1. To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6 The Pursuit The Prophecy The Perfect Time

2. The Pursuit  Searching in the garden after the fall – Genesis 3:8-10 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

3. Genesis 3:8-10 (NASB) 8 They heard the sound of the L ORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the L ORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the L ORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

4. The Pursuit  Searching in the garden after the fall – Genesis 3:8-10  Coming to live among us – Exodus 25:1-8 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

5. Exodus 25:1-8 (NASB) 1 Then the L ORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. 3 This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, 4 blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 5 rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, 6 oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them

6. The Pursuit  Searching in the garden after the fall – Genesis 3:8-10  Coming to live among us – Exodus 25:1-8  Becoming one of us – Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Luke 2:6-7; John 1:14 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

7. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB) 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

8. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB) 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the L ORD of hosts will accomplish this.

9. Luke 2:6-7 (NASB) 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

10. John 1:14 (NASB) 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

11. The Pursuit  Searching in the garden after the fall – Genesis 3:8-10  Coming to live among us – Exodus 25:1-8  Becoming one of us – Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Luke 2:6-7; John 1:14  Dwelling inside of us – John 14:16-17 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

12. John 14:16-17 (NASB) 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

13. The Pursuit  Searching in the garden after the fall – Genesis 3:8-10  Coming to live among us – Exodus 25:1-8  Becoming one of us – Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Luke 2:6-7; John 1:14  Dwelling inside of us – John 14:16-17  Re-establishing His Kingdom for us to dwell together, forever – Revelation 21:1-2 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

14. Revelation 21:1-2 (NASB) 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

15. The Prophecy  Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

16. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB) 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

17. The Prophecy  Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14  Messiah from Bethlehem – Micah 5:1-2 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

18. Micah 5:1-2 (NASB) 1 “Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

19. The Prophecy  Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14  Messiah from Bethlehem – Micah 5:1-2  Messiah to come from the tribe of Judah – Genesis 49:10 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

20. Genesis 49:10 (NASB) 10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

21. The Prophecy  Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14  Messiah from Bethlehem – Micah 5:1-2  Messiah to come from the tribe of Judah – Genesis 49:10  Messiah to be a descendant of King David – Jeremiah 23:5 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

22. Jeremiah 23:5 (NASB) 5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the L ORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.

23. The Prophecy  Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14  Messiah from Bethlehem – Micah 5:1-2  Messiah to come from the tribe of Judah – Genesis 49:10  Messiah to be a descendant of King David – Jeremiah 23:5  Killing of babies – Jeremiah 31:15 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

24. Jeremiah 31:15 (NASB) 15 Thus says the L ORD, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”

25. The Perfect Time  “The fullness of time” – the completion of the period of preparation in God’s sovereign timetable of redemption  The law had fully accomplished its purpose.  “God sent forth His Son” – God’s guarantee that believers would become joint heirs with the Son – Hebrews 11:39 To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

26. Hebrews 11:39 (NASB) 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

27. The Perfect Time  “The fullness of time” – the completion of the period of preparation in God’s sovereign timetable of redemption  The law had fully accomplished its purpose.  “God sent forth His Son” – God’s guarantee that believers would become joint heirs with the Son – Hebrews 11:39  God would now provide the righteousness for man that man could not provide for himself. To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

28. The Perfect Time  The time was right religiously – idolatry was once and for all rejected during the Babylonian captivity.  The time was right culturally – the Greeks had established a common culture and very precise language (now dead).  The time was right politically – Rome had instituted pax Romana, which provided economic and political stability as well as great roads and free travel. To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

29. The Perfect Time  “born of a woman” – emphasizes Jesus’ humanity.  “born under the law” – only Jesus could keep the law perfectly; therefore, He could redeem us from the law – Romans 8:3-4. To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

30. Romans 8:3-4 (NASB) 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

31. The Perfect Time  “born of a woman” – emphasizes Jesus’ humanity.  “born under the law” – only Jesus could keep the law perfectly; therefore, He could redeem us from the law – Romans 8:3-4.  “receive the adoption as sons” – Rome had perfected the idea of adoption into a family with full rights to those adopted. To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6

32. Application Have you taken time this Christmas season to contemplate that God has gone to great lengths to pursue you? Are you going to great lengths to pursue others for the Kingdom? Have you ever taken the time to consider your place in the BIG PICTURE of the redemptive story of Christmas? To Christmas and Beyond! Galatians 4:4-6