Scripture Reference: Galatians 3:25-4:7

Appreciating Just How Much Christ has Done

The apostle John captured the essence of Christ’s mission when he recorded the words of Jesus to the Pharisees in an extended exchange over freedom and captivity when he says in the first place, “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). He then goes on to say, by way of clarification, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). This is exactly what Paul wants his readers to understand.

Paul echoed this sense of freedom as he continues to develop the logic of the gospel to his Galatian readers:

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

As we pointed out earlier, God had used the vast age of human history to expose the utter helplessness of the human race when left to its own devices. But “when the fullness of time had come” God acted decisively and definitively to provide the solution.

There has been a lot of discussion about what was special about that moment in time that marked its “fullness.” Some have suggested it had to do with the far-reaching influence of Greek culture by that stage of history in which the Greek language had become the multicultural language of the known world, allowing the New Testament writings to be disseminated with such ease to so many people groups. Others have pointed to the stability and connectedness provided by the Roman Empire and the Pax Romana that allowed for a freedom of movement hitherto not known in the history of the world. Whatever the reasons we might assume, the key issue is that it was the right time in God’s wise and loving plan made before the “foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) to reveal the promised Savior. None of the mere human deliverers He had raised up to aid His people through Old Testament history, nor any of the pagan deliverers who had established great empires and had sometimes done great good could solve the problem of the human condition. Only God’s Son, who entered our world and became incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mary, had the authority and the ability to do what was needed. We may add also that no great leader since the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ has ever been able to meet the deepest need of our race.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved