coming. He, from of
old, had willed that at that moment this Son should be born, and it is
to the punctual accomplishment of His eternal purpose that Paul here
directs our thoughts. No doubt the world's preparedness is part of the
reason for the divine determination of the time, but it is that divine
determination rather than the world's preparedness to which the first
words of our text must be taken to refer.

The remaining portion of our text is so full of meaning that one shrinks
from attempting to deal with it in our narrow space, but though it opens
up depths beyond our fathoming, and gathers into one concentrated
brightness lights on which our dim eyes can hardly look, we may venture
to attempt some imperfect consideration even of these great words.
Following their course of thought we may deal with

I. The mystery of love that sent.

The most frequent form under which the great fact of the incarnation is
represented in Scripture is that of our text--'God sent His Son.' It is
familiar on the lips of Jesus, but He also says that 'God gave His Son.'
One can feel a shade of difference in the two modes of expression. The
former bringing rather to our thoughts the representative character of
the Son as Messenger, and the latter going still deeper into the mystery
of Godhead and bringing into view the love of the Father who spared not
His Son but freely bestowed Him on men. Yet another word is used by
Jesus Himself when He says, 'I came forth from God,' and that expression
brings into view the perfect willingness with which the Son accepted the
mission and gave Himself, as well as was given by God. All three phases
express harmonious, though slightly differing aspects of the same fact,
as the facets of a diamond might flash into different colours, and all
must be held fast if we would understand the unspeakable gift of God.
Jesus was sent; Jesus was given; Jesus came. The mission from the
Father, the love of the Father, the glad obedience of the Son, must ever
be recognised as interpenetrating, and all present in that supreme act.

There have been many men specially sent forth from God, whose personal
existence began with their birth, and so far as the words are concerned,
Jesus might have been one of these. There was a man sent from God whose
name was John, and all through the ages he has had many companions in
his mission, but there has been only one who 'came' as well as 'was
sent,' and He is the true light which