Why Did Jesus Come?


Christmas!

The celebration of Jesus' birth!

But why did Jesus come into the world? And why do we celebrate it?

Why did Jesus come? 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17 ESV)

Jesus came into the world because of God's immeasurable love for us.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
(1 Timothy 1:15 ESV)

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Jesus came "not to call the righteous, but sinners."

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
(John 17:1-5 ESV)

Jesus came into the world to make God known and thereby bring Him glory. He came to give the inheritance of eternal life. Jesus came to glorify God and to accomplish the will of the Father.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
(Colossians 1:19-22 ESV)

Jesus came into the world to reconcile all things to himself and make peace through his blood. Jesus became flesh and died, so that through his being raised to life we could be presented to God the Father as holy and blameless. He died for our sins, and was raised up for our justification!

Why do we celebrate?

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
(1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV)

We celebrate because we know we deserve punishment for our sins, but God was rich in mercy and Christ bore our sins in his body on the cross!
We celebrate because the death and resurrection of Jesus means we "might die to sin and live to righteousness!"
We celebrate because His wounds have left us healed. Where we failed, Christ has succeeded, and when we trust in Him our deserved punishment turns into undeserved blessing! That's the good news! That's the gospel!
We celebrate because were straying but now have returned to Him!

For the follower of Christ, the Christmas season can be a time of thanksgiving and rejoicing! We know that Christ came into the world to take away our sins, and that he has completed the work perfectly! We know that we are now righteous before God and heirs to the inheritance of eternal life! Celebrate!

If you are someone who hasn't yet trusted Christ, I encourage you to consider this during the Christmas season:

God loves you immeasurably. Jesus was willing to step out of eternity and become a man, willing to suffer in every way for your sake. Jesus was willing to die for you while you were weak, so that you may have life and be reconciled to God. Christ's love will continue to pursue you, lost sheep, because he wants to find you and rejoice!

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
(Luke 15:3-7 ESV)


Merry Christmas!


Paul Stiver

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