READ | Luke 2:1-14
Galatians chapter four, verse four tells us, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son." With those simple words, the apostle Paul sums up much of the Old Testament. The fullness of time refers to all of God’s preparations for sending Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins. The Father’s hand was organizing world events to bring about the most powerful incident ever. The story of Christ’s coming is the story of human history.
Pleased by Noah’s faithfulness, God saved his family from the worldwide flood. That preserved the Messianic line through Shem (Genesis 7:13; Luke 3:23-38). Later, after the Israelites made it to the Promised Land, they ended up losing it. Eventually the Persian king Cyrus defeated their Babylonian captors and allowed the Jewish people to rebuild Jerusalem.
With Alexander the Great’s conquest of the known world, the Greek language spread, giving people a common tongue. More time passed, and the Roman conquests ushered in a new era of peace. Traveling became easier as good roads were built, and the seas were safe to sail.
Then, when the time was right, Jesus Christ was born. He would be crucified and resurrected in the rebuilt city. His Gospel could be shared in a common language and carried to faraway countries.
We think we do a lot to plan for Christmas. We pale against the preparations for the first Christmas. While you are busy shopping, hanging ornaments and such, remember what really went into preparing for Christmas.
Michael