When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4–5)

Christmas marks the moment when the Creator of the universe sent his Son to make foes into family. That’s the point of Galatians 4:4–5: “God sent forth his Son . . . so that we might receive adoption as sons.” The mission of the Son was to gain sons. The aim of Christmas is adoption.

But Christ was not like a social worker who traveled to a hospital to pick out some cute newborns and deliver them to their heavenly Father. They were not cute. They were corrupt. And they were enemies. God did not seek a family because he needed it, but because they did. And they were not just dirty and homeless. They were hostile. Christmas is the coming of God to make a family from his foes.

That’s why it says, “God sent his Son . . . to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians 4:5). Only by redemption could there be adoption. These babies must be bought. That’s what redeem means — to gain possession by paying a price. These adoptees were not only corrupt and dirty and hostile. They were enslaved. They had to be set free. A price, a ransom, must be paid. And the price would be determined not by the worth of the babies, but by the measure of the bondage.

Adoption by Redemption

The greatest obstacle to their freedom was not their sin or even Satan. The greatest obstacle was the curse of God’s law. God himself had delivered the sentence: “The soul that sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). The price of freedom would be death. Redemption would be by blood. Adoption would be by substitution — the death of the Son for the life of the sons.

Christmas set the stage for this dreadful price of adoption. You can’t die if you don’t have a body. God the Father did not have a body. His eternal Son and Spirit did not have bodies. God’s plan, therefore, was that his Son receive a body — “born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son” (Luke 1:31). The main purpose for God’s Son to have a body was to die. “He shared human nature [including a body], that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14, my translation).

Now the price could be paid. Redemption could happen. The curse of the law could be broken. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). “Sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh . . . [God] condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). Sin condemned. Iniquities borne. Curse canceled. All because of death, because of a body, because of a birth, because of Christmas.

And the aim of it all: adoption. Adoption by redemption — God purchasing foes to be family. “God sent forth his Son . . . to redeem [us] . . . so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4). He gave his Son to gain sons.

“Christmas is the coming of God to make a family from his foes.”

Why must our adoption be by redemption? Because our sin is so demeaning to God’s glory, and his righteousness is so opposed to our sin, that his glory must be vindicated, and our sin must be punished. Otherwise, we would be destroyed, not adopted. God’s love made a way for our God-demeaning sin to be canceled and the worth of his glory to be upheld. And the way was opened for pardoned enemies to be adopted.

Father’s Astonishing Love

This was no afterthought in God’s plan — as if he hit upon the idea of redemption and adoption after sin entered the world. It didn’t happen like that. He planned our adoption before he created the world. “Before the foundation of the world . . . he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4–5). And he did it “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6). We get the adoption; he gets the acclaim. We become family of God; he becomes famous for grace. That was the plan from all eternity. Our joy. His glory. By adoption.

The whole creation is the backdrop for adoption. The universe is the theater for the drama of this adoption. It is as though the creation is standing on tiptoe for this. “The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). The adopted children do not join the liberation of creation. It’s the other way around. Creation joins the liberation of the children. “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). The glory of God shining in the God-centered happiness of the family of God is the point of the universe.

This is the astonishing love of God. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1 NKJV). Breathtaking! The bounty of this love is immeasurable and inexhaustible. In this adopting love, God is the “Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). He meets every need (Matthew 6:8). He always gives good things to his children who ask him (Matthew 7:11). He cares for us because we are precious to him (Matthew 10:29–31). He transforms us into the image of his one and only infinitely glorious Son (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

The inexpressible wonder is: “We are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17). And what do we inherit? “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21–23). “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). And for eternity we will “shine like the sun in the kingdom of [our] Father” (Matthew 13:43).

Great Joy and High Glory

Our adoption and God’s acclamation. Our joy and God’s glory. Those are the two notes struck by the angels when they announced Christmas to the shepherds. First, a single angel said, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!” (Luke 2:10). Not small joy. Great joy. Then the whole army of angels raised their thunderous voice and said, “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14). Great joy. Glory to God.

There is no other God like this — who exalts the glory of his grace in the Christ-exalting joy of his adopted children. This is the final meaning of Christmas.