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Galatians 4:4-5 - Some Christmas Thoughts.

Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT) But when the right 
time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, 
subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom 
for us who were slaves to the law, so that he 
could adopt us as his very own children. 

COMMENTARY PEARLS

An Appointment with Planet Earth
   When you open your Christmas presents, 
most likely youll get something youre 
excited about. But that which is new today can 
become old in two or three weeks. 
   Someone has said that familiarity breeds 
contempt, but I think more often it breeds 
indifference. 
   We can become like that toward the 
message of Christmas. Lets try to put ourselves 
in Bethlehem two thousand years ago and imagine 
the impact of this message. From Genesis on, we 
read about angels, prophets, and messages from 
God that came in rapid succession. But prior to 
the arrival of Jesus, there were four hundred 
years of silence from Heaven. 
   But then angels broke that silence when 
the angel Gabriel came to tell Zacharias that he 
and his wife, Elizabeth, would be the parents of 
John the Baptist. Later, the angels announced the 
birth of Jesus Himself. This was a significant 
event that changed world history and all of 
humanity. 
   Lukes gospel is very specific in 
pointing out certain facts, so well have a 
historical basis to understand when this actually 
happened. Luke mentions the emperor Caesar Augustus 
and Quirinius, the governor of Syria. 
   He wants us to know this was a real event 
that happened in history rather than a fairy tale 
that he invented. Luke is telling us that this is 
a historical event that happened in real 
time. 
   Interestingly, the story of Jesus is not 
a rags-to-riches story; its a 
riches-to-rags story. He gave up everything to come to us. 
   Galatians 4 tells us, But when the 
right time came, God sent his Son, born of a 
woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy 
freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that 
he could adopt us as his very own children 
(verses 4"5 NLT). 
   The message of Christs birth is that 
He came to bring hope, healing, and salvation 
to us. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

No Time for God?
   The birth of Jesus Christ divided human 
time. Rome had established control over much of 
the world at this point. The Pax Romana, a 
period of peace during the Roman Empire, was a time 
of brutal peace. The Romans cared most about 
two things: submission to Rome and a steady flow 
of wealth into Roman coffers. 
   But with the absence of war, many people 
were rediscovering art, literature, and 
philosophy, and they were asking questions. They were 
talking about human destiny and the meaning of life. 
 
   When the right time came, the Bible 
says, God sent his Son, born of a woman, 
subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for 
us who were slaves to the law, so that he could 
adopt us as his very own children (Galatians 
4:4-5 NLT). 
   Caesar Augustus thought he was a powerful 
man, and he was, but he also was a pawn in the 
hand of God Almighty. Thats because history is 
His story. Thus, God moved Augustus to 
accomplish His purposes, reminding us that God is in 
control. He is sovereign over all nations and over 
all people. 
   The Bible says, The kings heart is 
like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he 
guides it wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1 
NLT). God can move the heart of a king, queen, 
prime minister, president, senator, congressman, 
or CEO. God will accomplish His purposes. 
   Augustus thought that by ordering a 
census, he would have greater control over the 
world. But in the end, all he did was run an errand 
for God. 
   The Lord needed Mary and Joseph in 
Bethlehem because Scripture prophesied, But you, O 
Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among 
all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, 
whose origins are in the distant past, will come 
from you on my behalf (Micah 5:2 NLT). 
   Joseph and Mary made the ninety-mile 
journey to Bethlehem for the census that Augustus 
decreed. We like to imagine scenes of Joseph and Mary 
silhouetted against a full moon on such a beautiful 
night. But the reality is that it was a very 
difficult and dangerous journey, especially for a 
woman in the ninth month of her pregnancy. 
   You would have hoped the hardships would 
have ended when they finally arrived in 
Bethlehem. But the Bible says, There was no room for 
them in the inn (Luke 2:7 NKJV). This 
doesnt vilify the innkeeper (if there was indeed an 
innkeeper); it simply presents him for who he was: a man 
who was preoccupied and busy. You would have 
thought he could have found it in his heart to make 
room for a woman who was ready to give birth at 
any moment. But he sent Joseph and Mary to a 
barn, or more likely a cave, where the Savior of 
the world was born. 
   There are people today who are just like 
this innkeeper. They dont have any time in 
their lives for God. But we had better make room 
for Him. As the Christmas hymn Joy to the 
World reminds us, Let every heart prepare Him 
room. Make time for Him today. [Greg Laurie from 
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/