4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Realizing that God is the master of order and omnisicience, try to imagine the stirring of anticipation in Heaven when we told His Son that the time had come for Him to go to earth. The energy among the angels must have been overwhelming with praise and joy. Theologians have attempted to determine the trigger that caused God to choose the time that He did to send Jesus. Was it the development of a common language on earth to facilitate the spread of the Gospel? Was it the Pax Romana, which was a period in history known for peace and stability? The reality is that we will never know. God exists outside of time, yet He sent His Son to live within human time at just the right time. Calvin said, “the time which had been ordained by the providence of God was seasonable and fit.… Therefore the right time for the Son of God to be revealed to the world was for God alone to judge and determine.” George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 301). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
When according to God’s view of time He saw it fit, He sent His Son to earth! The essence of the Gospel can never be told without including this critical element! Motivated by love and in fulfillment of a covenant promise, God sent His Son. Beyond John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:15-17, Romans 8:3, and Philippians 2:5-9 help us better grasp the significance of Christ, being fully God, coming to earth to be fully man, without giving up His deity. The incarnation of Christ was a pivotal moment to pave the way for redemption.
It is important for Paul in Galatians 4:4 to move beyond just the Gospel significant statement of God sending His Son to earth for the sake of redemption. As Paul’s argument has been centered around the Law, it is that God sent His Son, “born of a woman”. Essentially, Paul is stating that Jesus came under the Law. Jesus being born of a women, specifically of a virgin, ties Him to humanity. His life was fully susceptible to the fears of all mankind. He experienced pain and heartache, just as we do. This allows Christ to continually empathize for us, as He serves as our Mediator to the Father.
Paul’s likely objetive in this verse was to communicate the essecne of the Gospel, while empahsizing the fully humanity of Christ on earth. As Paul will continue in the following verses, Christ’s experience of the Law paved the way for His abolishment and fulfillment of the Law. That reality is something for us to celebrate here on earth, now!
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