1.
Grace, mercy, and
peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word this joyous day
we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is taken from
Galatians 4:4 and is entitled, “About
Time!” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2.
A small boy kept
asking his daddy to help him build a tree house in the backyard. The man said
he would “when he had the time.” But,
each time the boy asked, his daddy was involved in a business meeting, a golf
date, some pressing job around the house, or a social engagement. One day the
boy was hit by a car and in critical condition in the hospital. Sadly, as the
man stood by his son’s bedside, the boy’s last words were, “Well, Daddy, I guess we’ll never get to
build our tree house.” Of course, the boy didn’t want a tree house half as
much as he wanted the love and the time of his father.
3.
Time. Short on
time. Not enough time. Ran out of time. You’ve heard them all and said them
all. What’s this sermon about? It’s about time.
The wonderful news at Christmas time is this: God is above time and uses time for His
eternal purposes. Time consumes us. “Too many things to do, not enough time”
may be our life’s motto. Our sermon text
from Galatians tells us: “But when the
fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4). This is talking
about the birth of Jesus.
4.
“The fullness of time” is a wonderful
phrase. One could say that it means not too early, not too late, but just at
the right time. The time was “full.” How
was the time full when Jesus was born that first Christmas? Why did God the
Father send God the Son at the time he did?
Over the years, biblical scholars and historians have strived to unpack
this “fullness of time” phrase from
Galatians 4. Here, in brief, are a few of their ideas.
5.
Alexander the
Great of Macedon, who destroyed the Persian Empire, soon became the ruler of
the civilized world of his day. With the spread of his kingdom came the spread
of his language—Greek. Soon, all the known world used Greek as the common
language. Wherever one traveled, people could communicate in Greek. So, when
Jesus came into the world, he met a world that shared a common language. This
is why the New Testament was written in Greek and the Old Testament was
translated into Greek. The heavenly Father used Alexander’s kingdom to prepare
the world for the Savior’s birth. It was the fullness of time.
6.
At Alexander’s
death, his empire began to crumble. Four of his generals struggled for control
of various parts of the kingdom. Wars and conflicts were everywhere. But then,
in 63 BC, control was won by the newest world power—Rome. Soon, Roman rule brought
together the divided kingdom. This new, unified empire needed to be counted, a
census taken, and it was this census that brought Joseph and Mary to their
ancestral town, the place the Messiah was to be born, the little town of
Bethlehem. What’s more, in this Roman Empire
travel was easy and safe. Law and order ruled the land. This was called the Pax Romana—the Roman peace.
Due to such peace, Jesus, as well as his disciples who followed after him,
could travel freely to spread the Gospel. Jesus could accomplish so much in his
three shorts years of ministry. His disciples could soon start new churches all
over the Roman empire. Surely the heavenly Father used Rome’s temporal peace to
spread the news of his eternal peace. It was the fullness of time.
7.
The Roman ruler Caesar Augustus commissioned workers
to build a network of military roads from one end of the kingdom to the other. Such
building projects could only take place in a time of peace. These roads
provided easy access to all corners of the Roman Empire, ensuring speed of
travel. But these were also the roads Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to
Bethlehem. And how wonderful that later these roads, built for a military and
economic kingdom, should be the pathways used by the messengers of God’s
kingdom of peace. How difficult would it have been to travel for Peter, Paul,
and all the others if not for these roads? Surely the heavenly Father used
Roman roads for his purposes. It was the fullness of time.
8.
After the fall of
Israel, God’s people were scattered all over the Assyrian and then Babylonian
and then Persian empires. This was done to conform them into the culture of
their conquerors. They had to find a way to keep their faith alive. It was at
this time that these scattered peoples, each in their own area, began the
synagogues. The very name synagogue means “the
gathering together.” Here in these synagogues, the Hebrew Scriptures (the
Old Testament) were studied. Here in these synagogues was kept alive the hope
for the Messiah. Now, here is a question for you. Where was it that Jesus and
his disciples after him first went to share the Gospel of the Messiah who had
come? It was to these synagogues spread all over the civilized world. It was in
these places that the Gospel message first took shape into the Christian
Church.. Surely the heavenly Father used the dispersions (which were meant to
destroy Israel) to spread the Good News of the Savior of Israel and the entire
world. It was the fullness of time.
9.
The good news for
us is this: in days past and even today, it is the fullness of time. Our loving
God is the Lord of time and history. Our times are in his almighty hands. Here
we find great comfort for our lives today, whatever faces us. If our heavenly
Father can use the kingdoms and events of world history to accomplish his purposes,
surely he can use the events in our lives today to care for us and to
accomplish his will for us. We have a mighty and loving God. Our times are in
his hands. Even when our eyes can’t see it, our spiritual eyes can see: God
will take care of us. God’s lordship over time and his timing in our lives is
for our good. But there is more.
10.
St. Paul tells
us, “While we were still weak, at the
right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). In Jesus, almighty God
took time for us. In Jesus, almighty God broke into time and at the cross
defeated sin, death, and the devil. And he did this for us! We who by nature
have no time for God, who are too busy not only for our own sons but for his,
too, who time and time again rebel against him, who deserve his eternal wrath,
instead receive his love and mercy. God tells us through the prophet Isaiah, “In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my
face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Is
54:8). This is the timeless message of Christmas!
11.
Luke 2 says, “And it came to pass in those days, that
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all
went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was,
that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be
delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son” (Lk 2:1–7 KJV).
12.
Christmas reminds
us that God is the Lord of time. He uses time and history and the events of our
lives for his eternal purposes. In Christ Jesus, he has taken time for us. We’re
invited this day to slow down and receive anew his Christmas gifts of love,
mercy, and forgiveness. He invites us to entrust our lives and times to him. It’s about time. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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