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Good evening everyone. You can turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 4. It's a delightful providence that in our studies in Galatians we come to a passage that speaks to that central epical event in the entire history of the cosmos, the incarnation of the Son of God. 

So in Galatians 4, I should say that we'll look at verse 29 from Galatians 3 last time when we were in Galatians a few weeks back. We were looking at Galatians 3 and verses 26 and following. Verse 26, 27, and 28 and we'll look at verse 29 and actually connect it with verses 6 and 7 of Galatians 4, next Lord's Day evening. 

We're now then at Galatians 4, 1 to 5, and here we have a wonderful argument that the Apostle Paul is making with respect to the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as being another argument against the Judaizing heresy that was perverting the very gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I'm gonna read Galatians 4, 1 to 7, and then we'll have a look at verses 1 to 5. Galatians 4 verse 1, the word of God. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons and Because you are sons God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out Abba father Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ Amen 

well, let's pray God, we thank you for your word. We rejoice in your truth to us. We thank you that we can gather this Lord's Day evening for the worship of the one and only living and true God, Father, Son, Spirit. We rejoice in your goodness to us. We rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Help us in this time of preaching, this time of worship. Do be with us by your Spirit, lifting us up to high thoughts of our God and glorious thoughts of our Christ. And it's in his name that we pray, amen. 

Well, just a very brief reminder of where we've been. We've been in the book of Galatians for some time now, working through Paul's defense of the doctrine of justification by faith alone against that Judaizing error, which was saying that Jesus Christ is something, but in order to be truly justified, you need to adhere to circumcision, the ceremonies of Moses, the Mosaic calendar, and those sorts of things. In other words, faith plus works in order to be saved. 

Paul calling that a curse, calling that anathema, calling it not even a gospel at all, but rather that which ought to be abhorred by God's people is coming to the Galatians with a number of different defenses or a number of different angles from which he mounts his defense for the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. 

And we get to this section now where, continuing of course from Galatians 3, we see the Apostle Paul bring the incarnation of Jesus Christ to the fore, the coming into the world of the Son of God to the fore as this point of argument that he's mounting against the Judaizers and for the joy of the Galatian churches. 

And we're simply going to look at three things this evening. First, the temporary preparatory and anticipatory nature of the Old Covenant. That's a lot of words, but we'll talk about what that means and how it captures what Paul is saying here. So the temporary, preparatory and anticipatory nature of the Old Covenant. Secondly, the appointed climax of redemptive history, which is the incarnation of the Son of God. And thirdly, the redemptive purpose of the Incarnation of the Son of God.

So first, we see this temporary, preparatory, and anticipatory nature of the Old Covenant. What does that mean? Well, kids, hopefully temporary is probably the easier of those three words. it's set in opposition to permanent, so something that isn't permanent. Something is temporary when it only lasts for a time and it's usually replaced by something else. Preparatory, to prepare something, means to make way, usually for something greater than the preparatory stage. when we set the table for dinner, the setting of the table isn't really the good thing, it's the dinner that we enjoy after the preparation of the setting of the table. So something that is preparatory is something that makes way, that sets the stage for something that is greater. And anticipatory, when we anticipate something, that usually means that the time of looking forward to that thing, which is anticipation, the anticipation of our our father coming home from work. Hopefully you have that anticipation as kids. You look forward to that event taking place.

The Old Covenant is temporary, it was for a time. It was preparatory, it prepared the stage, or it set the stage for something else, and it was anticipatory, it looked forward to greater things, and that's Paul's argument here. Against those who were seeking to find their solace in Old Covenant things, and not the one to whom the Old Covenant pointed, over and against those who were seeking to prop up the Old Covenant as permanent, as the stage set, and as that which was final, the Apostle Paul here is saying, no, these things, the Old Covenant, what he, how he uses the word the law very often in the book of Galatians. The Old Covenant was not that which was the greatest thing but rather the incarnation of the Son of God and we see this in Galatians 4 verses 1 to 3.

Notice this, the temperate, I keep wanting to say temperatory, that's not a word. The temporary Preparatory and anticipatory, that's probably the last time I'll say it, nature of the old covenant. The point being is that it was only for a time, it set the stage for something greater, and it looked forward to something greater. Notice we have this language in the text. Now I say that the heir, and what Paul does first is he uses this language of analogy. to then, in verse three, speak specifically to the temporary nature of it. Now, I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

So there's this analogy being used of the socioeconomic landscape of the day, both with the Jews and with the Greco world. the Greco-Roman world, Paul uses an analogy of a child tutor, of a child rather, under guardianship, to show that the Old Covenant was preparatory and temporary, not the final expression of God's redemptive plan. So he uses this language of a steward or a guardian, actually both, guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by the father, and then he draws the connection to the Old Covenant. So this analogy of a child under tutorship, under guardianship, under stewardship, and now the connection to the Old Covenant, even so then, verse 3, we, when we were children, not in age as adults, were once children, but under the old covenant system. When we were children, we're under bondage, we're in bondage under the elements of the world. 

Thomas writes, for a servant is one who is subject to a Lord. But a boy, as long as he is a child, because he does not have fullness of knowledge and use of free will through lack of years, is committed to the care of others who defend his possessions, and these are called tutors, and who handle his affairs, and these are called governors. Therefore, though he be lord of all his things, yet insofar as he is subject to others, he's no different than a servant, because he does not have free will, but is in fact constrained 

And this is applied to the Jewish people. So Paul uses this language of children not yet becoming to full maturation to talk about the temporary nature of the Old Covenant. And Paul's point is simply, don't put your confidence in the Old Covenant system, which was never designed to bring eternal covenant blessing. was never designed to bring the inheritance. Why would you put your confidence, Galatians being tempted by these Judaizers, why would you put your confidence in something that was never intended to convey eternal, everlasting, covenantal blessings? 

That's why there's so much weight when we get there to verse 4 with the, but when the fullness of the time had come. And Paul uses this language in verse 3 to speak of that temporary preparatory and anticipatory reality of the Old Covenant. Again, even so we, when we were children, that is under the Old Covenant, Jews under the Old Covenant, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. 

As we noted last time we met, that doesn't mean earth, fire, wind, and water. As we very often, not very often, I don't know if anybody uses that anymore, talk about the elements of the world as those four things. Paul's point isn't having to do with the natural world so much as the religious system of the Old Covenant. Notice verse 9 of Galatians 4. But now, after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements in which you desire again to be in bondage? 

Why would you put yourselves again under the elements of the world, the old covenant system, when Christ has come, the one to whom all those things pointed? Just turn, before we move on to the incarnation, turn with me to the book of Hebrews for a moment, Hebrews 9. Because there's a very connected passage here that captures the meaning of what Paul is writing to the Galatians there in Galatians 4 in Hebrews 9. 

We have Paul speaking about the elements of the world, the earthly sanctuary, earthly things. And notice what we have in verse 6 of Hebrews 9. Paul is speaking with regards to the constraints, the limits of the old covenant system, those things that were temporary. Notice in 9.6 of Hebrews. Now, when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went in to the first part of the tabernacle performing the services. But into the second part, the high priest went alone each year, once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all, was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience."

Notice this language of the beggarly elements, the elements of the world that they were in bondage under. Concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. Hopefully you can see there this until the time of reformation. Until the time of. It's temporary. It's preparatory. It's anticipating something.

The Old Covenant was concerned with foods, with drinks, with various washings, and fleshly ordinances until a particular time. And so back to Galatians 4, that particular time is verse 4, but when the fullness of the time had come, the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which we turn to now.

The Apostle Paul's point is don't put your confidence in the old covenant system, which was never designed to bring the ultimate inheritance, never designed to bring eternal covenant, covenantal blessings. Eternal covenantal blessings were communicated during the time of the old covenant, but not by virtue of that old covenant. By virtue of that greater covenant, the covenant of grace ratified when Christ came and ratified by his blood.

But we turn now to this wonderful language, the appointed climax of redemptive history. the incarnation of the Son of God, this change, this significant change that comes to view now with the but when of verse four. Remembering, verse three, that they were in bondage under the elements of the world, that is to the old covenant system, which was set up in order to anticipate the coming Christ amongst other things. It was a legal covenant, a physical covenant, a temporary covenant, a typical covenant, that pointed forward to the blessed one of verse four.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. I noted just briefly at the outset of the sermon that this is the central epical event in the entire history of the cosmos. You know, when we consider, when we ask the question why was the universe created, The answer is not because God was lonely. That's a pagan God who is lonely. God, the eternally blessed one, was not lonely, therefore he created. A better answer, though not the right one, is that he was so overflowing with love that his love spilled out and into creation. That's a better answer. It's not correct.

The creation of all things is for the purpose that the triune God would be glorified through the doing and the dying and the rising again of the Son of God and bringing many sons and daughters to glory through the perfection of his work. And so the incarnation of the Son of God, what's in view here with verse four is the blessed centrality of all of history. the coming of the Son of God into time and history. What a blessed event this is.

Every leaf that ever fell from a tree, every wave that ever crashed upon a shore, every star that ever fell from the sky all served this time when the Son of God would come into the world, sinners to save. It's not just one event among many, it's the event of events that inaugurated the obedience unto cross-death vocation of the Son of God wherein he brings many sinners to everlasting glory. And that's what we should see here in this appointed climax of redemptive history. First, the importance of this introductory phrase, but when? There's so much weight there because it's dashing to pieces any notion of the what came before. And that it should somehow endure as that which is normative for God's people.

Circumcision. All of these fastings. All of these washings. All of these drinks. All of these eatings. All of these fleshly ordinances. These things were not to continue. They never, besides, ever conveyed everlasting blessing. It was always wrapped up in this one who now comes, who now came from the vantage point of the Apostle Paul.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son. There is a glorious, glorious significance in the but when. Now is the time of fulfillment. That is the past. Now is that which is not temporary, but permanent, not preparatory, but the very stage set, not anticipatory, but the very accomplished reality that everything served.

Athanasius again with regards to this but when reality that is significantly dashing to pieces the fiction of the Jews. So the Jews are indulging in fiction and transferring present time to future When did prophet and vision cease from Israel? Was it not when Christ came, the Holy One of Holies? We could say, when did washing, when did ceremony, when did circumcision, when did all of these things cease? Was it not when Christ came, the Holy One of Holies? It is in fact a sign and notable proof of the coming of the Word, that Jerusalem no longer stands, neither is prophet raised up nor vision revealed among them, and it is natural that it should be so. For when He that was signified had come, what need was there any longer of any to signify Him? And when the truth had come, what further need was there of the shadow?" That's Paul's point.

So the importance of this introductory phrase, but when Paul is communicating a significant contrast here. In fact, in Galatians, he uses that convention one previous time. You can turn to Galatians 1 for a moment. Galatians 1. This is where Paul is recounting his pre-conversion reality seeking to destroy the Church. Notice in verse 14 of Galatians 1, Paul uses this convention, other writers do as well. Previous thing? that was there for a purpose, but now this. And we see this here with the incarnation of the Son of God. The arrival of the time of fulfillment, so under this head, the appointed climax of redemptive history, we have the significance of this introductory phrase, but when, it's communicating something large.

We also have, in the second place, the arrival of the time of fulfillment. Notice the language. but when the fullness of the time had come." It's an interesting phrase, but when the fullness of the time had come, not just the time though, I mean that would have been adequate when the time had come. The language is used previously in verse 2, the time. appointed by the Father with regards to that analogy, but notice when the fullness of the time had come. The Lord Jesus Christ uses similar language in the Gospel of Mark. If you'd like to, you can turn there in Mark chapter 1. At least the meaning itself, the meaning of this, the fullness of the time had come. Notice in Mark 1, At the outset of his Galilean ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ is recounted as having said, beginning in verse 14, now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel. The Apostle Paul isn't doing anything new with this language of the time the fullness of the time coming, Christ himself, the time is fulfilled. If your hand is on Galatians, you're probably near Ephesians then. You can look at Ephesians chapter 1. 

The same language is being used by the Apostle Paul there. In Ephesians 1, beginning at verse 9, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself, notice verse 10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. So there's this reality of the fullness of the times that communicates the fulfillment of a thing. 

What is the fullness of the times coming? Notice that we already noted very briefly with regards to the language but the meaning of it or a capturing of it is seen in verse 2 by way of analogy that a child prior to maturation is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the Father. So I think what we can see here then, the first sort of angle, the first lens to look at with regards to what does the fullness of the time coming mean, is that it's simply the time appointed by the Father. I say simply, gloriously, the time appointed by the Father. The time preordained by God. The time wrapped up in, and determined in the covenant of redemption. 

And you don't have to turn there, but in Ephesians 3 we have this wonderful language of the Apostle Paul speaking about the mystery of the ages being revealed through Jesus Christ, verse 10 of Ephesians 3, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the fullness of the times, very simply and we could say firstly, has wrapped up in it the time appointed by the Father, the time determined in the eternal decree. 

We also have wrapped up in the fullness of the times, the time anticipated and announced by the prophets of old. What does the fullness of the times mean? It also means the time having arrived that the prophets had beforehand announced and anticipated. anticipated with great joy. From the outset of the curse given to the serpent, wherein there was delivered the promise that the hero born of woman would crush the serpent with his heel. From that announcement forward, moving forward throughout the ages, of all the prophets speaking, that there is a time coming when the promised Messiah, that promised hero born of woman, would crush the heel would crush the serpent with his heel. 

The promise of the coming one Shiloh, the promise of the seed of Abraham, the promise of the prophet greater than Moses, the son of David, the servant of Isaiah, the everlasting one that we read of in Micah 5 at the outset of the service. All the prophets spoke concerning this Christ who would come in the fullness of the times, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law. And the language of time is used with regards to the prophetic announcements very often. Sometimes a time is not itself given, but sometimes a time is given. For example, in Daniel 9, 70 weeks are determined for for the Holy City. And there's a specific timing that is given with regards to the arrival of the Christ, but suffice it to say, the fullness of the times has wrapped up in it, the appointment of the Father, and the time announced and anticipated by the prophets as well. And thirdly, the time of the fulfillment of all types and shadows. And Paul is bringing together all of these things into one glorious package in order to dash away the temptations of the Judaizers and the abomination that is this false gospel.

The fullness of the time coming also includes the reality that all of those washings, all of those ceremonies, all of those things that were pointing forward to this one, the time of those things has come and it has passed because the one to whom they pointed has come. This glorious one, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under it.

Fourthly, we also have, so what does the fullness of the times mean? Again, and very briefly, time appointed by the Father, time announced and anticipated by the prophets, the time of the fulfillment of all types and shadows, all of those old covenant ceremonies, and fourthly, but not exhaustively, the time of the perfection of all providences. God had been working providence until the time that this one would come born of a woman born under the law.

Turn with me to the gospel of Luke for a moment. Luke chapter two. I think we shouldn't see here in this Luke two passage just simply information for information's sake. We also shouldn't only see but we should gloriously see the fact that our Bibles do not come to us in the flavor of once upon a time in a kingdom far away, but rather they're tied intimately to person and place and thing. We should also see here something of God's perfection of providences being built to the time where the Christ would come.

Notice in Luke 2 at verse 1, and it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

This brings to the fore a number of things, the fulfillment of prophecy. Pastor Butler read from Micah 5, too. Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are the littlest amongst a multitude of cities, from out of you will come one who is from everlasting. We see that fulfillment of prophecy here, but we see this divine providence, these divine providences coming together to this point where there is this child wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger.

The fullness of the times also has with it the fact that God is bringing providence to this point where the glorious one would come. Robert Raymond made this observation with regards to the coming of the supernatural Christ of history. Speaking specifically to Galatians 4.4, he wrote, when the time had fully come, That is to say, at God's appointed time. And then he speaks to these providences. When the Jewish diaspora had spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Old Testament had been translated into Greek, opening the eyes of the Greek world to its theological power and beauty. When the Pax Romana extended over the most of the known world with great roads and the Greek language linking the empire of the Caesars and making travel and commerce possible on a scale formerly impossible. When Greek philosophical thought had atrophied into skepticism, offering no hope in human wisdom. to improve the ancient world. When the so-called civilized world, as a result, had sunk so low morally that even pagans were crying out for relief from the rampant immorality all around them, in keeping with the Old Testament promises, prophecies, sacrifices, and other types and ordinances, all for signifying Christ to come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, as the Messiah and mediator of the covenant of grace.

See God, the fullness of the time, God the majestic one, God the glorious one, God the creator and upholder of all things, bringing time in history to this blessed point, but when the fullness of the time had come.

And we see thirdly then under this, the reality of the mission of the son of God. And in fact, just before we move on, I did make a note here, and we have not a lot of time, but we have some time. We have some Christmas hymns that we sing this time of year, because Christmas is the time of year. We can sing them throughout the year as well, of course, but this language of the fullness of the time coming is captured by a number of our hymn writers and with some hymns that are very familiar to us.

Edmund Sears, in 1849, with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, For lo, the days are hastening on, by prophet Bard's foretold, when with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold. See how hymn writers were captivated, and rightly so, by the incarnation of the Son of God. This Galatians 4.4 language coming with this poetical weight. For lo, the days are hastening on, the fullness of the times, the ever-circling years giving way to the age of gold.

Charles Wesley, of course, in Hark the Herald Angels Sing in 1739. Late in time. Behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb. Maybe you find that language interesting. Late? Well, God's never late. That's right, God is never late. The idea is, after these ever-circling years upon years endured, where the time appointed by the Father came, where all of these types and shadows had been brought to a particular point, where all of these providences mounted, late in time, behold Him come.

Phillips Brooks, in 1868, with O Littletown, of Bethlehem, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. All those mounting and ever-circling years, the hopes and fears building throughout generation and generation, throughout the Old Testament, throughout the age of the Old Covenant, coming to this point where they're met in a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And lastly, but again not exhaustively, John Francis Wade in 1751 with O come, all ye faithful, word of the Father, that is Christ, word of the Father, late in flesh appearing. Again, not late, but when the fullness of the times had come, God sent forth His Son.

And this sending forth then is the mission of the Son of God. What does it mean when we read here, God sent forth His Son? we can maybe ask the question first, how can God himself be sent? Because remember, the Son of God is the second person of the Holy Trinity, very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory of one substance with him who begat him. Christ is God. And so how could God be sent anywhere? How can one who is already here be sent? And how can one who can never leave a place be sent?

Because it is the case with the Son of God, with God Himself, that He is repletively everywhere by the perfection of His essence in all places, not located anywhere, but not absent from any place. He is gloriously immense and omnipresent. And so what does it mean here for one to be sent who is everywhere?

And I would like to submit that this is one of the weights of the glory of the incarnation. Not some Greco-Roman pagan notion of some anthropomorphic deity at the top of a mountain that is so limited in his own existence that he can depart from a place to no longer be there to a place where he was not already. That's a pagan god. The glory of the incarnation is one that repletively fills, by the majestic nature of his essence, every place who fills the heavens and the earth, according to the Bible, condescended to take on our humanity in order to save people from their sins, sinners from their sins.

Thomas wrote, he sent him, I say, without his being separated from him. Speaking of father and son. and specifically Galatians 4.4. He sent him, I say, without his being separated from him. For he was sent by assuming human nature. So what is the sending? When we ask the question, what is it for one who is everywhere to be sent?

The sending of the Son of God is his assumption, his taking to himself of our nature. And yet he was in the bosom of the Father. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father eternally, John 1.18, And no man has ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the son of man who is in heaven," John 3.13. Who, although he descended by assuming flesh, is nevertheless in heaven.

Again, he sent him not to be where before he was not, because although he came unto his own by his presence in the flesh, yet by the presence of his Godhead he was in the world, as is said in John 1.14. And so, The sending of the Son simply pertains to the glorious condescension that the Son of God, very and eternal God, took to Himself our nature. That's the glorious condescension, that's the glorious thing.

Not that God changed because He cannot, but as the old boys would say, He took to Himself that which He was not without casting off that which He was eternally. And so the Son of God is sent. God sent forth His Son. And we see this meaning that the sending has to do with His taking on of flesh in the very clauses that follow.

God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. That's elaborative, but it's also explanatory. How did God send forth His Son? By being born of a woman, and by being born under the law. And so the mission of the Son of God was to come into our lower shame in order to, as we'll see in a minute, redeem guilty sinners from their sins.

The sending forth is seen in the assumption of our nature, just as the giving and the coming down from heaven is in John's Gospel. And in fact, turn there as we work towards a close. Let's have a look at John's Gospel. As Pastor Butler was going through that, he had many a blessed time to reflect upon the fact of the incarnation of the Word. and this sending is used by John and it's used also in the context of giving and also coming down from heaven. Notice first in John 3, of course a familiar passage, but notice the connection between a gift, God giving, and this sending in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

Notice, for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. And John 6, notice in John 6 as well, this language of coming down from heaven linked with the language of sending. John 6, 38, For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 

So this coming into this world, this giving, this coming down from heaven, and this sending is the assumption of our nature for our redemption and for our recovery. And this is where every time this is explored and every time that this is preached and every time we gather as a church to consider this, we are to marvel in the condescension. We're to marvel in it. We're to be amazed by it. 

if anything should rapture our hearts, if anything, it's God, it's the triune God, it's Christ, the son of his love, and it's the fact that he came into this lower, sinful, curse-ridden world in order to redeem not polished ones, but the unpolished, to put it lightly, the sinful, the wicked, the transgressing, those opposed to God, the lawmaker,

 We think about this language, finding our way back to Galatians 4, born under the law. First of all, born under a woman, born of a woman rather. This ought to hearken us back to a number of things, but let's just say two for now. Born of a woman. should hearken us back to Genesis 3.15. We've already noted that. The hero born of woman will crush the serpent with his heel. The Christ is, the Son of God is that promised hero who would be born of a woman to vanquish the works of the devil. 

It should also hearken us back to Isaiah 7.14 that the virgin shall be with child. and he shall be called Emmanuel, which Matthew translated, it translates God with us. It should also communicate to us that the way unto salvation is that one like unto us in all things except sin must do the work in our stead. One born of a woman. We must be saved by one who is man, not man only, very God and very man, yet one Christ and the only mediator between God and man. He's born of a woman. 

Let's think about the clause with regards to marveling for a moment, that he's born under the law. Have you ever paused to think about the fact, perhaps it's in a consideration of this very verse or other verses in the Bible, that the one who is the lawmaker was born under the law? The lawmaker condescended to take upon himself the form of lawbreakers in order that as the lawkeeper, he would bring many lawbreakers to glory. 

What a glorious condescension we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Son of God. In the context of the old covenant, the one who is the covenant maker took on the form of covenant breakers, so that as covenant keeper, he would bring many covenant breakers to glory. 

What a glorious condescension that we have in Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, being very an eternal God, of one substance with Him who begat Him, the brightness of His Father's glory. All of those passages that we know about the Son of God. 

You know, when we look at, when we consider Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament shows His handiwork, day after day utters speech, night after night reveals knowledge. That's the glory of the Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be sure. But as we contemplate the creative glory of the architect of the universe, we ought to see that is because it is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. 

And this one was found wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. If we are enraptured by anything, if we're amazed by anything, let it be that. This is... This is something that is, as we've noted, that central epical event of the history of the universe, and it is to draw our attention, it is to draw our gaze, it is to draw our reflection. 

And what's Paul's point here then? If Paul's point is in the first section, verses one to three, that we are not to put our confidence in the old covenant system, which was never designed to bring the ultimate inheritance, then with this transition with the but-when clause and the glorious incarnation of the Son of God, it is the case that Paul's point here is to put your confidence only in the one who has perfected everlasting blessing. Do not put your confidence in things that were never intended to communicate everlasting blessing. 

So then what are you to put your confidence in? Your confidence in the Son of God who came down from the pinnacle of glory to our lower shame in order to bring us up to that pinnacle of glory. Put your confidence in the one, the only one who has ever perfected everlasting blessing. 

This is Spurgeon, often you've heard this, you've heard me perhaps just paraphrase Spurgeon speaking about the contrast between the Jews in the Old Covenant and the Christian reality of the New Covenant. All of these washings, all of these ceremonies, were they all to be put away and nothing remain but a bleeding Savior? 

What are Paul's points here? Is that yes, the answer is yes. All of those Old Covenant things were temporary, were preparatory, were anticipatory. This is the full Spurgeon quote, and we'll close shortly after reading this. 

The death of the Son of God upon the cross is the crux of Christianity. Speaking to the point of the central reality of the incarnation of the Son of God, finding its point, its sort of intended terminus point in the cross. Though that wasn't exclusively everything, it was very centrally the crux of Christianity. Here is the difficulty, the stumbling block, and the rock of offense. The Jew could not endure a crucified Messiah. He looked for pomp and power, multitudinous ceremonies and different washings and sacrifices. Were these all to be put away and nothing left but a bleeding savior? At the mention of the cross, the philosophic Greek thought himself insulted and vilified the preacher as a fool. In effect, he said, you are not a man of thought and intellect, you are not abreast of the times, but are sticking in the mire of antiquated prophecies. Why not advance with the discoveries of modern thought? The apostle Teaching a simple fact which a child might comprehend, found in it the wisdom of God. Christ upon the cross, working out the salvation of men, was more to Him than all the sayings of the sages." 

Isn't that glorious? It should be likewise to us. Christ coming in the incarnation. The Son of God, assuming to Himself our nature for our redemption, for our recovery. the work of the perfection of obedience, the work of obedience upon Calvary's cross, taking upon himself the sins of all of his people and that perfectly, rising again the third day and ascending to the right hand of the majesty. These things should be more to us than all of the sayings of the sages.

I was wondering as I was driving here if Spurgeon perhaps had in mind, he might have had in mind the wise men because this particular hymn has them in mind, when it speaks concerning the wise men. But with regards to this language of Christ working out the salvation of men was more to him than all the sayings of the sages, James Montgomery, the Scotsman, the editor of a newspaper back in the 19th century, wrote this in one of his stanzas from Angels from the Realms of Glory. 

Sages, leave your contemplations. Brighter visions beam afar. Seek the great desire of nations. Ye have seen his natal star. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. 

We worship Him because of who He is. We worship Him because of what He has done. 

Verse 5, after we read that He was born of a woman and born under the law, we read that this was to redeem those who were under the law, the purpose of the incarnation, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

So to the point of Galatians, why go back? Why perpetuate that which was temporary, which, by the way, never secured your justification? Look to the one that only ever secures justification, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, who when the fullness of the times had come, was born of a woman, born under the law, that he might bring many sons and daughters to glory. 

What a glorious thing we have in the incarnation. The New Year coming, one of the things that we can set as a New Year's resolution is to know more of our Christ. What a blessed topic. There is obviously many lawful pursuits. You know, our vocations sometimes call us, of course, to do other things than contemplate the incarnation. We would be bad for our employers if we only ever contemplated the incarnation and didn't do our work. But we should contemplate the incarnation. Rejoice in the Son of God who came in the fullness of times to redeem guilty sinners. 

Remembering back, each and every one of us here tonight, to who we were prior to Christ coming in amazing grace. As we were on our figurative roads to Damascus, Christ came to us in some way by word and spirit and brought us forth from the deadness of sin to life in Christ. Let's glory in Him. And if you're here tonight and you don't glory in Him because you're found in unbelief, in damning unbelief, this Son who was born, this Son who was given, this Son who gave Himself for sinners and rose again, bid sinners in His own day to come, to come to Him. to believe on Him and therein have everlasting life, and not be found under Him as weighty judge, but to be found in Him as those who are saints by calling. 

Well, let's pray. 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your truth. We rejoice in Your goodness towards us. We thank You for what we read concerning the coming of the Son of Your love. Lord Jesus Christ, that He assumed our humanity, that He took upon Himself the obligations of the law, that He perfected the obedience to the law, that He died in the stead of sinners, taking upon Himself the wrath of God in our stead, and we just rejoice in so great a salvation. 

Do help us to contemplate the coming of the Son of God. Help us to contemplate the glories of Jesus Christ. Help us to reflect with great joy upon the doing and the dying and the rising again of the Son of God incarnated and to reflect with so great a joy upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do go with us into this week. Help us to rejoice in family, to rejoice in your goodness, to rejoice in your condescended blessings that you pour out upon us daily. And might you by your spirit, in light of so great a salvation, cause us to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. And it's in his name that we pray, amen.