[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide. We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]
Right on Time by Mark Robinson
Read: Galatians 4:4-5
Think about the last time you came to church. Did you arrive early? On time? Late? Now, think for a moment about the circumstances, decisions, and other factors that led to the time of your arrival. If you got there early/on time, then you probably woke up when the alarm rang, ate breakfast without any issues, had zero car problems on the way, etc. However, if you arrived late, there were probably a different set of factors that slowed your arrival. Maybe your alarm clock did not go off, breakfast was an adventure, or traffic slowed to a crawl. Whatever the story, a combination of planning and circumstances translated to your timeliness.
In Galatians 4:4-5, God tells us that Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem happened right on time. Throughout all of history, God was planning and working together world events so that Jesus would be born at the exact right moment. He was not early and He was not late. He came right on time.
God’s planning involved teaching us about His holy character, showing us our sinfulness, and reminding us our need for forgiveness. God did all of this through His Law that was given to us in 39 books that we call our Old Testament. After teaching humanity all these things over a period of about 1,500 years, it was finally time for Jesus to be born. Because Jesus was born at the right time, we can understand that the only way for sinful people like you and me to be forgiven by God is through what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross. Jesus was born just in time.
Questions
- What does it take to arrive “on time” to an event (like school, church, a party, etc.)?
- Why do you think God waited so many years before sending Jesus to be born? What does the Old Testament teach us about God that helps us understand what God has done for us through Jesus?
Advent Prayer
- Thank God for teaching us so much about who He is through the Old Testament.