Galatians 4:4-5, But 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.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…” God spoke the first Gospel promise in Genesis 3:15. It wouldn’t be until thousands of years later that this promise would be fulfilled in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit. The people of God waited thousands of years for their Messiah to come. And now, we wait for the promise of Jesus’ return. Perhaps it will be another couple thousand years for this Gospel promise to be fulfilled as well.
The most likely date of Jesus’ crucifixion (and subsequent resurrection) was the year 33 AD (possibly crucified on April 3, AD 33). That was 1,987 years ago. From the time of the Fall, it would be three to four thousand years until Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection—maybe longer. Who knows how long we’ll have to wait for His return?
Nevertheless, we know that when the fullness of time comes, God shall send forth His Son again not as a child or new man (despite Hollywood’s and false messiahs’ portrayals), but as the same resurrected Jesus from all those years ago to descend in clouds in glory. He first came to give us adoption as God’s children and He will come again to give us our full redemption as God’s children.
The Lutheran Column 