Today’s word is the beautiful word of adoption. In Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” We find that word adoption in Ephesians as one of the benefits that we have in coming to Christ. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Him.
To understand this word, adoption, we must back up a bit. We have a different understanding of adoption in our culture today. In the Greek and Roman culture, this was a different understanding. The Jews didn’t really have an idea for adoption in the same way, but the Romans did, and it was a rather complicated system. As a matter of fact, if you had a son, as he was growing up, he would be considered a child. Then there was a point of time, kind of like a bar mitzvah, in which this child would be accepted as a son. He would be adopted into the family and now be considered a son, not a child, and in essence have the rights of an adult in the family. The word was also used for those that were not relatives as well. Adults could even be adopted by someone outside the family to be in your family and have all the rights of your family. The best-known case historically, is Julius Caesar, who adopted Octavian in his will. Octavian was 18 years old when Julius Caesar died. He was a relative, he was Julius’ great-nephew, but he was not the son of Julius Caesar. So, when he adopted him, he made Octavian part of the dynasty, and his name was changed to Augustus by the leadership, and he became known as Caesar Augustus. He would end up being the emperor over Rome for a long time. However, he was not a direct descendent of Julius Caesar, but he was adopted into the family of Julius Caesar and as a result he had all the rights of Julius Caesar. So, that was part of the adoption program . . .
