At the appointed time

I don’t know why, but maybe because Christmas is right around the corner, I’m seeing a lot of things through that lens.

The Lord asked Abraham,

Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Can I really have a baby when I’m old?”

Is anything impossible for the Lord?

At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son. (13-14)

Those words rang a bell with me, and I thought of Gabriel’s words to Mary.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:35-37)

And then I thought of Paul’s words to the Galatians.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (Galatians 4:4-5, NIV)

The birth of Isaac was the first step to God fulfilling his promise that Abraham would be a blessing to all nations. It seemed impossible, with Sarah already being 90 years old.

But she did give birth to a son, turning her laughter of doubt into laughter of joy.

Then at the right time, God sent Jesus in an equally impossible situation, with Mary, a virgin, giving birth to a son.

But now, through him, we rejoice as children of God.

For as Paul wrote,

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir. (Galatians 4:6-7)

So let us rejoice with Paul, saying,

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)