Galatians 4:4-5
The Gospel
I want to speak to you this morning on the greatest treasure, the gospel. Most
know that our Bible has four books in it which give us the gospel, Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John.
Paul doesn’t write a gospel; but he does write a set of summary verses that gives
us the gospel. Think of that, two verses which accurately summarize what four
writers took many chapters to give us. We are reading those verses now.
Let’s consider those thoughts this morning.
I. The Time-Jesus came at the right time.
A. This statement is telling us that when Jesus came into the world, He
was coming in God’s own time.
B. The Bible says of Jesus that He came when the time was full.
1. Generally speaking, that means that Jesus came when the time was
right.
a. Many take that to mean that God chose the best possible time
for Jesus to come.
b. By that, they mean a time when the world was…
…somewhat unified under Roman rule,
…had developed some reasonable means of transportation
(including the famous Roman roads),
…and had a universal language (Greek).
2. However, we should note that anytime for God is the right time.
a. Perhaps the time when Jesus came was a good time but I don’t
think the Almighty God was sitting up in heaven waiting for
mankind to develop empires, roads, and languages so that
the coming of Jesus could be optimized.
b. God could set up those kinds of conditions and even better
conditions whenever He desired.
3. To me, the wording seems to be giving a more ominous message.
C. The word for FULL means to be filled, to be complete, to reach
capacity.
1. The use of that word seems to indicate Something in the scope of
God’s eternity was reaching its capacity.
a. It almost sounds like there was an urgency or a need to
Christ’s coming; as if Jesus did not come when He did,
something would spill over.
b. Let me hastily say that I do not know that to be the case.
2. However, I wonder, if it were possible that God’s limit of mercy
was about to be reached.
a. Often, I have thought of God’s wrath as a pot about to boil
over.
b. We know that God’s mercy had kept God from pouring that
cauldron of judgment upon the world.
3. Have you ever asked yourself how God did that? What exactly does
mercy do to the justice of God?
a. Mercy does not remove the wrath or justice of God.
(1) Some seem to think that mercy is a ladle that reaches into
the cauldron of wrath and dips some out.
(2) Nothing that was done before Jesus’ death ever removed,
reduced, or redacted a single sin.
b. I would speculate that mercy must enlarge the cauldron..
(1) That is, mercy allows God to hold onto more of the wrath
that is to come.
(2) Nothing of old abated or removed sin. Every sin must be
paid for.
(3) Mercy just made a bigger pot.
4. Regardless of how mercy works, we should know that God’s mercy has
limits.
a. Ask Noah’s (flood), Isaiah (Assyrian captivity), Jeremiah,
Daniel, or Ezekiel (Babylon captivity).
b. They will tell you that God’s mercy will run out.
5. If there was no method of removing the sins of mankind, I wonder
if God’s mercy might not have been reaching its limit?
a. Perhaps God’s cauldron of justice was about full and there
would be no more enlargement.
b. If so, the whole human race may have been but a hair’s breadth
from total annihilation.
6. When Jesus came, He something that had never been done before.
a. He removed sin.
b. The sins which are put under the blood of Jesus Christ are
not hide, covered, or shelved. They are gone.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace;
c. This is what forgiveness is.
(1) Forgiveness is a sin being brought before God and being
dealt with.
(2) The judgment for that sin is placed upon Jesus Christ.
(3) In so doing, that sin and its judgment are finished.
(4) There is nothing to go into the cauldron of justice for
the sin is paid for and forever forgotten.
d. This was something that had never been done before.
II. The Curse-Jesus came under the Law.
A. That statement doesn’t mean very much to us for we are not under the
Law; but if we had to live under it, it would certainly mean
something to us.
B. To be under the Law means that you are measured and judged by the Law.
1. The law sets a high standard.
a. To break any Law, no matter how seemingly small the infraction
might be, was to be guilty of breaking all of the Law.
b. Hence the standard was perfection.
2. The penalties were stiff—often death.
3. No earthly human has ever been able to keep all of the Law.
C. Jesus came and lived under this curse.
1. Hence, Jesus had to be absolutely perfect.
2. He had to keep all of the laws of God.
3. Even more, Jesus had to keep the spirit of all of the laws.
D. Hollywood likes to make their blasphemous movies and authors like
to write their blasphemous books; but if Jesus committed any sin—
no matter how small…
1. …then He could not be the Savior.
2. …and He could not be God.
3. …and if He were God, the very fabric of time and space as we
know it, would come apart at the seams, for the God we know would
cease to exist.
III. The Plan-Jesus came of a woman.
A. "made of a woman" the Bible says.
1. This is a reference to the incarnation of Jesus.
2. Jesus is God, but not God alone. He is God and Man.
B. This makes Jesus the One and only Who belongs to both worlds.
1. Jesus understands completely sin, justice, and mercy; for He is
God.
2. At the same time, Jesus understands weakness, temptation, grief,
and loss; for He is Man.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.
C. The fact that Jesus was made of a woman, gives Him several abilities:
1. He can identify with mankind’s weakness.
a. Jesus understands hunger, weariness, "a day long and a dollar
short."
2. He can experience mankind’s emotions.
a. Jesus understands brokenness. Have you not read how Jesus wept
at the grave of Lazarus?
b. Jesus understood loss. Have you know read of His reaction to
hearing that John the Baptist had been beheaded?
c. Jesus understood anger. Have you not read how gazed upon the
people with anger when they would have refused Him the right
to heal a man who had a withered hand?
3. He can be tempted.
4. He can die.
5. He can be victorious.
IV. The Point-Jesus came to redeem mankind.
A. I have already mentioned that Jesus’ coming and death gave the ability
to have sin removed.
1. However. God was not satisfied with us merely giving us that
ability.
2. His stated purpose in coming was to effect that goal.
3. Jesus came to REDEEM mankind, to bring them out from under the
curse of the Law.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost,
until he find it?
Ezekiel 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was
driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that
which was sick….
B. Christians need to understand the concept of the word REDEEM.
1. You will notice that the word begins with the letters R-E.
2. That prefix on a word means "again."
a. REpeat means to do some action AGAIN.
b. REturn means to go AGAIN to a location.
c. REpent means to go return AGAIN to a state of humility and
obedience.
3. To be redeemed means to be purchased AGAIN.
a. We are already God’s because He is our Maker.
b. As Maker, God is also our Owner.
c. As Maker and Owner, God is our Master.
d. Sadly, sin entered and separated us from God, thus damning us
to hell.
e. Yet, God’s Son, paid the price for sin—His life—that we might
AGAIN be God’s and AGAIN be in fellowship with Him.
4. This was and is the purpose of Jesus’ coming.
A gathering of friends at an English estate nearly turned to tragedy when one of
the children strayed into deep water. The gardener heard the cries for help,
plunged in, and rescued the drowning child. That youngster’s name was Winston
Churchill. His grateful parents asked the gardener what they could do to reward
him. He hesitated, then said, "I wish my son could go to college someday and
become a doctor." "We’ll see to it," Churchill’s parents promised.
Years later, while Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken
with pneumonia. The country’s best physician was summoned. His name was Dr.
Alexander Fleming, the man who discovered and developed penicillin. He was also
the son of that gardener who had saved young Winston from drowning. Later
Churchill remarked, "Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person."
Ron Hutchcraft, Wake Up Calls, Moody, 1990, p. 22.
C. There is no human being on this planet now, in the past, or in the
future, whom God will force to be saved. However, there is not one
whom God has not sought after with diligence and invited to Himself.
1. Friend, Jesus came for you.
2. Reject Him if you wish, but He came for you.
3. Had you been the only one on this planet that needed Him, I believe
He still would have come for you.
D. Each person needs to understand exactly what is required for you to be
redeemed (saved).
1. You must believe who Jesus is and what Jesus did.
2. You must surrender yourself to Him.
V. The Conclusion-Jesus came that we might be adopted into God’s family.
A. But Jesus’ plan was not merely to save us. He wants to save us then
place us into His family.
1. Adoption-What a beautiful word!
2. The idea to the word is to take someone who is missing the most
essential and important element of life—a family—and give them
one.
a. A human might make it in life without a job, without money,
and without good health, but it is doubtful that they will
make it without family.
b. God has created us so that in both in the earliest days and
the last days of our lives, we need family.
c. The fact of the matter is that without someone to help us, we
would live long enough to be able to take care of ourselves.
d. I don’t mean to knock nurses, hospitals, or nursing homes; but
nobody will take care of you like family will.
B. Jesus’ ultimate plan is to make us a part of His family.
1. I don’t know that much about adoption, but as far as I know, it is
not possible to adopt someone without making them an heir.
2. I suppose you can write a will that excludes a person, but it is
a work you must undertake to do; for by nature, an adoption gives
to the adoptee that which the father has.
3. Jesus did not come just to remove our sins.
4. He came to make us a part of His family.
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