I was at a Christmas Eve service last night, where the pastor referred to Galatians 4:4-5 as "the Christmas story." I had never heard a passage outside of the gospels talked about as the Christmas story before, but as I read the verses, it made perfect sense. Granted, there are not the same details and elaboration as there are in the gospels, but the basic elements of the story are there - God sending his Son to earth to be born as a human, for the purpose of rescuing man. That really is the Christmas story!
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."
Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)
What I liked even more from his short message was his choice to emphasize the first aspect of the verse, a part of the whole story that we often don't consider - "...when the fullness of time had come..." The New English Translation says, "...when the appropriate time had come...," and the New Living Translation says, " ...when the right time had come..." All of these give us the indication that all of history had led up to this point and this was the exact, right time for Jesus to come to earth. It was the turning point in history that all of creation had been waiting for and God decided that this was the perfect time. It could not have happened sooner and it could not wait any longer. This was the time, and Mary and Joseph were the right people for God to use.
In a similar way, looking at the other end of Jesus' earthly ministry, Romans 5:6 says, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (ESV)
Again, here is the idea that everything in history had been laid out and prepared for that moment. When Jesus died on the cross, that was the perfect time, the only possible time, for that to happen so that the whole purpose of history would be fulfilled and understood in the way that God intended. Of course, Jesus' birth had to happen at the perfect time, for his death to also happen at the perfect time.
That is how much God is in control! That is how perfect God's timing is!
That being said, I can't imagine how horrible the timing must have seemed to Mary and Joseph. It wasn't like they could go around telling everyone that the reason Mary was pregnant was not because of Joseph, but because of the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure many would have bought their explanation that Mary was carrying the promised Messiah. I mean they could have tried that, but I'm thinking it probably would not have worked out so well. People thinking you are crazy does not do much to take away their impression that you are immoral. If Mary and Joseph could have chosen their timing, I'm sure the story would have taken on a different look. But this was not about them and how they wanted to see things happen. This was about God's timing and his way of doing things. Part of the power of the story is that Mary and Joseph came to understand and accept that their "right" time was not God's right time and, God's timing is always perfect!
In the past few months, in my role as a leader in our church and as a teacher at my school, there have been some frustrations and disappointments. There are things that I have perceived to be "bad" timing, and the "bad" timing of events has caused me a considerable degree of challenge, grief, sadness, frustration and even anger. For some things, I can't imagine that there would ever be a "good" time. But as I am contemplating the pastor's wise words and reading more scripture about God's way of doing things, I am beginning to understand that everything that has happened the past few months has happened in God's perfect time. I don't really know why it was the perfect time (and I may never know) but I do know that God's timing is always perfect. Who am I to question God?
There are constantly things happening to us that seem like they are happening at inopportune times. We often feel as though we could have come up with a better plan. But I am reminded of the words of J. Vernon McGee, when he said, "This is God's universe, and God does things his way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe." Of course, we only think we have a better way and God not only does things his way, but he does things perfectly. So no matter how bad I think his timing is, the reality is that his timing in my life is just as perfect as his timing in the lives of Mary and Joseph. If I show myself to be faithful, whatever is happening around me will somehow fit precisely into his intricate plans for me and every other faithful servant of Christ. He is God after all, and he is in control.
Sometimes I forget that and need to be reminded!
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