God’s timing is perfect
NOVEMBER 14, 2007 (WEDNESDAY) – The phrase, “The Fullness of Time,”
(Galatians 4:4) has established its place in our Christian vocabulary.
It refers to the historical period when God entered the stream of
human history through the birth of Jesus Christ. Everything had
been made ready.
It was indeed the right time for Jesus to be born, to share His
teachings through word and deed, and to accomplish the one great
redemptive act of history: his death, burial and resurrection.
Why was it the right time? Several reasons are clear:
1. It was a time of high hope for the appearance of a Messiah.
Historically, the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New
Testament were drawing to a close. The people had returned from
captivity, purged from idolatry, with hearts that longed for God. This
“interbiblical period” was marked by domination from Persia, Greece
and Rome. Each of these great empires had ruled the world, but the
Jews kept longing for independence, which they had for a lengthy
period under the Maccabees as the Greek empire gave way to the
massive power of Rome. The Jews of the First Century, oppressed
by Rome, were longing for the kind of independence and freedom
they had enjoyed under the Maccabees. Jesus was born at a
time when the people were hoping and praying for a strong leader.
There was a feeling that something good was about to happen.
2. It was a time when the world had been providentially prepared for the
gospel and its spread to non-Jews. Greek was the common language
throughout the civilized world. The Jewish Bible (our Old Testament)
had been translated into Greek, in a volume known as the Septuagint.
So virtually everyone in the world spoke the same language and
the Bible (Old Testament) had been translated into that language.
The Romans’ enforced peace and their great system of roads
combined to make mission work possible. Dispersion of persecuted
Jews had resulted in establishment of synagogues in major cities
everywhere, and they afforded an opportunity to share the gospel with
“the Jew first (Romans 1:16).” In city after city, people in a synagogue
heard the missionaries speak and those who believed formed the
nucleus of a Christian church.
3. It was a time when the world was focused on faith. The rise of groups
such as the Pharisees reflected the great interest in Judaism at the
time. A great hunger for God had been created, but religion had not
fed that hunger; the people, therefore, flocked to hear Jesus because
he spoke to the needs in their hearts and lives.
“In the fullness of time, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4).” The hand of
God in history, enabling the establishment and spread of the gospel, is
clear. There was never a better time for the Christ to appear. God’s
timing is always perfect.