When the Fullness of Time Came

When the Fullness of Time Came

“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.” (Gal. 4:4–5)

In these few verses, Christmas is explained with more clarity than most people realize. Let’s consider what this passage tells us about Christ, His mission, and what His coming means for us.

1. Jesus Came at the Perfect Time

Paul begins: “When the fullness of time had come…” God was not late. God was not scrambling. God was not responding to an emergency. He had set the exact moment when Christ would enter the world.

Humanity had waited a long time. Adam and Eve were told that one day a child of the woman would crush the serpent. Abraham was promised a descendant through whom all nations would be blessed. David was promised a Son who would sit on his throne forever. Prophets like Isaiah foretold a virgin birth and a righteous King. Generation after generation waited—but God had not forgotten.

And then, on an ordinary night in a small town called Bethlehem, the moment arrived. God’s perfect timing collided with human history. The fullness of time came, and the world changed forever.

2. Jesus Is Fully Divine

Paul writes, “God sent forth His Son.” Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. He did not come into existence at the virgin birth. He is the eternal Son of God—coequal, coeternal, and consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit.

The baby Mary held was the Creator of the universe. For the first time in human history, a person could look into the face of God. What had been impossible became reality: the invisible God became visible in the face of His Son.

This is why we sing. This is why we rejoice. This is why we celebrate. Christmas isn’t merely the birth of a special child; it is the arrival of the eternal God in human flesh.

3. Jesus Is Fully Human

Next Paul says He was “born of a woman.”

That simple phrase carries enormous weight. The eternal Son truly became man. Not simply appearing human. Not borrowing a body. Not pretending. He was born like every one of us. He grew, ate, slept, wept, laughed, felt fatigue, knew joy, and endured sorrow. He experienced the full range of humanity—yet without sin.

He had no earthly biological father. His conception was by the Holy Spirit, ensuring that He was truly human and truly holy. He entered our world the same way we did—through a mother’s womb—yet He entered without the stain that marks every other human born.

Fully God. Fully man. This is the mystery and glory of the incarnation.

4. Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law

Paul adds another crucial detail: “born under the law.”
Jesus placed Himself under the same demands we are all under. But unlike us, He never broke God’s law—not in thought, word, motive, or behavior.

He is the only One who ever perfectly loved God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. The only One who ever truly loved His neighbor as Himself. The only One whose life matched God’s standard perfectly.

Why is this important? Because He obeyed where Adam failed. He obeyed where we fail. His obedience is the righteousness we desperately need—and He earned it in flesh like ours.

5. Jesus Came to Redeem and Adopt Us

Why did Jesus come? Paul tells us plainly:

“…to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

We are lawbreakers. We are guilty. We cannot undo our sin or escape its consequences. Jesus came to redeem—to buy us back at the cost of His own blood. But redemption is only half the joy. He didn’t just forgive our debt; He brought us into God’s family.

Through Christ, the Judge becomes our Father. The guilty become sons and daughters. Slaves become heirs.

This is the heart of Christmas:
The Son of God became a man so that men and women could become the sons and daughters of God.

6. The Spirit Seals What the Son Accomplished

Paul finishes by saying that God has also sent “the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”

Christmas is not just about a manger. It is about a miracle inside the human heart. The same God who sent His Son into the world sends His Spirit into believers—producing new birth, new identity, and new intimacy with God.

We don’t just say “Father” from a distance. We cry “Abba” with the confidence of loved children.

The fullness of time has come. Christ has come. And He came so that you may live.