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Galatians 4:4-But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Michael (not his real name) sat across from me at a local coffee shop, where we had been contemplating the Good News of Jesus.
My friend had been an avowed atheist for several years when we had first met. Having been indoctrinated in the theory of Darwinian evolution and not having been taught the overwhelming scientific case for a Creator, Michael had also been plagued by several tragedies in his young life. Later, I had the privilege of baptizing him into Christ, and we were talking about the amazing providence of God in his life.
Michael explained to me that if he had met me just a short time sooner, he would not have been receptive to the truth of the Gospel. He told me that it was only because of the circumstances that he had undergone (from beginning to realize the cracks in Darwinian evolution, to struggles with addiction, and to the death of a beloved family member) which made him receptive to considering the case for Christ that led him to redemption.
In essence, he told me that he was able to see the Lord allowing the difficult things in his life to happen in order to help prepare him for the truth of Jesus.
In the same way, Paul discusses in Galatians how Jesus came into the world at just the right moment. The phrase “fullness of the time” was a phrase that referred to a child who had come to maturity and was ready to be recognized as an adult. The phrase thus denotes that Christ arrived at the perfect time, when the world was most prepared for Him.
One former atheist-turned-Christian, J Warner Wallace, discusses how Jesus came to Earth at just the right time. Consider what he says regarding this subject:
“So why all the interest in ancient non-Christian history?” asked Susie as I finished dressing for work. “I’m trying to figure out why Jesus appeared when he did,” I responded. “I’ve always wondered about that too,” added Susie. “If Jesus is God, he could’ve come whenever he wanted, right? Why not come in the time of Moses? Or much later in history, maybe when we had the ability to tell the world about him on the internet?” “Well, if he’s not God, it wouldn’t really matter when he arrived.” I was a long way from believing in God or considering Christianity as something that mattered. I still saw Jesus as either a work of fiction or a typical ancient sage. But Susie’s questions rang in my ears for several weeks after our conversation, despite my initial response. Was there an aspect of ancient history—a strand of the “Jesus fuse”—that would identify Jesus as more than an average ancient and explain why he came when he did?…Had Jesus arrived at this point in history (prior to 3500 BCE), complex concepts involving his nature and teaching would have been impossible to communicate in writing. Worse yet, the tablets would have been incredibly fragile, given the nature of clay. But another advance in writing technology would solve at least one of these problems. By 3000 BCE, the development of simplified cuneiforms allowed writers to communicate concepts by adding phonograms (symbols for vowels and syllables) to the communication palette.3 This allowed writers to better express themselves, but their surfaces (clay tablets) were still fragile and temporary. That all changed when the ancients began using papyrus. The Egyptians can be credited with this communication advance, as they were the first to use papyrus (a writing material made from a reed that grows around the Nile River). Around the same time that cuneiform writing emerged, Egyptians began pressing strips of papyrus at right angles, and this naturally bonding material, once it was exported, became the most popular writing material of the ancient Greek and Roman world. Papyrus, unlike clay tablets, could travel safely…. Had Jesus arrived at this point in history (around 1050 BCE), even with these advances in writing technology, it still would have been difficult to communicate the truth about him across the known world. While the Phoenician alphabet was well established, most humans on the planet didn’t use it. But other alphabets were on their way…. The Romans exported another important communication tool in addition to an alphabet: the Greek language. Even though the Romans had conquered much of the region, the linguistic legacy of the Greeks still overshadowed the culture. A common form of this language, known as Koine Greek,5 dominated trade and civic interactions throughout the empire. Even the Jews used it to speak to Gentiles. Only at this point in history—once the Roman Empire had adopted the Etruscan-modified Greek alphabet, embraced Koine Greek as a common language, and adopted the use of papyrus—could the message of Jesus be effectively communicated with a shared language and letters. Had Jesus arrived prior to 100 BCE, this would not have been possible…Still only a city-state, Rome did not control the entire Italian peninsula until 264 BCE. Had Jesus appeared at this point in history, his life and message (as he lived and traveled in what is now called Israel) would have been confined to the obscure language and government of the Jewish region. But the growth of the Roman Empire would soon change that…. The size of the Roman Empire allowed Jesus’s teaching to spread within its expansive borders, but it was also the power of the empire that allowed the message of Jesus to be heard…. Under Augustus, a time of Roman peace began, known as the “Pax Romana.”8 It lasted from 27 BCE to 180 CE and allowed Jews living in cities like Jerusalem to retain their culture and customs (so long as residents paid a tax known as the “Fiscus Judaicus” and obeyed the Roman laws)…. Had Jesus arrived at this point in history, his followers would still have faced the limits of transportation within nations in less-than-perfect road conditions. But as before, the Roman Empire provided a solution. As the Roman Empire grew militarily, so did its need for roads. As a result, Roman roads were widespread and usually well paved. Wherever they conquered, the Romans built long, relatively straight roads to make the movement of military equipment easier…. If Jesus had appeared during the period of history in which these empires reigned (from 2000 BCE to 30 BCE), none of these systems would have benefitted him (or his followers) beyond the limited regions each nation occupied. Once again, Rome would provide a more sophisticated solution. Augustus created a service called cursus publicus from 30 to 25 BCE. At the time of its creation, it was the most advanced system on the planet. It did more than deliver messages; it also transported officials and tax revenues from distant provinces to Rome. The network relied heavily on Rome’s superior transportation system (nearly 47,000 miles of new roads were built by Augustus and his successors) and the security and strength the Roman Empire offered. Using the Persian system of “relays,” the Romans built forts and stations on their exceptional roads, each positioned about one day’s ride apart. The cursus publicus was fast and reliable, especially compared with its predecessors.12 More importantly, the system was built to circulate information across the geographically expansive Roman Empire, with the ability to reach beyond its borders. By the time Jesus appeared on the scene, the Roman Empire was ready to transmit his message. But more importantly, their attitude toward religion would allow the teaching of Jesus to take root…. In any case, a thirty-year window of opportunity opened to spread the message of Jesus (prior to Emperor Nero’s maltreatment of Christians in 64 CE).14 And even though some Roman emperors in the years ahead would persecute Christians, others returned to a version of Roman tolerance, allowing Christianity to flourish in every region under Rome’s control. Jesus arrived at this point in human history, when the Roman Empire embraced a version of religious tolerance unique to the history of the ancient world, providing a small window of opportunity. This window allowed Jesus to preach a message his followers could communicate to the world.” (J. Warner Wallace, Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible, 10-22 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective)
Wallace summarizes:
“Any careful investigator of ancient history could also see something was about to happen in what we now call the first century. A cultural fuse was burning, preparing antiquity for whatever would eventually initiate the Common Era. The Roman Empire had unified much of the known world, adopted a popular language, provided a shared alphabet, established peace, constructed roads, developed the world’s best postal service, and embraced just enough religious tolerance to detonate an explosion. Even before the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth, it ought to have been apparent to any careful student of history that events within the Roman Empire were aligning for someone special to arrive and for something special to happen.” (J. Warner Wallace, Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible, 22 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective).
Can you see the wisdom of God in sending Jesus into the world when He did?
Can you see God’s providence at work in your life?
Like the Galatians, we need to submit to God’s plan of redemption:
Galatians 3:26-29-For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Lord, thank You for always being on time. Amen.