Marcey asks, “If God knew from the beginning that he would send His son after sin had entered the world. Why did he wait? What was the reasoning for His timing?
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Hi Marcey,
The apostle Paul gives some insight into your question in one of his letters. The churches in Galatia were divided ethnically and socially, so Paul stresses that all who belong to Christ are united in one family: Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female—all belong to Christ (Gal. 3:26–4:3). Then he adds this:
“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” (Gal. 4:4-5).
Scripture never gives us one simple reason why God waited, but it does show that God worked throughout history to prepare his people for Christ’s arrival. He chose Israel, gave them his Law, and sent his prophets, revealing his faithfulness, their sin, and their need for a Savior.
In this passage from Galatians, Paul recognizes God’s perfect wisdom and sovereignty over history. The arrival of Jesus comes at just the right time (cf. Mk. 1:15; Rom. 5:6; Eph. 1:10). God’s plan unfolds exactly as he intended. As followers of Jesus, we can be confident that God is never early and he is never late; he is always on time.
But the question remains. Why did he wait to send Jesus? If this was God’s plan since the beginning, as the Scriptures show us again and again (e.g., Eph. 1:4-5; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 4:3; 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:19-20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8), then why was there a delay? Why didn’t Jesus come sooner?
A few weeks ago, my family took a trip to Chicago. As the minutes ticked by on the clock, my young boys became increasingly anxious to arrive at our destination. Like all other parents, we heard the same old questions again and again: “Are we there yet?” and “How many more miles?” Despite our gentle reminders not to ask again, this little ritual continued for most of our journey.
As parents, we knew the precise destination and estimated time of arrival (thank you, GPS!). But our children were in the dark. They knew something good was coming, but they were impatient for the appointed time to arrive. They assumed that arriving sooner would be better. As parents, we knew there was more to the journey than they could see.
In his perfect wisdom, God sent his Son at the fullness of time. As his children, we may not understand all the details, but we can be confident in his perfect timing. For instance, when Peter talks about the second coming of Jesus, he offers this perspective about God’s timing.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).
Although Peter is speaking about Christ’s final coming rather than his first coming, his words show that God’s perspective on time is different from ours. In this instance, Peter shows that the Lord’s “delay” involves his patient desire for others to come to repentance. In other words, he will return when the time is right.
So, why did the Lord “delay” the arrival of Jesus after sin entered the world? From our perspective, God waited centuries before sending his Son. That’s a long time! But from God’s perspective, Jesus came according to his divine plan. There was no delay; only perfect timing.
Like a parent in the driver’s seat of a minivan, the Lord sees the whole journey. Because he knows what comes next, we can trust him throughout every mile. We can trust that his plan is always for our good and that his timing is always right.
The birth of Jesus reminds us that God is always faithful. Even after centuries of waiting, the Lord never forgot his promises. At just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). In this way, God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). He lived, suffered, died, and was raised, so that we might become God’s sons and daughters forever. It was worth the wait the first time, and it will be worth the wait the second time.
I hope you’ll be encouraged with God’s timing.
-Dr. Tim Barbee
