What does it mean that Jesus was born under the law (Galatians 4:4)?

In Galatians 4:4, the apostle Paul writes, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (ESV). Jesus’ birth fulfilled God’s redemptive plan, and it happened in the perfect time, in the perfect way. Jesus told John the Baptist that His intent was to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Part of that fulfillment was that Jesus was “born under the law.”

Jesus was “born under the law” when “the fullness of time had come.” God’s timing is perfect; He never misses a beat. In the Old Testament we see how He orchestrated history and prepared the world for Jesus’ birth. By being “born under the law,” Jesus took on the law’s ceremonial, moral, and civil obligations (Exodus 24:3–8). In taking on human flesh, the Son of God was subject to the law.

Throughout His life and in every way Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17). He fulfilled the ceremonial aspects of the law. He was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), which was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:10–14). His family presented Him at the temple and offered sacrifices as the law required (Luke 2:22–24).

He fulfilled the moral aspects of the law. He loved His enemies. He never committed adultery in His heart. He never broke an oath. Jesus fulfilled the civil aspects of the law. He gave alms. He paid His taxes. He taught respect for authority.

The fact that Jesus was “born of woman, born under the law” means that He was fully human (Hebrews 2:14–17). As such, He had the same legal, cultural, and religious duties as His Jewish contemporaries. Jesus did not merely submit to the law; He actively obeyed and fulfilled it. Jesus’ perfect obedience to the law qualified Him to be the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29).

Jesus was born under the law to redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:10). We were redeemed from this curse “so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5, ESV). Since we could not keep the law, it condemned us (Romans 3:20). However, Jesus’ perfect obedience to the law met its righteous requirements. His sacrificial death paid the penalty for sin (Romans 8:3–4). Through His perfect obedience, which included dying on the cross, Jesus frees sinners from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).

The law was holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). Part of its work was to reveal sin and bring condemnation (Romans 7:7). On the cross, Jesus “canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). By canceling our sin debt, Jesus freed us from sin’s penalty and power. One day, He will free us from its presence (John 8:36). In Romans 10:4, Paul writes, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (ESV).

Jesus’ birth under the law heralded the coming inauguration of the New Covenant. Paul declares that “the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24, ESV). Believers are not “justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ . . . because by works of the law, no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, ESV).

Galatians 4:4 reveals significant truths about the identity and mission of Jesus. The Son of God descended from heaven, took on human flesh, submitted to the law, fulfilled its requirements, and bore its curse. Through His actions, He established a new covenant and granted forgiveness and eternal freedom to believers. In Christ, we are adopted as sons and daughters. We receive an inheritance “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4, ESV). This is all made possible because Jesus was “born under the law.”