The Right Place at the Right Time
(Galatians 4:4-5)
1. We noticed in previous weeks that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy. He was born in the right place.
2. A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead.
He was pretty upset about this but he didn’t say anything to the director. During all the rehearsals he thought what he might do the night of performance to get even with this rival who got to be Joseph. Finally, the night of the performance, Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage. They knocked on the door of the inn, and the inn-keeper opened the door and asked them gruffly what they wanted.
Joseph answered, "We’d like to have a room for the night." Suddenly the inn-keeper threw the door open wide and said, "Great, come on in and I’ll give you the best room in the house!"
For a few seconds poor little Joseph didn’t know what to do. Thinking quickly on his feet, he looked inside the door past the inn-keeper then said, "No wife of mine is going to stay in dump like this. Come on, Mary, let’s go to the barn." -And once again the play was back on track! [Source: Sermon Central, Robert Leroe]
Main Idea: When God provided His Son on Christmas and throughout his earthly life, God did it right. No surprises, no failures, no forgotten details.
I. The Right Time (4a)
• Some people are always late: my friend Dan
A. Messiah’s Coming Not CONDITIONAL
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a-b): “The world will continue for six thousand years, the first two thousand of which were a chaos (Tahu), the second two thousand were of Torah, and the third two thousand are the days of the Messiah, and because of our sins many years of these have elapsed, and still he has not come.” Rodkinson, Michael L. (2009-06-01). The Babylonian Talmud, all 20 volumes (mobi) (Kindle Locations 61483-61486). MobileReference. Kindle Edition.
B. Planned and REVEALED in Advance
Daniel 9:25-26, “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.”
C. God Had COORDINATED the Details
1. Pax Romana
2. Greek language
3. Star in the constellation of Leo
Application: Solomon says: a time for a variety of experiences in life. Sometimes laced with difficulty, heartache, disappointment. Sometimes, joy blessing.
II. The Right MESSIAH (4b)
A. Divine: the SON “sent forth”
B. Human: The Woman’s SEED “born”
Genesis 3:15 (spoken to Satan, the serpent): “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Yeshua is called the “firstborn of all creation.” What does that mean?
• Refers to his human nature
• Firstborn does not mean born first, but most highly honored/privileged
Speaking of false Messiahs, Jesus said: “All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”
Application: Which Jesus do you believe in?
III. The Right RELIGION and Nationality (4c)
A. “Born under the Law” Meant He Was a JEW
John 4:22 makes it clear that Jesus (Yeshua) considered himself a Jew as he speaks to the woman at the well,: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”
B. Descendent of Abraham, Israel, Judah, and DAVID
Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
C. He obeyed the Law perfectly in our STEAD
The Jewish Messiah is Savior of world. People all over celebrate Christmas with ham.
IV. The Right REDEMPTION (5-6)
A. He redeemed us from relating to God on the basis of LAW
B. His death atones and makes us God’s adopted SONS
1. The idea of being a son includes being an HEIR
• Ancient Greek/Mideast: Child reared, adopted when an adult
2. Adoption occurs at REGENERATION
C. We relate to God by His Spirit as our ABBA (6)
1. The Holy Spirit has recreated us
2. Note all 3 Persons of the Trinity: God(the Father) sends forth the Son and then sends forth the Spirit
3. In Roman Law, a third party had to witness the transaction; thus the Holy Spirit serves as a witness of our adoption…
4. Abba comes from Ab or Av, father (Abraham, “Father of Many” e.g,)
CONCLUSION
1. Whether you have a family or not, Christmas is a family time for the believer.
2. Jesus is our brother, when we turn from our sin and embrace him, he gives us the gift of eternal life, we are adopted into God’s family as sons and heirs, and God now becomes our Abba.
3. So when you read God’s Word, you are reading about family. When you celebrate Christmas, you are celebrating a family birthday. Merry Christmas!
