4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4)
Christ came at just the right time. That is the conclusion of many Bible scholars over the centuries. There was no time in human history that the spread of the good news was more possible than the heart of the Roman Empire: Greek as the common language, national borders overshadowed by the Roman Army, Roadways made smooth and save for worldwide travel. And then there was this: the concept of adoption. Jewish law and other nations had long allowed for and facilitated adoption as a way to pass on land and heritage, but the idea really came to full bloom in that day. In one sense, believers are redeemed - bought back by God, through the payment that Christ made on the cross - as if they were at one time sons, then sold into slavery, needing to be legally bought back and adopted. On the other hand, having never lived our lives like sons, this being a child of God is a whole new thing - we had lived our whole lives as slaves. But now, because Christ came at just the right time, we have full rights and privileges as His children, and we can cry out: "Joy to the World! Thank you, Father."
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