness of time” was planned from eternity past. God has an eternal calendar, a schedule for redemptive history. Man turns a blind eye to God’s plan of redemption. Adam and Eve rejected the bliss of Eden. Israel disregarded the covenant relationship they enjoyed with Jehovah. This “fullness” was first revealed in Gen. 3:15, that Christ would come at just the right time to perform just the right work to insure the redemption of God’s elect.
b. Illust: “Sometimes unplanned events occur that you can’t possibly schedule. Cliff Barrows served as Billy Graham’s lifelong associate and crusade song leader. In 1945, before he met Billy Graham, Cliff and his fiancée, Billie, had scraped together enough money for a simple wedding and two train tickets to a resort. On arrival, however, they found the hotel shut down. Stranded in an unfamiliar city with little money, they thumbed a ride. A sympathetic driver took them to a grocery store, owned by a woman he knew, where the newlyweds spent their first night in a room above the store. The next day, when the lady overheard Cliff playing Christian songs on his trombone, she arranged for them to spend the rest of their honeymoon at a friend’s house. Several days later the host invited them to attend a youth rally where a young evangelist was speaking. The song leader that night was sick, and Cliff was asked to take charge of the music for the service. The young evangelist, of course, was Billy Graham and the two became lifelong partners. You can’t schedule such unplanned events.” (Roger Pascoe – Gal. 4)
B. Christ was Born Under Specific Conditions.
1. Sent by God. – Again, God’s timing is perfect timing, it is redemptive timing. Paul wants us to realize that the timing of the appearance of the Father’s Son was something fixed and agreed upon by the Father and the Son from all eternity past. The Apostle Peter ass that this date was in fact revealed to the prophets and predicted by them. (I Peter 1:10 – “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.”)
2. “born of a woman” - With these words, Paul begins to reflect on the next condition of His birth: The humiliation of the glorious eternal Son. Prophecies such as Gen 3:15 and Isa 7:14, foretold the Son was to be born of a woman. He was, thus, fully human as well as fully divine, the one and only God-man. But there is more to this expression, “born of a woman.” You see, the Apostle knows the history of Jesus’ nativity. At that time, it was customary to speak of being “born of a man,” a custom to which the genealogies of the period bear witness - genealogies other than the one of Jesus. He was born of a woman, indeed of a virgin, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. This Child was born without a man, born of a woman, the Son of God the Father. (R. Fowler White – Ligionier)
3. “born under the law” - this phrase refers to the 3rd circumstance that marks His birth. What does the Apostle mean by this phrase? He means that the Son was born a servant. That is, born a Jew under the law of Moses, the Son of the Father was born a servant of the Lord His God, to whom He owed a perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience, both active and passive. From His circumcision eight days after His birth, to His celebration of Passover with His disciples just before His death, every detail of Jesus’ life was under the direction of the law. As a son of Abraham, the Son-born-servant lived under the pedagogy of the ceremonial law. For His sake the ritual ordinances and shadows of the law were instituted, and their principal end and fulfillment were found in Him. The Son was also born under the moral law and the civil law. As a servant of the Lord, He was subject to all the precepts of the law and to its rewards and penalties. And, PTL! He kept them all for you and me!
C. Applic: Christ came at the fullness of time. 1. Pax Romana had offered a unique period of political preparation. 2. It was a time of unique economic preparation – Roman roads/travel. 3. Was a time of unique cultural preparation – Greek language, culture, learning, and philosophy unified that portion of the world. 4. Time of religious preparation. Famine of the soul. Failure of paganism. Revival of Messianic hope. Christ came at just the right time.
II. Realize God the Father Provided at the Right Moment. Vv.5-6
A. Thru the Advent of Christ, God Provided a Legal Change (v.5)
1. God has Provided for our Redemption Thru Christ’s Coming.
a. “redeem those under the law” – Here Paul switches from the circumstances of Christ’s coming to the purpose of His coming. The moral law of God holds you and me in debt. We need to pay special attention to the meaning and background of the Apostle’s words here. By “redeem,” Paul has in mind the act of rescuing from slavery by the payment of a price. The story of Israel’s redemption provides the backdrop here. The price paid for the nation’s deliverance from slavery was significant: death of the firstborn. Through Moses Israel learned of God’s penal substitute for their firstborn, and thus Israel offered the Passover lamb and saw their redemption from slavery in Pharaoh’s kingdom to liberty under the Lord their God.
b. Illust – A good friend of mine used to struggle with alcohol. IN the course of time was arrested for OWI on three occasions. The third time in Illinois. Fortunately, never had accident and never hurt anyone while intoxicated. Was arrested and sentenced to 7 yrs in prison. Served about 3yrs all told/good behavior. When got out people said of him: “He has paid his debt to society.” Never hurt anyone, never killed anyone so why prisons? Because the law says not to operate a vehicle with a certain BAC. If you do, and caught, there is a penalty under the law. Our Civil law requires a price to be paid according to the offense. The moral law of God did then and does today. Our only hope is Christ! The legal debt was paid in Christ’s death and resurrection.
2. Thru Christ’s Advent, another legal change has taken place for the one who trusts in Christ.
a. Thru Christ the Father has adopted all who trust in Him. Legal adoption was significant in Roman culture. Adopted individuals has the same name, rights, and privileges as those natural born. To really appreciate the significance of our adoption into God’s family, we need to remember how God viewed us before our adoption. Apart from the grace of adoption, we were not “children of God” but “children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2); we were “by nature” not “children of God” but “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3)! Thru Christ’s advent the Father has bestowed on you and me the same rights as His Son!
b. Illust: Adoption changes the legal relationship one has with a family. Both my wife’s little sister and her sister’s oldest son were adopted from Korea. Before the formal adoption Sara and Matthew were citizens of the Republic of South Korea. Even though young, they were subject to the laws and dominion of the nation of Korea. When each were adopted, their citizen status was changed to the nation of the adoptees (US). Transferred legal relationship from Korea to USA, by right of the legal relationship of the adopting parents. After formal adoption, Korea’s rights and rules had no jurisdiction over either individual. Friend, let me tell you, that’s exactly what happened to you and me! We were rescued/transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light! (Col. 1:13)
B. Thru the Coming of Christ, God Provided a Relational Change. (v.6)
1. Thru Christ’s advent we now have a new relationship to a new Father (Abba!)
a. V. 5 states that we have been redeemed into an adopted relationship. However, as we know from the fodder of both fiction and real life, adoption alone, although signifying a legal change of relationship, does not guarantee a loving relationship! Illust: I have known several couples who have gone through the enormous heartache of being rejected and spurned by the very children they travel half the globe and spent a fortune so as to adopt. I also know of more than one individual who was adopted into a family where no love or kindness was ever shown to them.
b. Notice this beautiful sequence: Not only did God send forth his perfect Son into the world to change our standing before God by redeeming us (marvelous as that is) and to change our status before God by adopting us (marvelous as that is), but also he has sealed that new standing and signified our new status by sending “the Spirit of his Son into our hearts” (6a). Thus, we are brought into an entirely new relationship with God, a relationship of intimacy and security that a slave could never have with his master, but which we enjoy with God as his children.
2. How was this New Relationship Secured?
a. It was secured by the enduring fellowship of the Holy Trinity! “God sent forth the Spirit of His Son…” Father, Son, HS! The Father sent the Son, Who thru His incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and ascension to heaven secured our legal decree of justification. The HS entered our lives at regeneration. He not only regenerated us but now lives within us to sanctify us, growing us in holiness and a relationship with each member of Trinity.
b. V.6 – “Abba” – Is a term designating intimacy. In English it’s rough equivalency would be “Daddy”. Illust: I am so very grateful to have lived to see grandchildren. I love the intimacy implied when one of my grands refer to their father as “Daddy”! Friend, Islam knows no intimate relationship with God. Judaism would never utter this word. New Age spiritism. Only thru Christ can you and I have such a relationship.
C. Applic: What family do you belong to my friend? Liberal preachers and worldly philosophers want to numb us into the belief that “we are all God’s children.” Absolutely false! We are children of the devil, alienated from God, until we are legally adopted and indwelled by the HS through faith in the merits of Jesus Christ.
III. Realize You Have a Decision to Make In Response to Christ’s Coming. Vv.8-9
A. If You are Unsure of Your Relationship to God, Turn to Christ Today!
1. v. 9a – Let those words sink in! (Read). God knows you! Grace costs us nothing, but it demands everything! “The sheer wonder of God's amazing grace, his undeserved, indeed ill-deserved love to judgment-deserving sinners, is not a peripheral note in the Bible.” How could it be, when God's love gave birth to the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ? (We must respond to the miraculous! Don’t get lost in the details. Turn to Christ.
2. Illust: During World War II, General Douglas MacArthur called one of his Army engineers and asked, “How long would it take to throw a bridge across this river?” The man immediately responded: “Three days, sir.” Gen. MacArthur snapped back, “Good. Have your draftsmen make drawings right away.” Three days later Gen. MacArthur sent for the engineer and asked how the bridge was coming along. The engineer reported, “It’s all ready. You can send your troops across right now if you don’t have to wait for the plans. They aren’t done yet.” What was important was getting across the river, not drawing the plans. Don’t wait until some other time to make your own plan to meet God. What’s important is to follow God’s plan.
B. Christian Determine to Walk Faithfully with Him in Light of What Christ has Done.
1. The Advent of Christ Assures the Persevering Grace of the Christian.
a. v. 9b – Don’t turn back my friends! Paul refers to these items that distract and attempt to dissuade us from the Christian life as: weak, worthless, elemental things, with the whole purpose of enslaving us again!
b. In my experience as a Christian, those individuals who fall away or never finish the Christian race never really saw themselves as being too bad of sinners who needed God’s miraculous saving work. The depth of our love of Christ is in proportion to the depth of our experience of and appreciation of His saving grace. The Gospel is the love of God towards lost sinners! It was God's love that caused him to send his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It is God's love that caused the apostle John to exclaim, "Behold what manner of love is this, that we should be called the children of God." (I Jn. 3:1) John's language is filled with unspeakable wonder. He can hardly take in the grace that is revealed in the Father's love. It is literally an extraterrestrial love! It’s out of this world, but praise Jesus, it came into this world!
2. Illust: The story of William Borden of Yale wonderfully illustrates the point. Borden had long prepared to serve as a missionary in the Far East. He had been an outstanding student with a passion for mission. After some years traveling throughout America calling young men "to go east and preach the gospel of Christ," he at last set sail himself for Burma. On reaching Alexandria, he was struck down with cerebral encephalitis. He would never see Burma. He would die in Alexandria. As he lay dying he overheard someone saying, "What a waste." With the little energy he had, Borden replied, "No reserve! No retreat! No regrets!" This is a life of unconditional surrender to the saving lordship of Jesus Christ. (Ian Hamilton).
C. Applic: God’s timing was perfect. (Read v.4)
