The Right Time

By Danny Saavedra

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, 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. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”—Galatians 4:4–7 (NLT)

Have you ever heard or used these expressions?

The right time to get married . . .

The perfect time to sell . . .

The right time to buy . . .

The perfect time to retire . . .

The idea here is that conditions need to be ideal—the setting, the climate, the timing, you name it—in order for success. And I think we can agree there’s a lot of truth to that. For example, the day my wife and I locked in our mortgage interest rate, it was 3.5% . . . a few days later it was 5%, and a few months later, more than 7%!

In Luke 2:4–7 (NIV, emphasis added), we’re told, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

On the surface, this moment didn’t seem like the right one, did it? Because of the census, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary had to leave their home, take a long trip, and stay in a different town. By the time they got there, there were no rooms left in any of Joseph’s relatives’ houses, so they had to stay in what was essentially someone’s barn. Not only that, but Mary, who was likely between 12 and 15, became pregnant by the Holy Spirit BEFORE being officially married to Joseph, which would have made her seem like an adulterer and left her open to scorn, alienation, and potentially even death.

On top of that, why did God wait 2,100 years to send forth the Seed who would bless all families of the earth, the One who was promised to Abraham. Why did He wait 1,000 years to fulfill this promise He made to David: “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. . . . I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13 NIV)? It all just seems like bad timing, but let’s look deeper.

Because of the census, Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem, King David’s hometown, the city from which the Messiah was prophesied to be born in.

Because of Roman rule, there was great anticipation among the Jews for the coming of the Messiah. It made Israel desperate for His arrival.

Not only that, but because Rome had unified most of the ancient world with roads, it made travel safer and the conditions ideal for the spread of the gospel.

In addition, because the rule of Greece prior had established Greek as a common language, it was possible to communicate the gospel to many different people groups.

The nation of Israel and line of David also had to be established in order for the Messiah to be rightful royalty on the earth and the Seed of Abraham that would bless all families, crush the serpent’s head, and reverse the curse.

I hope you see it, friends . . . Even though from our perspective, things may not have made sense, God was moving all the pieces of history and weaving every thread of time to bring about the perfect moment to send his Son to buy freedom for us so He could adopt us as His very own children.

This is what we celebrate on Christmas! And the best part is that God is still doing the same thing today in the world and in your life. He’s still moving pieces and weaving threads to draw people to Himself and bring about His good and perfect purposes for us. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)!

The discipline of connecting with others is about being intentional in your relationships. It also involves celebrating with others over what good things God has done! Christmas Eve is one of those times to celebrate with loved ones! Apart from Christmas Eve services going on, take today to enjoy good food, family time, and thank God for the greatest gift of all—Jesus!