By Dennis Rokser
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. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal. 4:4-7)
The apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians to defend the Gospel of the grace of God against the inroads of legalistic teachers. In doing so, the Holy Spirit directed him to clarify that the Law cannot justify the sinner, nor sanctify the saint. It is only by the awesome and amazing grace of God on the basis of the sacrificial death of Christ that the sinner can be justified before God through faith alone in Christ alone.
Galatians 2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Why is this the case and how is this made possible? It is only because of the finished work of Christ.
Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Dear reader, if justification before God is only by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, would this not also of necessity need to be true of our practical sanctification in time? This is why Paul continues in the following verses to state:
Galatians 3:1-5 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
I find it interesting that the appeal made to these Galatian believers repeatedly goes back to remember and reflect on the finished work of Christ as proclaimed in the Gospel and their position/identity in Christ.
Galatians 1:3-5 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
However, it stands to reason that Jesus Christ could not have died for our sins and been raised from the dead if He had never entered the human race through a physical birth. Thus, let me draw from Galatians 4:4-7 seven significant truths regarding the birth of our Lord and Savior.
1. The TIMING of Jesus Christ’s Coming was WHEN THE FULNESS OF THE TIME WAS COME.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world at the exact time that God the Father willed. It was not an accident; it was a divine appointment. What world conditions may have factored into this divine timing?
a. The universal use of Koine Greek – allowing for the writing and pervasive understanding of the New Testament. Alexander the Great not only spread the Greek culture wherever he conquered, but he spread Koine Greek – the language of the New Testament.
b. The peace of the Roman Empire allowed a unifying affect in many lands – allowing people to seriously consider the Gospel in times of peace, apart from the distractions of war.
c. The amazing road system of the Romans such as the Appian Way – allowing for the spreading of the Gospel to occur rapidly.
d. The spiritual vacuum created over failed “mystery” religions and idol worship – causing hearts to see a need and be open to the Gospel.
e. The exact timing as foretold in Daniel 9:24-27 – enabling the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
2. The SENDER in Jesus Christ’s Coming was GOD THE FATHER.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
In this passage, we observe the presence of all three members of the Tri-une Godhead mentioned.
- The Father (4:4)
- The Son (4:4)
- The Holy Spirit (4:6)
It was God the Father that designed the plan of redemption and sent forth Jesus Christ to fulfill His plan.
3. The PERSON SENT in Jesus Christ’s Coming is GOD’S SON.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
The phrase “His Son” expresses much more than role and functionality; it underscores deity. Jesus Christ possessed the exact same divine nature as His Father. At times, I have interacted with Jehovah Witnesses at my door who have told me that Jesus Christ is the “son of God,” but He is not “God’s Son,” seeking to deny His deity. However, a close examination of the New Testament makes it extremely clear that Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and God’s Son. Regarding the latter we observe:
Romans 1:1-3 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.
Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.
Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles . . .
(See also John 3:16; 1 Thess.1:10; Hebrews 1:2, 11:17; 1 John 1:3, 7, 4:9, 4:10, 5:9, 5:11)
Since Jesus Christ is deity, it was certain that God’s plan would not fail. But in order for Him to die for mankind, Jesus Christ would have to become a man.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
But by what means would God accomplish this?
4. The MEANS of Jesus Christ’s Coming is He was BORN OF A WOMAN.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
Mary was not a sinless woman, but she was a godly believer who knew the Word of God and walked by faith (see the Magnificat – Luke 2:46-55). She would fulfill the “seed of the woman” proto-evangelium promised by God in the Garden of Eden, along with the “a virgin will conceive” prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man without sin who was sent on a mission (“sent forth”) by God the Father.
5. The DISPENSATION of Jesus Christ’s Coming was He was BORN UNDER THE LAW.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
Jesus Christ’s veins were filled with Jewish blood in fulfillment of the Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3) and Davidic (2 Sam. 7:8-11) Covenants. And as a Jewish man under the Law, He kept the requirements of the Law completely. This is important to remember when you are reading the Gospel narratives regarding His earthly ministry. For though He came to reveal God to man (John 1:1, 14, 18), and to reign as Israel’s King (Matt. 2:1; 3:2; 4:17, 23; 5:5), He was instead rejected and crucified. But Christ’s death for the sins of the world was not Plan B (as some have suggested), nor have the promises made to Israel in the Old Testament been cancelled or somehow transferred to the Church (as Covenant Theology falsely teaches). Instead, those Old Testament covenantal promises to Israel have been postponed until Jesus Christ returns to Earth to fulfill them (Rom. 11), while Jesus Christ is presently building His Church as promised (Matt.16:18; Eph. 3:1-8). So what exactly was Jesus Christ’s third purpose in coming the first time?
6. The PURPOSE of Jesus Christ’s Coming was to REDEEM SINNERS.
Galatians 4:4-5 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.
This why the angels said to the shepherds that first Christmas morning: “For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Due to the incarnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, redemption has been provided for all (1 Tim. 2:6; 2 Peter 2:1) and has become the personal blessing of those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Ephesians 1:6-7 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
It is like the words of the song “Born to Die”:
On the night Christ was born,
Just before break of morn,
As the stars in the sky were fading,
O’er the place where He lay,
Fell a shadow cold and gray
Of a cross that would humble a King.
Jesus knew when He came
He would suffer in shame;
He could feel ev’ry pain and sorrow,
But He left Paradise,
With His blood He paid the price,
My redemption to Jesus I owe.
From His throne Jesus came,
Laid aside Heaven’s fame
In exchange for the cross of Calv’ry;
For my gain suffered loss,
For my sin He bore the cross,
He was wounded and I was set free.
Chorus:
Born to die upon Calv’ry,
Jesus suffered my sin to forgive;
Born to die upon Calv’ry,
He was wounded that I might live.1
7. The RESULTS of Jesus Christ’s Coming for those who trust in Him alone as Savior are:
a. ADOPTION AS SONS.
Galatians 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
b. THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST COMING INTO YOUR HEART.
Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
c. CALLING GOD, “ABBA, FATHER.”
Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
d. BECOMING AN “HEIR OF GOD.”
Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
What a Christmas gift – Jesus Christ! And as you open this gift by faith, you find out that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3) as you are complete in Him (Col. 2:10).
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Dear believer, may every day be a great day of rejoicing in Jesus Christ, not just once a year! Along with the angels, may our lips proclaim:
Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!” ■
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1. “Born to Die” – Words and Music by Ron Hamilton, Majesty Music, 1980.
Dennis Rokser has been the pastor-teacher of the Duluth Bible Church since 1985 and has authored numerous books, booklets, and articles designed to reach the lost and meet the spiritual needs of believers.