Galatians 4:1-7
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
We want what we want, and we want what we want right when we want it. But God has a time for everything. When the time is right, things work; and when it is not the right time, things don’t work. God’s timing was at work in the arrival of Jesus. St. Paul tells us that Jesus came in “...the fullness of time...”—that is to say, at exactly the right time.
The Messiah had been promised for generations. Adam and Eve looked for Him. The patriarchs looked for Him. The entire history of Israel, understood rightly, was the history of a people waiting for the Savior. But only God knew when He would come. While they waited, God gave them signs to remind them of the coming One and of all He would accomplish. The annual Passover celebration pointed forward to the full redemption Jesus would bring just as much as it pointed back to the saving acts of God in Egypt. But many lost sight of the forward look of the Passover and saw it merely as an historical event to be remembered each year.
Before Jesus came, there were a number of self-anointed “messiahs” that arose in Israel. The children of Israel wanted their Messiah so badly that an ambitious charlatan could pretend to be the One, and many would follow Him. But Jesus finally did come! That is what we now celebrate. He came. He lived among us. He died in our place and for our sins. We can speculate on the reasons behind God’s timing. Scholars and preachers have been doing so for centuries. But the time was right because that was the determination of God. The time was just right to send Jesus.
The Epistle describes a mystery, something we could never consider except that God has revealed it to us. Jesus was born of a woman so that He could be born “under the law.” Because Jesus was born of Mary in human flesh, He was obligated, like all men, to keep the Law of God. The same promises and curses applied: promises if He kept the whole Law; curses if He were to sin and break that Law. The promise, for those who keep it, is life without end. The curse is death and hell for those who break it.
Before Jesus came, all were slaves of sin. Because He died for us, all are forgiven, and life eternal is poured out for all. The means appointed to grasp this forgiveness and life is faith. St. John said, “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” Those who received Him are those who believed in His name. And St. Paul says that Jesus became man and placed himself under the Law “to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons.” We are adopted to become the children of God in the waters of Holy Baptism. When God says it is so, it is so.
And all of this happened at just the right time. That is what Paul says here. And so, God’s goodness to us should comfort us in every situation; His timing should help us face the uncertainties of life. There are always things we want right now, but God will give us what is best for us when the time is right. He would have us learn to trust Him, and not worry. He knows our needs; He knows our desires and whether or not they are good for us. And when the time is right, He will bless us with everything we need.
We may be tempted to wonder when some blessing will come. We may even worry about when our Lord Jesus Himself will return. God tells us about His timing so that we will be comforted and not worry about it. He wants us to trust Him, to live faithfully as His holy people. The “when” is not up to us. God will cause all things to happen as He has planned them when the time is right. If it were up to us, our congregation would grow in faithful membership and be financially stable. But congregations do not grow according to our plans or our timing; the timing belongs to God. Growth and success for our congregations is not our worry; it is God’s. What God has given us is to be His faithful people: to love one another, to stand firmly on the truth of His Word, and to share that hope we have in Him as He gives us opportunity.
And as to when our Lord will return, when He will take us home with Him—that is in His hands, as well. It cannot come too soon, nor can it arrive too late. It will happen the same way as the birth of Jesus did: at just the right time. While we wait, we can be sure that we will face the temptation to give up on God’s timing. Things around us will often look very bad, and we might get awfully uncomfortable as we wait. But God’s promises are clear and sure. His return will take place at just the right time.
Trust in God, and do not worry. He will bring all things to fruition at just the right time. He will bless you with just the right blessings. He will feed you with His holy body and precious blood; He will fill up your ears and heart with His Word; He will bring to pass all the good He has planned for you. Jesus came to Bethlehem at just the right time. He will bless you, each blessing when the time is right. And He will come again in glory to take you home with Him at just the right time. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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