Read Galatians 4:4-6
The story of Noah begins with a heavy truth: the Lord regretted creating the human race, along with the animals and birds. For years, I interpreted this as a statement of divine frustration, but I have come to believe He spoke it in tearful sadness. God’s creative handiwork was overshadowed by a heartbreaking reality: “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5).
When the time came to act, the Lord invited Noah and his family to participate in His plan to preserve life. He gathered and sent the animals in pairs to the ark and sent the rains to cleanse the earth. Then He sent a wind to dry the land (Genesis 8:1).
Centuries later, the Lord sent Jesus “when the right time came” (v. 4). History is never random; it is a divine orchestration. For Christ to arrive, the star in the East had to be positioned perfectly, Daniel’s prophecy of 62 weeks had to reach its fulfillment (Daniel 9:26), Roman infrastructure needed to be built and the Greek language had to be pervasive enough to allow the Gospel to spread (Acts 17:26).
Significantly, the world was ready. The nations were growing disillusioned with the hollow myths of the Greek and Roman gods. People instead were searching for truth and reason. Meanwhile, Israel’s occupation by oppressive rulers intensified their longing for a Messiah. Into this milieu, “God sent His Son” who was fully human and therefore “subject to the Law.” “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (v. 5 NLT).
Our response to Jesus echoes Noah’s journey. As Noah was saved through the destructive floodwaters, we came through the water of baptism mirroring Christ’s resurrection. This act of faith is “a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21 NLT).
Because we are now His children, “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts” (v. 6 NLT, Isaiah 48:16).This ancient concept, summarized by the modern catechist, is “When the Father sends His Word, He always sends His Breath.”2You need breath to speak the word and a word to speak with the breath. Cleansing and keeping the believer’s heart pure is the beautiful, joint mission of the Holy Spirit and the Son.
For Reflection:
- What does it say to you that God was ready and able to send Jesus into the world when it was just the right time?
By Tim Tesch
