Why Jesus Came
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In the gospel of John, there are five dramatic places where Jesus told us why He came, each beginning with the words, “I have come.” So, why did Jesus come?
JESUS CAME TO BE A SERVANT: For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)
Jesus came down from heaven, down from His place of complete majesty and glory and refusing to enjoy its splendors for a time. Jesus came as a submitted servant to do the will of God the Father.
JESUS CAME TO DIVIDE MEN: For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind. (John 9:39)
Jesus is the great divide of humanity; we either accept Him or reject Him. Our choice does not determine who Jesus is; it determines who we are. What we think about Jesus says more about us than it does Him.
JESUS CAME TO GIVE LIFE: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
In Bible terms, eternal life isn’t just long life, it is a quality of life we enjoy right now in Jesus Christ. For the Christian, eternal life doesn’t begin when we die but as soon as we receive it as a gift from our rescuing God. Jesus came to give us this life.
JESUS CAME AS A LIGHT: I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:46)
We sing this idea in the song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”: “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.” It wasn’t only the streets of Bethlehem that were dark, but the whole world was in spiritual darkness until Jesus came. He brings light, not only to the world, but to every life who will receive Him.
JESUS CAME TO BRING THE TRUTH: For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. (John 18:37)
Jesus came to earth for a purpose greater than making people feel good. He came to bear witness to the truth. With the eye of your heart, look at the Babe in the manger, and consider why He came. Is He not greater than you and greater than us all? If He is, the fact of His coming matters more than any good feeling we might have or do not have. His person and His truth give us something greater to live for – something greater to give Him.
O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
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