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Christmas · First Sunday after Christmas · Year B

Galatians 4:4-7

Sons of God

December 27, 2026

The Holy Family on the Steps, Nicolas Poussin
The Holy Family on the Steps, Nicolas Poussin, 1648The Cleveland Museum of Art
Mary sits at the centre of a flight of temple steps holding the child, with Elizabeth and the infant John on one side and Joseph in shadow on the other.When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.Nicolas PoussinA Frenchman who made his career in Rome and became the model of order and clarity for French painting.The Cleveland Museum of ArtA large encyclopaedic museum in Ohio, free to enter since it opened in 1916.The Cleveland Museum of Art
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelLuke 2:22-40Lk 2:22-40
EpistleGal. 4:4-7Gal 4:4-7
Old TestamentIsa. 61:10-62:3Is 61:10-62:3
PsalterPs. 111Ps 111

Overview & Insights

“God sent forth his Son, born of woman... so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

The basis upon which Paul makes the previous statement in verse 25 is his conviction that the Galatians are all sons of God by virtue of their being in Christ Jesus . Paul continues to work with the metaphor of inheritance to underscore that all of his readers are inheritors of God’s promise. Paul emphasizes that the Galatians already are “sons” or inheritors of God’s promise. (Paul’s use of “sons” is meant not to exclude the female members of the Galatian churches, but to work with the inheritance metaphor. In the ancient world it was generally sons and not daughters who could expect to be inheritors.) For the benefit of both his Gentile Galatian converts and the Jewish Christian troublemakers who would have eventually heard his words, Paul says that “all” receive the inheritance through the faith of Jesus Christ.

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Commentary

Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7Commentary on Gal 4:4-7 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary exegesis on adoption, the fullness of time, and heirs of God's promise, the RCL page for this passage.

Galatians 4:4-7 CommentaryGal 4:4-7 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed commentary insisting the Son was God's Son before the incarnation, not adopted at birth.

Galatians 4 Commentary: Heirs and Slaves, Grace and LawGal 4 Commentary: Heirs and Slaves, Grace and Law Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's evangelical verse-by-verse study of sonship, the Spirit, and the cry of Abba.

Galatians 4:4 CommentariesGal 4:4 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators aggregated on God sending the Son born of woman, born under law.

Galatians 4 CommentaryGal 4 Commentary Precept Austin

Deep verse-by-verse resource collating scholars and word studies on adoption and inheritance.

Background & Word Study

Enter the Bible: GalatiansEnter the Bible: Gal Enter the Bible

Luther Seminary background on Paul's argument against requiring circumcision and law observance.

Galatians OverviewGal Overview BibleProject

Animated overview tracing Paul's case for freedom and life in the Spirit.

Galatians 4:4 InterlinearGal 4:4 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek text with parsing and Strong's numbers for adoption (huiothesia) and the fullness of time.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Galatians 4Catena: Gal 4 Catena

Patristic comment gathered on the sending of the Son and adoption as children and heirs.

Questions preachers ask

Why is Galatians 4 a Christmas reading?

It gives the theology of Christmas in one sentence: in the fullness of time God sent his Son, born of a woman, to redeem us and make us sons and heirs who cry, “Abba, Father.”

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