One of the most popular Christian songs during the Holiday season is that of William C. Ten, “What child is this?(?What child is this?). Like some songs, the lyrics of this composition lead us to contemplate the identity, the person and the work of the baby in the nursery. In fact, albeit gently but persistently, this forces us to answer the question: is this child really a sacred baby or just a baby for parties and celebrations?
When we think of this question, most of our reflections focus on birth announcements in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. These passages certainly have their place. In this series, however, we will consider Christmas according to the Apostle Paul. Yes, even the Apostle reflects on the wonders of Jesus’ birth, and he does so in Galatians 4. 4-5.
- (4) However.
- At the end of time.
- God sent his Son.
- Born of a woman.
- Born under the law.
- (5) to save those under the law.
- So that we could receive the adoption of children.
The apostle Paul tells us six extraordinary things about Christ in answering the question posed by the song. In our first part of a series of three texts, we will examine two of these truths.
First, know that according to the apostle Jesus is the Son that he had been waiting for all along. Paul’s words lead us to reflect on the moment of Christ’s appearance in the world: “but the fullness of time has come. ” The time when Jesus came is said to be the time of his peak, a unique occasion when all the parts of history that should have taken place actually happened. Every detail that should have happened was now in place. It is clear that Paul wants us to realize that the moment of the historical appearance of the Son of the Father was something agreed and established between the Father and the Son from eternity. The apostle Peter adds that the time of the Son’s arrival was a date that the prophets of the past diligently studied, that had been revealed and predicted by them (1 Peter 1: 10-12). These words thus generate in us the perception that the moment of Christ’s birth was according to the determination of God, who, from all eternity, by the wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and firmly ordered all the past. . Christ could not have been born sooner or later.
So if the birth of Jesus took place in the fullness of time, what does that fullness look like? We can summarize it in four characteristics. It was a period of political preparation. The Roman Empire had brought the pax Romana (“peace of Rome”) to the then-known world, and thus the world was united as never before (cf. Luke 2: 1). It was a period of economic preparation. The Romans had built a good transportation system, centered on five major highways leading from Rome to destinations in the ancient world (cf. Colossians 1:23). It was a period of cultural preparation. The Greek language had become the medium of commerce, culture, and philosophy (that is, the lingua franca), and thus it was possible for the gospel and evangelical literature to reach a universal audience. And finally, it was a time of religious preparation. The hunger of the soul, individual and social, had taken over the world. The failure of paganism and even Judaism, as well as the revival of messianic hopes, characterized much of the ancient world. Thus, in his phrase “it will come to the fulness of time”, the apostle Paul emphasizes the fact that, politically, economically, culturally and religiously speaking, history has been orchestrated by the only true God. In particular, because of their unique sovereignty and providence, the stories of Rome and Jerusalem, which played such an important role in our Lord’s sojourn on earth, have converged. The date set for the arrival of the Son of the Father has come at the right time.
So who’s this kid in day care?This is the kid I’d been waiting for the whole time.
Second, the Apostle’s words in Galatians 4:4-5 tell us what a child is when he says that Jesus is the Son. Born to a woman?. With these words, Paul begins to reflect on the circumstances of his birth, which in turn directs our attention to the humiliation of the glorious Eternal Son. According to prophecies such as Genesis 3. 15 and Isaiah 7. 14, the Son was born of a woman. Therefore, he was completely human and completely divine, the only man-God. The Son of God was sent to be one with us in our humanity.
But there’s more to this expression “born of a woman. “The Apostle knows the story of Jesus’ birth. At the time, was it customary to speak of “the birth of a man”, a custom attested by the genealogies of the time?except that of Jésus. Il was born of a woman; indeed, of a virgin, as the prophet Isaiah predicted. This child was born without a man, born of a woman, the Son of God the Father.
However, born of a woman? It tells us even more about this child. It was not only manufactured and formed “in women” but “in women”. In other words, he was born of his flesh and blood and participated in it. the first circumstance of his birth on which the Apostle draws our attention when he reflects on the emptyness and great humiliation of the Son of the Father.
What kid is that? He is the Son born of a woman, just as he was the son he had been waiting for all the time.
In our next step, we will examine two other truths the Apostle Paul teaches us about Christmas.
By: R. Fowler White. © 2016 Ligonier Original: Christmas According to the Apostle Paul? Gal 4: 4-5 (part 1 of 3)
Translation: Joel Paulo Aragono da Guia Oliveira. Critic: Yago Martins. © 2016 Faithful Ministérium. All rights reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: Christmas according to the Apostle Paul?Galatians 4. 4-5 (Part 1 of 3 )
Authorizations: You are authorized and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that you inform the author, its ministry and the translator, do not modify the original content and do not use it for commercial purposes.